Why would the geologist who first found the glacial grooves in india be puzzled by the discovery?

He probably thought the Indian subcontinent was too far "south" to have had glacial formation from the Himalayan uplift. He was not aware that the "subcontinent" had originated from the Antarctic zone and had migrated northward. The glacial grooves are ancient indeed. They were formed when it was near the southern pole. It migrated northward at about the same time Australia did. It slammed into southern Asia and threw up the Himalayan chain. Continental drift was not known in the early days of geology.

those who allied with france gained land and power.

they were citizens but they could not vote and they did could not get involved into a political situation during that time.