The French: Arrival of the Europeans
Nov 2022|🟢Current|8 min read|71 entries
Key Takeaway
The French were the last Europeans to come to India for trade.
The French: Arrival of the Europeans
The French were the last Europeans to come to India for trade. In Kerala, the French established thefirst fort at Thalassery in 1670. However, they could not compete with the English in Thalassery.
Later in 1702, they built a warehouse at Punnol (Kannur). But their business did not improve there either.
In1722, the French Company obtained the right to erect a trade station in Mahi (Mayyazhi) fromKing Kadathanad(also known as Vadakara Vazhunnor). To secure their trading interests, they also erected a fort (St. George fort) at Mahi.
They established their foothold atMahi in 1725.However, unlike the African continent, they were unable to achieve a breakthrough in India.
Let's have a bird's eye view of the French history of Kerala, their trade relations, the wars they fought, particularly the Carnatic wars, and so on.
Basic Facts(28)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| The Last European force to reach India | The French |
| The French in Kerala is commonly known as | Paranthreesukar (പരന്ത്രീസുകാർ) |
| The French East India Company (Compagnie des Indes Orientales) was founded by | Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1664) |
| Ruler of France at the time | King Louis XIV |
| Headquarters of French in India | Pondicherry |
| The former name of Pondicherry | Fort Louis |
| The French purchased Pondicherry from | Sultan of Bijapur in 1673 |
| Pondicherry was founded in the year | 1674 |
| Founder of Pondicherry | Francois Martin |
| Father of Pondicherry | Francois Martin |
| First Governor of Pondicherry | Francois Martin* |
| First French Governor-General in India | François Martin* |
| The French established their first factory in India at | Surat (1668) |
| Under the guidance of | Francis Caron |
| The second French Factory in India was at | Masaulipatam (1669) |
| The permission to establish the French factory at Masulipatanam was granted by | Salabat Jang |
| The Mughal Emperor who issued the royal mandate allowing the French to set up a factory at Surat | Aurangzeb (September 4, 1666) |
| Major trading centers of French East India Company | Mahi, Karakkal, Balasore & Qasim Bazar |
| The trading center of the French in Kerala was located at | Mahi (Mayazhi) |
| The river which was formerly known as 'The English Channel of India' | Mayyazhipuzha |
| The year in which the French East India Company built a fort at Mahi | 1724 |
| The year in which the French captured Mahi in | 1725 |
| The French captain who aided the capture of Mahi from the King of Kadathanad | Bertrand-François Mahé, Comte de La Bourdonnais |
| Major French bases in India | Mahi (1725), Karaikal (1739), Yanam (Andhra Pradesh, 1723), Chandranagar (West Bengal), Pondicherry |
| The year in which the French left India | 1954 |
| Pondicherry was captured by the Dutch from French EIC in | 1693 |
| Name the treaty by which Pondicherry was restored to the French | Treaty of Ryswick (1697) |
| Pondicherry was annexed to Indian Union on | November 1, 1954 |
The Last European force to reach India
The French
The French in Kerala is commonly known as
Paranthreesukar (പരന്ത്രീസുകാർ)
The French East India Company (Compagnie des Indes Orientales) was founded by
Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1664)
Ruler of France at the time
King Louis XIV
Headquarters of French in India
Pondicherry
The former name of Pondicherry
Fort Louis
The French purchased Pondicherry from
Sultan of Bijapur in 1673
Pondicherry was founded in the year
1674
Founder of Pondicherry
Francois Martin
Father of Pondicherry
Francois Martin
First Governor of Pondicherry*
Francois Martin
First French Governor-General in India*
François Martin
The French established their first factory in India at
Surat (1668)
Under the guidance of
Francis Caron
The second French Factory in India was at
Masaulipatam (1669)
The permission to establish the French factory at Masulipatanam was granted by
Salabat Jang
The Mughal Emperor who issued the royal mandate allowing the French to set up a factory at Surat
Aurangzeb (September 4, 1666)
Major trading centers of French East India Company
Mahi, Karakkal, Balasore & Qasim Bazar
The trading center of the French in Kerala was located at
Mahi (Mayazhi)
The river which was formerly known as 'The English Channel of India'
Mayyazhipuzha
The year in which the French East India Company built a fort at Mahi
1724
The year in which the French captured Mahi in
1725
The French captain who aided the capture of Mahi from the King of Kadathanad
Bertrand-François Mahé, Comte de La Bourdonnais
Major French bases in India
Mahi (1725), Karaikal (1739), Yanam (Andhra Pradesh, 1723), Chandranagar (West Bengal), Pondicherry
The year in which the French left India
1954
Pondicherry was captured by the Dutch from French EIC in
1693
Name the treaty by which Pondicherry was restored to the French
Treaty of Ryswick (1697)
Pondicherry was annexed to Indian Union on
November 1, 1954
* Time-sensitive data — verify for latest information
The Anglo-French Feud
TheWar of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) and the Seven Years War (1756-1763) at the turn of the 18th century pitted two powerful nations – France and Britain – on separate factions.This animosity pervaded the respective trading companies in India as well, as they competed to cement their supremacy in India. The Dutch supported the English in this fight. These colonial forces took advantage of India's political upheaval caused by the collapse of the Mughal Empire.The three Carnatic Wars reflected the rivalry between the French and the English. The table below contains further information on the Carnatic wars.
The Carnatic Wars(14)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | 1746 to 1748 |
| Location | Carnatic region, South India |
| Fought Between | The French & the English |
| The French | Joseph François Dupleix (Governor-General), Admiral La Bourdonnais (the French governor of Mauritius) &The English – Major Stringer Lawrence (British) along with Anwaruddin Khan (Nawab of the Carnatic) |
| Main Event | the Battle of St. Thome(in Madras) |
| The English territory that was captured by the French in the First Carnatic War | Madras |
| The treaty that ended the First Carnatic War | Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) |
| The Indian territory returned to the British under the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle | Madras.while the French got their territories in North America |
| Date | 1748 to 1754 |
| Location | Carnatic region, South India |
| Fought Between | The French & the English |
| Reason | Succession dispute in Hyderabad and Karnataka |
| The British forces in the Second Carnatic War were led by | Robert Clive |
| The treaty that ended the Second Carnatic War | Treaty of Pondicherry (1754) |
Date
1746 to 1748
Location
Carnatic region, South India
Fought Between
The French & the English
The French
Joseph François Dupleix (Governor-General), Admiral La Bourdonnais (the French governor of Mauritius) &The English – Major Stringer Lawrence (British) along with Anwaruddin Khan (Nawab of the Carnatic)
Main Event
the Battle of St. Thome(in Madras)
The English territory that was captured by the French in the First Carnatic War
Madras
The treaty that ended the First Carnatic War
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)
The Indian territory returned to the British under the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
Madras.while the French got their territories in North America
Date
1748 to 1754
Location
Carnatic region, South India
Fought Between
The French & the English
Reason
Succession dispute in Hyderabad and Karnataka
The British forces in the Second Carnatic War were led by
Robert Clive
The treaty that ended the Second Carnatic War
Treaty of Pondicherry (1754)
- Result–(7)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | 1758 to 1764 |
| Reason | The Seven Years' War in Europe between Britain and France |
| The Travancore King who died in the year 1758 | Marthanda Varma |
| The French governor who got defeated in the Third Carnatic War | Thomas Arthur, Comte de Lally* |
| The English governor who defeated the French | General Eyre Coote* |
| The treaty that ended the Second Carnatic War | Treaty of Paris (1763) |
| Result | The English established their supremacy over the Indian subcontinent |
Date
1758 to 1764
Reason
The Seven Years' War in Europe between Britain and France
The Travancore King who died in the year 1758
Marthanda Varma
The French governor who got defeated in the Third Carnatic War*
Thomas Arthur, Comte de Lally
The English governor who defeated the French*
General Eyre Coote
The treaty that ended the Second Carnatic War
Treaty of Paris (1763)
Result
The English established their supremacy over the Indian subcontinent
* Time-sensitive data — verify for latest information
Battle of Wandiwash(10)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | 1760 |
| Location | Vandavasi, Tamil Nadu |
| Fought Between | General Eyre Coote of the English & Thomas Arthur, Comte de Lally |
| British won the Battle of Wandiwash on | January 22, 1760Mahi Liberation Movement / Mayyazhi Vimochan Samaram |
| The year in which the Mahi Liberation Movement happened | 1948 |
| Leader of the Mahi Liberation Movement | I. K. Kumaran Master |
| The French suppressed the Mahi Liberation Movement on | October 28, 1948 |
| The year in which the French left Mahi | July 16, 1954 |
| The first Administrator of Mahe after Indian independence | I. K. Kumaran Master |
| Mayyazhi/Mahe Gandhi | I. K. Kumaran Master.REFER: |
Date
1760
Location
Vandavasi, Tamil Nadu
Fought Between
General Eyre Coote of the English & Thomas Arthur, Comte de Lally
British won the Battle of Wandiwash on
January 22, 1760Mahi Liberation Movement / Mayyazhi Vimochan Samaram
The year in which the Mahi Liberation Movement happened
1948
Leader of the Mahi Liberation Movement
I. K. Kumaran Master
The French suppressed the Mahi Liberation Movement on
October 28, 1948
The year in which the French left Mahi
July 16, 1954
The first Administrator of Mahe after Indian independence
I. K. Kumaran Master
Mayyazhi/Mahe Gandhi
I. K. Kumaran Master.REFER:
📝SideNotes(12)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| English Channel | an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates England and France |
| First Indian to swim across the English Channel | Mihir Sen (1958) |
| First Indian/ Asian woman to swim across the English Channel | Arati Gupta' Saha (1959) |
| First Woman sportsperson to win the Padma Shri | Arati Gupta' Saha (1960) |
| The strait that separates England and France | Dover Strait |
| The smallest district in India | Mahi.A district that is not in Kerala despite the fact that it is a Malayalam-speaking region inside Kerala – Mahi |
| Mahi is a part of | Puducherry |
| Ang Lee's2012 adventure drama'Life of Pi,'was filmed in | Puducherry |
| Eyebrow of the Arabian Sea | Mahi |
| മയ്യഴിയുടെ കഥാകാരൻ | M. Mukundan |
| The Malayalam novel 'Mayyazhippuzhayude Theerangalil' was written by | M. Mukundan |
| Name the district of Kerala which surrounds Mahi on 3 sides | Kannur |
English Channel
an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates England and France
First Indian to swim across the English Channel
Mihir Sen (1958)
First Indian/ Asian woman to swim across the English Channel
Arati Gupta' Saha (1959)
First Woman sportsperson to win the Padma Shri
Arati Gupta' Saha (1960)
The strait that separates England and France
Dover Strait
The smallest district in India
Mahi.A district that is not in Kerala despite the fact that it is a Malayalam-speaking region inside Kerala – Mahi
Mahi is a part of
Puducherry
Ang Lee's2012 adventure drama'Life of Pi,'was filmed in
Puducherry
Eyebrow of the Arabian Sea
Mahi
മയ്യഴിയുടെ കഥാകാരൻ
M. Mukundan
The Malayalam novel 'Mayyazhippuzhayude Theerangalil' was written by
M. Mukundan
Name the district of Kerala which surrounds Mahi on 3 sides
Kannur