Tuesday, December 28, 2010

French East India Company (contd-1)

Maximum extent of French influence 1741-1754
French East India Company was a commercial enterprise, founded in 1664 to compete with the British and Dutch East India companies in colonial India. This was formed by the amalgamation of three companies in 1660. The first Director general was for the Company was De Faye, .
The first state sponsored French voyage to the Indies occurred in 1603. The French King authorised the the first granting the firm a 15-year monopoly ofbthe Indies trade.  
With the decline of the Mughal Empire , the French decided to intervene in Indian political affairs to protect their interests, notably by forging alliances with local rulers in south India. From 1741 the French under Joseph Francois Dupleix pursued an aggressive policy against both the Indiansand the British until they ultimately were defeated by Robert  Clive.The company was abolished due to financial reasons in 1769.
Several Indian trading ports, including Pondicherry and Chandernagore, remained under French control until 1954.   

Ananda Ranga Pillai, a service man employed in the French East India Company.
The French were constantly in conflict with the Dutch, and later with the British in India and was defeated in the battle of Plassey in 1757, and 1761 in the battle of Wandiwash.