The French in India | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

French Arrival in India

• The French were the last European nation to arrive in India with the aim of trade.
• Under King Louis XIV, his minister Colbert established the Compagnie des Indes Orientales (French East India Company) in 1664, with the king's strong support.
• The Company received a 50-year monopoly on French trade in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The French king also granted the company perpetual rights for the island of Madagascar and any other territories it could conquer.
• The Company invested heavily in attempting to revive the Madagascar colonies, but with little success. In 1667, an expedition led by Francois Caron was sent to India, establishing a factory in Surat.
• A Persian named Mercara, who was part of Caron's team, founded another French factory in Masulipatnam in 1669 after obtaining permission from the Sultan of Golconda.
• In 1673, the French received permission from Shaista Khan, the Mughal Subahdar of Bengal, to set up a township at Chandernagore near Calcutta.

Pondicherry—Nerve Centre of French Power in India:

• In 1673, the governor of Valikondapuram, under the Bijapur Sultan, granted the French a site for a settlement.
• Pondicherry was founded in 1674.
• The French company established factories in other parts of India, especially along the coast.
• Important trading centers included Mahe,Karaikal,Balasore, and Qasim Bazar.
• After taking charge of Pondicherry in 1674, Francois Martin developed it into a significant center, becoming the French stronghold in India.

Early Setbacks to the French East India Company: The French position in India faced challenges due to the war between the Dutch and the French.

• With support from the English since the 1688 Revolution, the Dutch captured Pondicherry in 1693.
• The Treaty of Ryswick in September 1697 restored Pondicherry to the French.
• Under Francois Martin's leadership, Pondicherry prospered and became the French's most important settlement in India.
• However, the French faced difficulties again during the War of Spanish Succession in Europe, leading to the abandonment of factories in Surat,Masulipatnam, and Bantam in the early 18th century.
• The French in India suffered another blow with the death of Francois Martin on December 31, 1706.
• Reorganization of the French Company: In 1720, the French company was reorganized as the 'Perpetual Company of the Indies', regaining its strength.
• Additionally, French India was supported by French possessions in Mauritius and Reunion in the southern Indian Ocean.