French Colonization History - General Knowledge of Modern India
The last European traders to come to India were the French. The French East India Company was established in 1664 AD during the reign of Louis XVI for the purpose of trading with India. The French established the first factory at Surat in 1668 AD and another factory at Masulipatnam in 1669 AD. In 1673 AD, the Mughal Subedar of Bengal allowed the French to establish a settlement in Chandranagar.
Pondicherry and French Commercial Growth: In 1674 AD, the French obtained the village of Pondicherry from the Sultan of Bijapur and established a prosperous city which later became the main center of the French in India. Gradually the French East India Company established its trading settlements in Mahe, Karaikal, Balasore and Qasim Bazaar. The main purpose of the French coming to India was trade and commerce. From coming to India till 1741 AD, the main objective of the French, like the British, was purely commercial. The French East India Company captured Yanam in 1723, Mahe on the Malabar Coast in 1725 and Karaikal in 1739.
Political Objectives And Ambitions Of The French: With the passage of time, the objectives of the French also changed and started considering India as a colony. The appointment of Joseph François Dupleix as governor of the French East India Company in 1741 was the first step towards this reality and purpose. During his time the political objectives of the Company came to the fore clearly and at some places they were given more importance than the commercial objectives of the Company.
Dupleix was highly intelligent who took advantage of the mutual animosity of the local kings and accepted this as a God-given opportunity to establish the French Empire in India. He earned a respectable position in the Indian political scene on the strength of his cleverness and diplomacy. But the British challenged Dupleix and the French which later led to conflict between the two powers. Dupleix's army, led by the Marquis de Bussy, captured the area between Hyderabad and Cape Comorin. In 1744 AD, British officer Robert Clive came to India who defeated Dupleix. After this defeat, Dupleix was called back to France in 1754 AD.
French Embargo On Some Areas: Lalali, which was sent by the French government to drive the British out of India, initially had some success, such as the conquest of Fort St. David in Cuddalore district in 1758 AD. But due to the loss of Hyderabad region in the Battle of Bandiwash between the British and the French, the back of the French was broken and taking advantage of this, the British laid siege of Pondicherry in 1760 AD. In 1761 the British destroyed Pondicherry and eventually the French lost their hold on South India. Later, under the terms of the Treaty of Peace with the British in 1763 AD, Pondicherry was returned to the French in 1765 AD. Under a treaty between India and France in 1962, the French territories located in India were legally reunited in India.
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