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| French in India en.m.wikipedia.org |
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| Chandernagore:Govt.house(French India). en wikipedia. org |
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| studyiq.com |
France was the last major European maritime power of the 17th century to enter the Indian trade scene, over six decades after the British and Dutch East India Companies had been founded in 1600 and 1602 respectively. In 1668, under François Caron, the first French factory was established at Surat, followed by another at Masulipatnam in 1669. The French East India Company had earlier set up a colony in Madagascar and aimed to establish political hegemony over India, unlike the more commercially driven Dutch.
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| .Chandanagar whatshot.in |
In 1673, with the permission of the Mughal governor Shaista Khan, the French established a settlement at Chandernagore in Bengal. In 1674, the French captured Valikondapuram near Perambalur from the Sultan of Bijapur, laying the foundation for French control over Pondicherry (now Puducherry). Over the years, the French acquired additional enclaves—Yanam (1723), Mahe (1725), and Karaikal (1739)—thus consolidating their territorial presence on both the Coromandel and Malabar Coasts. By the early 18th century, French India included the five main settlements: Pondicherry, Karaikal, Yanam, Mahe, and Chandernagore, supported by minor trading lodges at Kozhikode, Machilipatnam, and Surat.
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| Marquis de Bussy-Castelnau(1718 1785) en.wikipedia.com |
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| Dupleix statuePodicherry,Alamy.com |
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| Face-lifting of Dupleix statue Pondicherry thehindu.com |
Above image: The iconic statue of Joseph Francois Dupleix. He was the last Governor of French Pondicherry and his statue is being given a facelift in December 2014 after 145 years. The restoration work was done by the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Union Govt. According to the historians applying paint would affect its look and well-defined structure. .......
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| Immaculate Conception Cathedral,Pondycherry/ mysimplesojourn.com |
Political ambition soon overshadowed commercial goals. With the arrival of Joseph François Dupleix in 1742, the French East India Company pursued an active policy of expansion. Dupleix, aided by Marquis de Bussy-Castelnau, extended French influence across a vast region between Hyderabad and Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari), involving himself in the succession struggles of local Indian rulers and rivalries with the British.
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| French Institute ,Pondicherry tripadvisor.in |
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| French architecture,Pondicherry,n.musafir.com |
This led to the three Carnatic Wars (1746–1763), during which French forces clashed with the British East India Company, allied with various Indian powers like the Nawab of Arcot and Tipu Sultan of Mysore. Despite early French victories, the British, under Robert Clive, defeated the French at Plassey (1757) and decisively at the Battle of Wandiwash (1760), ending French political ambitions in India.
In 1755, an agreement between British Governor George Pigot and French official Godeheu sought to end interference in Indian princely affairs. Though the French retained their Indian settlements, they were reduced to minor colonial outposts. These enclaves remained under French control until 1954, when they were peacefully integrated into the Indian Union.
Today, Puducherry stands as a living monument to French heritage, with colonial architecture, cuisine, and the French language still influencing its culture and identity.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/puducherry/facelift-for-dupleix-statue/article6734988.ece
