Short history of French in India

In the year 1664, the French government set up company name as “Compagnie des Indes Orientales”.

They stated their settlements in Pondicherry (1673) & gradually developed it as French headquarters. They had to defend Pondicherry from Dutch who captured it but Treaty of Ryswick (1697) restored Pondicherry to French.

In early 1700s war of Spanish succession broke in Europe which made French abandoned their factories at Surat & Bantam. During the same succession, French position further reduced by the death of Francois Martin (1706).

However, a French company in 1720 again reorganized & during 1720 – 40 it revived it lost strength/position. Histories also believed that it becomes possible because of their wise governors & their possession of Mauritius.

As French stated regaining their lost position, the English considered it as a serious threat to their rule. This lead to an outbreak of 3 Carnatic wars between both the European powers.

1^st Carnatic War (1740 - 48): French defeated English with a small army at Madras.

2^nd Carnatic War (1749 - 54): Death of Nizam ul Mulk (Nizam of Hyderabad) again bring two European nation against each other.

3^rd Carnatic war (1758 - 63): French captured English forts at Vizianagaram (1758) which resulted in Battle of Wandiwash (1760 - 61).

This battle at Wandiwash (now Vandavasi, a town in Tamil Nadu) proved to be a very humiliating victory for French. The English army completed outrun French army & forced them to surrender on (16/1/1761).

After the war of Wandiwash, the English become the real king of the Indian subcontinent.

However, in the year (1763: Treaty of Paris) the English restored all the French factories back to them.

Since then the French were only allowed to use India for trading purposes.