F.GOTTMANN@WARWICK.AC.UK
FELICIA GOTTMANN
The French East India Company
French East India Company Timeline
C16
Private expeditions
None of them particularly successful.
Religious wars prevent effective government action.
C17 pre-1660s
Several private initiatives of trade with Asia, e.g. Compagnie des marchands de
Saint-Malo, Laval et Vitré which sends two ships with the help of the Dutch in 1601
(an account of which is published by the merchant François Martin, dedicated to
Henri IV).
First privilege of monopoly trade with Asia is accorded by Henri IV in 1603. Several
monopoly companies exist in turns, none of them successful.
Richelieu tries to encourage this and forms companies in the 1620s. This works for
Africa and the Americas, but not Asia.
However a 1616 expedition arrives in India and the French are given leave to
establish a post at Pondichéry.
Importantly, by this time French settlers are installed in South Madagascar and the
Mascarene Islands, Bourbon especially. However, Madagascar continues to be
problematic as do the Dutch.
1664
Foundation of the Compagnie française des Indes orientales.
Very much at the instigation of Colbert (intendant des finances since 1661, and
contrôleur général from 1665 until his death). Colbert will oversee and practically
manage the company until his death in 1683.
He starts with a 'public relations campaign', in the form of François Charpentier's
Discours d'un fidèle sujet du Roi touchant l'établissement d'une Compagnie française
pour le commerce des Indes Orientales (1664)
Founding meetings and organisational conference over the spring and summer.
Charter accepted by the king and registered by the parlement of Paris in September
The sale of shares does not go overly well. Whilst the royal family, high courtiers,
and aristocrats invest, merchants are reluctant. The payment for private investors is in
installments and many do not pay their later installments at all. Finance remains an
acute problem. A stockholders' revolt leads to a Crown bailout in 1688
1660s
Largely focus on Madagascar, which continues to be a problem and takes up many
of the Company's resources.
However, the later 1660s also saw the first successful trading missions to India and
the establishment of trading contacts and trading posts there.
1666
Lorient.
Construction begins in 1666.
Until this permanent base is ready, the company has stores and merchandise mainly
in Le Havre, Saint Malo, Nantes, and Bayonne. Sales take place in these cities, later
largely in Nantes, until they are transferred to Lorient.
Lorient will also be used by the Navy, to justify Crown investment.
1672-1678
Franco-Dutch War
Disruption of French trade: French lose ships and Indian posts to the Dutch.
1682
Crown allows private trade to infringe on the Company's monopoly.
This is on the condition that they ship their goods on company ships, story them in
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Company warehouses and sell them at Company auctions. However the payments do
not cover the Company's actual costs for these services, and the Company's difficult
financial situation continues.
1683
Death of Colbert
succeeded as controller general of finances by Le Pelletier who continues to take an
active interest in the Company.
1685
Company reorganization
The Company was facing acute financial problems. By 1683 its fleet was down to
five ships and the export cargoes were used to pay off Indian creditors rather than to
purchase return cargoes.
1686-7
Textile disputes
The Company had increased its textile imports significantly and French textile
manufacturers protest. The Crown first forbids textile imports completely (1686) but
soon relaxes this prohibition (beginning of 1687) to allow Company to land textiles
for transit and to import them up to a total value of 150,000 livres per annum. In
return the Company promises to export French textiles.
1688-1697
War of the League of Augsburg
Proves a disaster for the Company, which is much inferior to the combined power of
the Anglo-Dutch fleets. Due to the Company's close links to the Navy, its expeditions
are a mixture of commercial and military and are generally inferior to the Allies.
Dutch take Pondicherry in 1693 and by 1697 the French were blockaded in several
ports and many of their remaining posts are threatened.
Its trade is almost completely interrupted.
Situation of the Company:
At the end of the war the Company is in severe financial difficulties. Return cargoes
had been scanty, and therefore the financial means to send for new cargoes were
limited. It turned to borrowing large amounts of money. The loans were however
then used to service interest payments on existing debts and new debts were incurred
to finance commercial operations. By 1701, when loans were also used to pay
dividends, Wellington calculates that the debt had reached ten million livres.
Private Trade
At the end of the War, rival companies were founded by Saint Malo merchants (not
directly for the India trade, focus partially on the China trade and pay an indemnity to
the CIO). In the later 17th and early 18th century private trade becomes quite
pronounced. It is often a cooperation between Breton, especially Saint Malo,
merchants and Parisian investors.
1701-1714
War of the Spanish Succession
Entails a fourteen year disruption of French trade. Expeditions are drastically cut
back.
Crown seeks to support the Company by renouncing duties on several imports and
releasing the Company from its obligation to export French goods. It pays for its use
of Lorient and buys ships that were used both by the Company and the Navy.
However, its financial problems continue
Crown takes over shareholder meeting in 1702. The Company becomes increasingly
defunct and leases out trading privileges more and more actively from 1706 onwards,
especially to the Saint-Malo traders, who remained active during the war years. At
the end of the war the Company had hardly any ships, no cargoes for sale and did
little except lease out its monopoly privileges.
1719
Compagnie des Indes / Law's Company
Under the Law scheme the Compagnie des Indes Orientales, the Compagnie de la
chine and the Compagnie d'Afrique are merged into this new company. 50,000 new
shares are issued (to be bought with billets d'état). In the ensuing boom they rose
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from to 2,500 livres in the summer, and to 10,000 by the end of the year. By 1720
they collapsed to 2,500 livres
The Company is reorganised into two parts, one to deal with the royal mint and the
trade with Louisiana, Senegal, India, Guinea, and Canada (for furs), the other to run
the tax farms which had been given to Law's new company. By the end of 1720 the
Company was theoretically bankrupt. However, by March 1719 it was operating
sixteen ships, thirty by the end of the year. It made several million profit from the
return cargoes in 1720. It's monopoly had been extended until 1770 and it had
acquired a solid presence in the Eastern trade.
1720
Company reorganisation
The Company survives the collapse of the Law system but is reorganised by the
Crown. A further reorganisation follows with the death of the Regent in 1723 which
also re-establishes its financial condition.
1720-1740
'Golden Years'
Company trade and finances prosper during the peace. It gets money through its nontrading activities or through the leasing-out of these, like the tobacco farm (import
and sales taxes on tobacco), the right to run lotteries.
The trading success led to a doubling of trade profits (Wellington, p. 58) and is
reflected in rising stock prices.
Sales are held at Nantes but warehouse facilities there are not good and the Company
decides to build new facilities at Lorient where auctions mainly took place from
1734, generally in October, though in cases of particularly large inventories there
were more than one auction per year.
1740-48
1746-63
1756-63
War of the Austrian Succession and
Carnatic Wars
Seven Years War
Situation in India: problems begin when gov-gen Dumas intervenes in Indian power
politics, supporting the nawab of the Carnatic, Dost Ali, who then attacks the
Marathas, who attack him and the French in turn. Their siege of Mahé and
Pondicherry is unsuccessful, thanks to the timely arrival of La Bourdonnais.
However, Dumas's successor, Dupleix, is eager to increase French power and
possessions in India and encourages Bourdonnais (who isn't half as eager) to attack
the English. The French are svery uccessful at first (by 1750 Dupleix is master of
southeastern India and has the English only left at Madras and Fort St. David) and
but not in the long term. Since they have become embroiled in Indian power-politics
and conflicts, the anglo-French fighting continues despite the peace treaty within
Europe (there is a brief respite in the mid-50s during which Dupleix's successors tries
to restore and preserve peace) and gets worse as it merges with the Seven Years War,
which sees France almost completely defeated in India. With the Peace (Treaty of
Paris), France gets Pondicherry, Chandernagor, Mahé, Karical, and Yanaon back on
condition that all fortifications be destroyed and the military presence limited to
policing functions. Trading posts are permitted at Surat, Calicut, Balasor, Dacca,
Cassimbazar, Patna, Jougdia and Masulipatam. But the French presence is by now
one of mere trade in a British controlled territory.
1764/68
Company reorganisation
Trading and financial situation is abysmal and the French state is unwilling to
commit resources to rebuild their presence in India. Public opinion is also not in
favour of the Company.
1769
The Company loses its monopoly
This was preceded by a public debate between the Abbé Morellet, an economist,
Dupont de Nemours, a physiocrat defending Morellet's stance, and Jacques Necker,
important shareholder and defender of the Company's privileges, in the same year.
The Company continues to function as a licensing bureau: Private traders needed to
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get passports for trade with the East via the Company's headquarters. Passports were
free but entailed restrictions as two which ports to use for provisioning and armament
and for unloading.
1769-85
Private trade flourishes
Private trade flourished and grew fourfold, the China trade in particular came to be
worth about two-thirds of the Indian trade (Wellington, 92; Weber, 616-20)
1785
Calonne Company
After the War of American Independence, the French Crown decides to help rebuild
trade by reconstituting the Company. As the controller general at the time (from
1783) Calonne was so instrumental in its formation and scandal, [see Mirabeau's
Dénonciation de l'agiotage au roi et à 'Assemblée des notables (1787)], it became
known as the Calonne Company.
It had a monopoly over the entire Eastern trade, even though the Macarene Islands
were excepted and their residents could trade with India. It was to be strictly a
trading company with no involvement in financial operations of the state or with
territorial sovereignty.
Port facilities at Lorient were returned to it and the government gave it some ships.
Its internal organisation was only slightly changed, the biggest change was the
overall direction was to be given to twelve administrators appointed by the Crown.
1785-89
Trading Success and unpopularity
Company capital, shipping and trade grow and the company is doing well. It is
unpopular however not only with private traders but also with the physiocrats who
know how to influence public opinion.
1793
Abolition of the Company
In the revolutionary cahiers the Company and its monopoly were a frequent subject
of attack and under the Revolution it lost its monopoly. It was definitely suppressed
in 1793.
French East India Company Structure
1664 organisation: modelled on the VOC
Important rules and exceptions:
 Nobles do not lose their nobility or privileges when engaging in the Company and
Company's trade
 Strangers can join the company and their shares will not be confiscated even in the event of
war.
 Those who invest 8,000 livres get burger privileges in their towns of residence, apart from
Paris, Bordeaux, and Bayonne, for which they need to invest 20,000 livres.
 King undertakes not to confiscate any part of the Company or private shares in the
Company, even if the entire Company should go bust.
Structure:
 The directorate general is to be situated in Paris and to consist of 22 directors. Twelve from
Paris and nine from the provincial chambers.
 Provincial chambers are to be set up by the directorate.
 Merchants are to make up the bulk of the directors, always at least three fourth of them.
 After different interim procedures, the twelve Parisian directors would be elected by the
Parisian stockholders and the nine others by the five provincial chambers: three by Lyon,
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two by Rouen, one each by Bordeaux, Nantes, and Le Havre.
Only larger shareholders (at least 6,000 livres of investment) can become members of a
chamber and have the right to vote. Only big shareholders (at least 20,000 livres of shares)
can be elected directors.
Each chamber has an elected cashier, secretary, and bookkeeper. They have to send their
accounts to the general chamber for inspection.
The directorate has three departments: internal affaires; provisions; and sales.
The company appoints a governor-general who supervised all operations and possessions
abroad.
Powers and rights:
 No withdrawal except by selling shares to another person, so that stock levels are not
diminished.
 The Company gets the monopoly trading right for 50 years for all traffic from the Cape of
Good Hope throughout all India and the Eastern Seas.
 Company has the right to land ownership, i.e. to establish colonies and is already given
Madagascar (again the Dutch model) and rights to the neighbouring islands. In these
Colonies and in any they will acquire in future they will have full juridical, military, and
ambassadorial powers, including the rights to negotiate treaties with rulers and to declare
war on them.
The Company and the Crown
 The Crown will pay an important subsidy and contribution to get the company started. It
was to pay one fifth of the capital value (3 million livres), 300,000 as a downpayment, and
the rest in instalments contingent on the company's raising a capital of 400,000 livres
through the sale of shares to the public.
 Trade is to be subject to French tariffs on imports at 3% of the value, except on construction
and armament materials which were duty free.
 In return the Company promises to promote Catholicism by settling churchmen in their
colonies.
 BUT: the company is only nominally private. It remains under close Crown control,
especially by Colbert. Two 'comissaires du Roi' supervise the Company. One of them
usually is the Controller General (i.e. Colbert until his death), the other is his subordinate
who attends all the meetings and keeps track of the directors' work. He is virtually in charge
of the administrative council and makes it implement the controller general's wishes. He can
even retrospectively request the change of decisions taken if they are not to the Crown's or
Controller's liking. Shareholders' meetings remain infrequent and do not have the final say.
Reorganisations
1685
Crown intervenes due to the Company's financial crisis.
 Shareholders
Shareholder meetings were only to be attended by those who invested at least 30,000
livres. The Company becomes an even more exclusive enterprise, controlled by a few
wealthy shareholders.
This might be one of the reason the company begins to pay regular dividends.
 Directorate
Directorship is reduced to eleven men, each to have a shareholding of at least 30,000
livres.
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
Begin to get paid stipends.
Are seperated into three departments with administrative responsibilities: general
administration; finance; trade, shipping and armament.
Concentration
The Company is allowed to focus on India and released from the obligation to
reconquer Madagascar.
1720
Administration
* separated into two divisions: Commerce and finance with several departments each
* Commerce departments:
1) India and auctions
2) Louisiana, Senegal, and Barbary
3) Armament
4) Purchasing
5) Money Exchange
6) Bookkeeping
7) Sailings
8) Lorient
* Finance departments:
1) Revenue
2) Gabelle
3) Other taxes
4) Tobacco Farm
5) Bookkeeping
6) Council buiseness
* Each department was headed usually by two directors, but they can serve more than one
department.
Directorship and and Supervision
* Directorship is reduced from thirty two twenty-four men, selected by the Crown but in
future to be elected by shareholders.
* Remuneration set at 20,000 livres p.a. but each director has to deposit 200 shares first.
* Directorate is under Crown control via a 'Council of the Indies', made up of six members
from the Council of the State and ten merchants and four royal navy officers. The
first president of the Council was the then controller general Dodun (1721). The
Council was divided into two bureaux, one to exercise overall control and the
second, made up of the ten merchants, forming to chambers, one for commerce and
one for tobacco, which never got properly organised.
The chamber of commerce had ten departments each: India and auctions; Louisiana;
Senegal; Guinea; Barbary; bookkeping; audits; purchasing; employment; armament
and provisioning.
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Later Reorganisations (1723-48)
Administration
* little changes in actual administration (directors still head particular departments).
* Chamber of tobacco becomes redundant when the tobacco farm is leased to the general
farm in 1729 (which means the Company gets money for this).
Directorship and Supervision
* 1723: directorship is reduced to twelve men selected by the Crown from amongst
shareholders holding at least 50 shares.
* 1723: two new bodies of overseers: four inspectors (chosen by the Crown from the
Council of the Indies and supposed to represent Crown interests) and eight syndics
(elected by shareholders and supposed to represent their interests). Inspectorship is
abandoned in 1731 when the controller general assumes more direct overall control,
through a royal commissioner he appoints.
* 1748: directorate reduced to eight, syndicate to six members. Directors are appointed by
the Crown via the Council of State and by taking an oath before the Parlement of
Paris. Syndics: list of four proposed by the administrative Assembly (see below), two
of which are elected by the General Assembly (see below), one of which is then
appointed by the crown.
Power and Control over the Company
 General Assembly of Stockholders: supposed to meet once a year. It did so during the
early 1720s, but never meets once between 1731-1745. After that it meets annually at the
presentation of the financial report. It never gets to issue direct orders to the
management, except at the behest of the crown.
 Key to management was the Administrative Assembly (the eight directors and the six
syndics) which met daily and all of which are directly or indirectly elected by the crown
(see above).
 Crown, in the form of the controller general, also has more direct control. The controller
general has the final say on all decisions. He appoints a royal commissioner who attends
meetings of the Administrative Assembly once a week to report back to the controller
general. He can command the assembly to take back or change decisions if the controller
is not happy. The controller himself attends once a month.
Administration
 Overall there is little change in the actual administration, but the chamber of tobacco
becomes redundant when the tobacco farm is leased to the general farm in 1729
 The Administrative Assembly is divided into five departments:
 Commerce and Armament – four directors and two syndics
 Purchasing, finance, and bookkeeping – two directors and one syndic
 Auctions – one director
 Lorient – one director
 Archives and registers – one director
 There was also a secret committee, later called the Indian committee, which was
devoted to all military matters.
 The large clerical workforce, employed to carry out management decisions, was
organised into various offices directed by the directors and syndics. These were located
in the Parisian headquarters.
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Six on financial business: a general office (pays debts, makes loans, and receives
payments); a cashier office (receives and pays out cash); dividends office (pays out
dividends, interest, and redeems mature bonds); rents office (pays out the annuities
on the lotteries); stock conversion office (redeems stock and bonds); discounts office
(discount bank for bills of exchange).
Bookkeeping (audits and accounts)
Purchasing office
Indian bureau (biggest). Sorts all the foreign correspondence.
Armament
Archive (though most of the papers older than a year were apparently burnt)
1760s reorganisation
Administration, Elections, and Meetings
 Is largely retained (five departments continue)
 Six directors are elected by shareholders for life with salaries of 15,000 p.a. Syndics are
also elected by shareholders, for terms of six years.
 Shareholder meetings were to take place twice a year, in January for the presentation of
the annual report by the directors and in July for the auditor report (auditors are elected
at the January meeting).
French East India Company Places
Situation in the late 17th century:
Four main regions: 1) Surat
Largest entrepot and for a long time center of French activity. Ceases
its place to Pondicherry. Used mainly for the purchasing of cotton
goods.
2) Malabar Coast
Posts in Balapatam, Tellicheri, Rojapur. Source of pepper.
3) Bengal
Posts in Chandernagor, Balasor, and Cassimbazar. Textiles, especially
silk.
4) Coromandel Coast
With the principal French post of Pondicherry and a subsidary post of
Masulipatam. Pondicherry was an entrepot centre for goods from
Ceylon and other southeast Asian regions. Takes over as the primary
French centre by the beginning of the C18th.
Situation in the 'Golden Years' (1720s-1740)
Islands
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* After Madagascar was abandoned, the islands of Bourbon and Ile de France (Macarene
Islands) became more important.
* Each island has a military garrison by the 1720s and a governor. The position is demoted
to military commander responsible to the commandant general of Pondicherry in
1727, but in 1734 a governor general in control of civil and military matters in both
islands is installed.
India
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Principal bases are Pondicherry (Coromandel) and Chandernagor (Bengal). Both have
territory under French jurisdiction. Surat falls from chief French station to mere trading
post.
Trading posts are located already in Masulipatam (Coromandel) and Calicut (Malabar).
The latter is abandoned in 1721. Newly added were Yanaon (Northern Circars, 1721),
Mahé (Malabar, 1725), Karikal (Tanjore, 1739). Balasor (mouth of Hoogly River) was
less a trading post than a settlement for river pilots). Other new posts included Patna
(Bihar), Dacca, Jougdia, and Cassimbazar (Bengal).
Individual posts:
 Pondicherry:
A fort is built there in 1702-04 by the engineer Danyon and it is further fortified in
the following decades, including a sea wall in 1747. It contained the French
Company's headquarters including the governor's residence, administrative
building, customs house, warehouse with sales rooms, a mint, a hospital,
churches, and workshops for finishing cloths. There were no warves as loading
and unloading had to be done at sea. French and natives live in separate
neighbourhoods.
Together with Karikal, Yanaon, and Masulipatam it served as the French entry to
the major Indian textile markets.
 Karikal
Only 20 miles south of Pondicherry, it was mainly a source of food supplies and
of textiles. It was purchased by the French over the years, thus became a French
possession which by mid century was garrisoned and fortified.
 Masulipatam and Yanaon
Located in the Northern Circars, north of the mouth of the River Krishna, around
the mouth of Godavery River, i.e. north of Pondicherry. The company did not
have jurisdiction here, but they were important for cloth purchasing.
 Chandanagor
Second most important French possession after Pondicherry. Located on the banks
of the Hooghly River, and protected by a fort, Fort d'Orléans. Though smaller in
size it handled larger and more varied trade as the location enabled the Company
to engage in the Bengal trade, Bengal being the most populous region of India.
One of the main concerns was to keep the river navigable.
 Other Bengal posts:
Balasor was important to allow for the river navigation. Four pilots were regularly
employed there to ship goods to and from the posts upstream. These were:
Patna (lodge for buying salpeter and opium, unfortified)
Dacca (small lodge to buy fine cotton cloth)
Jougia (idem)
 Mahé
On the Malabar coast. Unfortified post mainly for pepper purchasing.
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Posts outside India
 Most of these only trading posts and were under native jurisdiction.
 They include: Bandar Abbas (Hormuz Straight, now Iran), Moka (Red Sea), Canton
(China), and temporarily in Basra (Persian Gulf, now Iraq).
Administration in India
 Administrative centre is Pondicherry. Concessions from the nawab gave the French
rights to levy taxes and custom duties, mint coins, provide policing and justice, and to
fly the national flag.
 Governor and Council are based in Pondicherry. They receive instructions from Paris
and send instructions to the provincial councils based at the other posts. They handle
diplomatic relations with the powers in India, oversee trade and finance, and command
the military forces.
 Governor general: runs the entire company operation abroad, including the command of
all civil, military, and naval services in India. Based in Pondicherry, appointed by the
administrative assembly in Paris.
 Superior Council: was supposed to assist the governor general, but in most cases just
approved whatever the governor wanted. Major decisions are taken by the governor, the
council does the day to day running. Personnel is appointed by the administrative
assembly in Paris and shares out specific administrative functions. Has to send annual
reports to Paris.
 Council meetings are presided over by the governor or his deputy. Correspondence from
Paris has to be opened in the presence of all councillors and all of them have to sign
correspondence to the directors.
 Paris directors have the right to veto council decisions, but hardly ever do. The councils
and particularly the governor general have a great deal of de facto independence.
 The Superior Council is also the highest judicial court in India, by power of the Crown
for French subjects and treaties with local rulers for natives. Lower courts exist in other
posts, against whose judgements appeal could be made to the superior council.

Local councils: have a relatively fair degree of autonomy from Pondicherry. Each council has a
director but the number of other councillors varies. They are in direct communication with Paris.
French East India Company People
Important governors general
1666 - 1670 François-Lopis, marquis de Mondevergue
(= first governor though not yet governor general of India, as the office would come
later)
Ex-army officer, tries to settle Madagascar problems, didn't do as well as the Crown
wanted, so was ordered home, arrested on unconvincing charges, dies in prison
before the trial.
1670+
Jacob Blanquet de la Haye
Madagascar problems get worse under his command, hence leaves and settles on
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Bourbon. Organises several military expeditions, mainly against the Dutch.
1699-1706
François Martin
after the French regained Pondicherry from the Dutch, he set up office there. It
would remain the headquarters of the governor general. The governor-generalship of
French India was to remain until the 20th century.
1734-41
Benoit Dumas
Was governor of the Islands before.
1741-1754
Joseph François Dupleix
Serves on Company ships before getting a post as councillor in Pondicherry (1721)
and then gets director of Chandernagor (1730). Much encouraged private trade.
Liked to get into fights. Rival of Clive. Recalled and succeeded by Godheu who is
acting until Duval de Leyrit arrives and is mainly busy making huge concessions to
the British to restore peace.
1755-58
Georges Duval de Leyrit
Things are going badly in India, he doesn't help.
1758-61
Thomas Arthur, conte de Lally
Tried his best militarily, didn't get on well with the Council in Pondicherry, was taken
by the English but released. He returned to France and was arrested, tried, and
executed there. Voltaire wrote the Fragments historiques sur l'Inde in his defence.
Posthumously pardoned. After that the British occupy the French territories.
Important directors
François Caron
Worked for the VOC for 22 years before becoming director of the CIO. During 1668
mission to India, manages to establish and to staff eight trading posts at on the
Malabar and Coromandel coasts, including Pondicherry.
François de la Faye
Commanded three ships on an India voyage (separate from Caron's) in 1668-9.
François Martin
Negotiated a settlement with Sher Khan Lodi (nawab of Bigapur) cancelling his debt
to the French in return for a region on the sea coast: Pondicherry. Later became
governor general.
French East India Company Published Statistics and Sources for these
Wellington: Statistics on the French East India Company (in French East India Companies, A
Historical Account and Record of Trade, Hamilton, 2006)
1) Tonnage of Importation and Exportation 1665-1709
2) Value of Importation and Exportation 1725-1771
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3) Content of Auction Sales
1687-1716
4) “
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1717-1769
5) Contents of Imports from Pondichéry and at Sales 1735-1743
6) Summary of Textile Imports
1687-1716
7) “
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1720-1769
8) Summary of Major Imports
1687-1716
9) “
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“
“
1720-1769
10)
Value of Sales 1687-1768
11)
Value of Imports from India and China 1775-1780
12)
Value of Exports from India and China 1775-1780
Also contains a detailed glossary of textile terms (on type, origin, quality, period, etc.)
Sources for these statistics:
1) Published sources
Kaepplin, La Compagnie des Indes Orientales et François Martin (Paris 1908, NY reprint: 1967)
Estienne, Les Armements au Long Cours de la Deuxième Compagnie ses Indes 1717-1773
(Lorient: Services Historique de la Marine, 1996)
2) Published sources
Raynal, Mémoire relatif de commerce 1721-1771 (BNF)
Haudrère, La Compagnie Française des Indes au XVIII Siècle (Paris, 1989)
3) Sales records in various archives:
Centre des Archives d'Outre-mer (Aix-en-Provence) for 1687 Sale at Rouen, 1691 Sale at Nantes;
Archives Départementales de Loire-Atlantique (Nantes) for 1699 and 1704 Sales at Nantes;
Archives Municipales de la Ville de Nantes for 1710, 1712, 1714, 1715, and 1716 Sales in Nantes
(usually includes Ships)
4) Sales Records in various Archives
BNF for 1717 Sale in Paris and 1749 Sale in Lorient; Nantes Municipal Archives for sales of 1721,
22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 31, 32, and 33 in Nantes; Archives Départementales du Calvados
(Caen) for the 1734 Sale in Lorient; Archives d'Outre-mer for Sales in Lorient in 1737, 38, 39, 40,
50 (arrival of cargos rather than sale), 56, 67, and 69; Archives Ministère des Affaires Etrangères,
Asie for 1741 Sale at Lorient; Service Historique de la Marine (Lorient) for 1761, 64, and 66 Sales
at Lorient. (usually include Ships)
5) Averages for four ships, based on the Archives d'Outre-mer
6) Same as 3)
7) Same as 4)
8) same as 3)
9) same as 4)
10)
Various records:
Archives d'Outre-mer for Value of Sales of 1687, 1691, 1725, 1767, and 1768; Archives
Municipales, Nantes for 1721; Service Historique de la Marine (Lorient) for 1758 and 1760
11) from the Archives Nationales
12) from the Archives Nationales
Haudrère and Statistics
in general he doesn't give the sources for his Statistics (which is very annoying...), but does so in his original
thesis, published as La Compagnie française des Indes au XVIIIe siècle, 4 vols (Paris: Librarie de l'Inde,
1989) all of these are in volume IV, which has a huge 'Annexe Statistique' on the Value of the trade; on ships
sent by the French, the VOC, and the EIC; the Calendar, captured and sunk ships; on shipbuilding and
equipping; on the seafaring personnel and the colonial personnel.
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Statistics in Catherine Manning (Fortunes A Faire, The French in Asian Trade, 1719-48, Variorum, 1996)
1) French Bullion Exports to Asia 1725-46
based on the Archives Nationales (Colonies and Déliberations)
her figures are similar but not identical with the ones given in Weber, La Compagnie des Indes
Française
2) English and French Bullion exports in kgs of pure Silver and in Value 1726-45
based on Chaudhuri, The Trading World of Asia and the EIC for the English numbers and on 1)
for the French ones
3) Allocation of French Investment in Silver and percent to India, China, and the Isles, 1733-46
based on the Archives Nationales, section Colonies
4) Sailings from Lorient for India, China, and the Isles (Ships as well as tonnage and percent)
Based on the AN (Registre Général des Déliberations) and are similar but not always identical
with those in Geneviève Beauchesne, Inventaire des Archives de le Compagnie des Indes, ec. By
Legrand and Marec (Vincennes, 1978)
5) Graph (not very detailed) of receipts of Annual Sales, 1725-43
same sources, varies from Weber
6) &7) Net Profits of the French and English Companies and Costs as a Proportion of Total Receipts
EIC figures again from Chaudhuri, French ones from the Etat Général, which has colums 'Prix
d'achat', 'Dépenses', and 'Montant des Ventes'
8) French community in India 1727-47
No sources given
9) A list of French Country Voyages
Based on various sources and archives: Correspondance du Conseil Supérieur de Pondichéry et
de la Compagnie, 6 vols, ed. by Martineau (Pondicherry, 1920-34) which cover 1726-30, 173638, 1739-42, 1744-49, 1755-59, and 1766-67; Correspondance du Conseil Supérieur de
Pondichéry avec le Conseail de Chandernagor, 3 vols ed. by Gaudart and Martineau (Paris,
1915-19), which cover 1728-37, 38-47, and 47-57; Procès Verbaux des Déliberations du Conseil
Supérieur de Pondichéry 1701-39, 3 vols, ed. by Gaudart and Marineau (Pondicherry, 1912-13);
Ananda Ranga Pillai's Private Diary; The Section 'Colonies 2' of the AN; the Notorial records of
Pondicherry and Chandernagor in Aix; The 'Fonds de la Marine in the AN which has the
Journeaux de Bord; and the correspondences of Dupleix in Chandanagor (BN and the
Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal in Paris) and of La Bourdonnais and La Villebague (Archives
d'Entreprise of the AN)
The book also gives a good and detailed overview (pp. 247-52) of the sources available in various archives,
which is very helpful; of published contemporary works (pp. 253-56); and of secondary literature on the
topic.
Archives
Archives départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine (Rennes):
Info on the Compagnie des Indes orientales de Saint-Malo (1711 to 1793) in: Fonds Magon de la Balue,
Archives I&V, fonds 11 J, (3,40 ml) (suite de 1 F 1897 à 1924 ; voir aussi 39 J 1 à 39 J 9) also relevant: 2C.
Archives Départementales de Loire-Atlantique (Nantes)
Sales records
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Archives Ministère des Affaires Etrangères
have a section on Asia which probably contains some interesting records. The relevant ones will probably be
split between Paris (archives de l’administration centrale) and Nantes (services extérieurs) – but their website
is terrible!
According to Manning, there is in Paris:
'Fonds Mémoires et Documents': Perse2: on Persia in the 1740s
and
'Fonds Divers' : 'Asie, Indes Orientales'.
Archives Municipales de la Ville de Nantes
Sales at Nantes 1729-33 and the Fonds de la Companie des Indes: both are HH 205-226.
Archives Nationales
'Fonds des Colonies':
Series C1: on the China trade;
C2 on India and the Company (details of all this are in Manning);
Series E: on individuals in the Company's employ;
other relevant documents in series F
'Fonds des Affaires Etrangères':
Series B: (B1 197) Correspondence from Basra 1743-91
Series O1 (Maison du Roi) which includes, Dumas 'Notions Générales pour les Affaires et le Commerce des
Indes
Series AP (Private Archives), especially 158 AP has a lot of documents and private correspondence, for
instance Dupelix's
Series AQ is the Archives d'Entreprises and 94 AQ has correspondences of La Bourdonnais and other
relevant documents
'Fonds de la Marine':
Series JJ, especially 4 JJ contains a lot on the actual voyages (ship journals, etc.).
Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal
4743-4 Dupleix Correspondence from Chandannagar (1735-7)
BNF
some sales records
also:
Fond Français contains several memoranda, journals, and correspondences on the Eastern Trade; whilst in
the Nouvelles acquisitions Françaises there are several more of these, as well as family papers for Dupleix
and others.
Centre des Archives d'Outre-mer (Aix-en-Provence)
Sales records and ships all the legal papers relating to Pondicherry and other Indian posts, in particular:
Series M: Criminal cases
Series N: Declarations and wills
Series O: Legal papers of the Notariat de Chandernagor (1701-48)
Series P: Legal papers of the Notariat of Pondicherry, including contracts, parnership agreements, freight and
cargo lists.
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Service Historique de la Marine, now part of the Service Historique de la Défense.
The navy bit is split according to the relevant ports and in Vincennes, for the central administration, in Paris:
Administration centrale de la marine (Vincennes)
Archives de la marine conservées à Brest
Archives de la marine conservée à Cherbourg
Archives de la marine conservées à Lorient
Archives de la marine conservées à Rochefort
Archives de la marine conservées à Toulon
There is a good overview of what each archive contains on the internet.
The one in Lorient is particularly important: 1P is the Fonds de la Compagnie des Indes and contains: List of
Company ships and their voyages, Correspondence between Pondicherry and Lorient and the
Correspondence of Company's officers, Lists of voyages with captains, destination, and dates, as well as the
Deliberations of the Company
Useful published sources:
Documents and letters:
Correspondance du Conseil Supérieur de Pondichéry et de la Compagnie, 6 vols, ed. by Martineau
(Pondicherry, 1920-34) which cover 1726-30, 1736-38, 1739-42, 1744-49, 1755-59, and 1766-67;
Correspondance du Conseil Supérieur de Pondichéry avec le Conseail de Chandernagor, 3 vols ed. by
Gaudart and Martineau (Paris, 1915-19), which cover 1728-37, 38-47, and 47-57;
Correspondance du Conseil Supérieur de Bourbon et de la Compagnie des Indes, 5 vols, ed. by Lougnon (St.
Denis, 1949)
Procès Verbaux des Déliberations du Conseil Supérieur de Pondichéry 1701-39, 3 vols, ed. by Gaudart and
Marineau (Pondicherry, 1912-13)
Lettres et Conventions des Gouverneurs de Pondichéry avec Differents Princes Hindous (1666-1793), ed. by
Maritneau (Pondincherry, 1914)
Arrêts du Conseil Supérieur de Pondichéry, 8 vols, ed. by Diagou (Pondicherry, 1935-41)
Dernis, Recueuil ou Collection des Titres, Edits, Declarations, Arrêts et Autres Pièces concernant la
Compagnie des Indes Orientales établie au mois d'août 1664, 4 vols. (Paris, 1745-56)
Résumé des Actes de l'Etat Civil de Pondichéry, 2 vols, ed. by Martineau (Pondicherry, 1917-20) –
Alphabetical Index of Names therein is ed. by Closets d'Erray, 2 vols (Pondicherry, 1932)
Résumé des Brevets, Provisions et Commissions du Roi et des Nominations faites par les Directeurs de la
Compagnie des Indes et le Conseil Supérieur de Pondichéry, ed. by Deront (Pondicherry, 1931)
Résumé des Lettres du Conseil Provincial de Madras avec Mahé de la Bourdonnais, Dupleix, le Conseil
Supérieur et Divers, 2 vols, ed. by de Closets d'Erray (Ponicherry, 1933) – same for Lettres du Conseil
Supérieur de Pondichéry to divers ppl (1933)
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Diaries and personal records
Ananda Ranga Pillai's Private Diary;
Abbé Carré, Voyages des Indes Orientales (Paris, 1699) – visited around 1670
Challe, Journal d'un Voyage aux Indes Orientales (Paris, 1979), originally published after his death in 1721,
travelled with the French East India Company from Lorient to Pondicherry and back in 1690-91
Le Gentil de la Galaisière, Voyage dans les Mers de l'Inde (Paris, 1779)
Lullier, Voyage du Sieur Luilier dans les Grandes Indes Orientales (Paris, 1705)
Mémoire de Desjardins, Officier au Bataillon de l'Inde. Un Episode de la Discorde à Pondichéry entre les
Officiers du Roi et les Officiers de la Compagnie, ed. by Deront (Pondicherry, 1933)
Poivre, Mémoires d'un Voyageur, ed. by Malleret (Paris, 1968)
Tavernier, Les Six Voyages de Jean Baptiste Tavernier, 2 vols (Paris, 1676)
Contemporary sources and accounts
Encyclopédie, ou, Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, par une société de gens de
lettres ; mis en ordre & publié par M. Diderot ... & quant à la partie mathematique, par M. d'Alembert, 28
vols (Geneve, Paris, Neufchastel: Chez Briasson and others, 1754-1772)
Encyclopédie Méthodique, Manufactures, Arts et Métiers, 3 vols (Paris 1785-90)
Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses Ecrites des Missions Etrangères par Quelques Missionaires de la Société de
Jésus, 25 vols (Paris, 1717-43)
Blancard, Manuel du Commerce des Indes et de la Chine (Paris, 1806)
de la Bourdonnais, Mémoires Histoiques de B.F. Mahé de la boudonnais, Gouverneur des Iles de France et
de Bourbon, Recueilliés par son Petit Fils (Paris, 1827) and
de la Bourdonnais, Mémoire des Iles de France et de Bourbon, ed. by Lougnon (St Denis, 1937)
Hamilton, A New Account of the East Indies, 2 vols (Edinburgh, 1727)
de Bar le Duc, Mémoire Historique sur les Missions aux Indes Orientales, 2 vols (Lucca, 1744) and
Mémoires utiles et nécessaires, tristes et consolantes sur les missions des Indes Orientales (Paris, 1745)
du Fresne de Francheville, Histoire de la Compagnie des Indes, vol. 3 of Histoire générale et particulière des
Finances (Paris, 1746)
Harris, History of the French East India Company (London, 1744)
Lacretelle, Mémoire à consulter et Consultation pour les Négocians faisant le Commerce des Marchandises
des Indes (Paris, 1786)
Law de Lauriston, Mémoire sur Quelques Affaires de l'Empire Mogol 1756-61, ed. by Marineau (Paris, 1913)
Legoux de Flaix, Essai Historique, Géographique et Politique sur l'Hindoustan avec le Tableau de son
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Commerce […] depuis 1702 jusqu'en 1770, 2 vols (Paris, 1807)
Savary des Bruslons, Dictionnaire Universel de Commerce, 3 vols (Paris, 1723)
Contemporary Debates
Abbé Guyon, Histoire des Indes Orientales Anciennes et Modernes, 3 vols (Paris, 1744)
and
Charpentier de Cossigny, Lettre Critique sur l'Histoire des Indes Orientales de l'Abbé de Guyon (Geneva,
1744) – also wrote: Voyage au Bengale (Paris, 1798)
François Charpentier, Relation de l'etablissement de la compagnie Françoise pour le commerce des indes
orientales (recounts process of establishment) & Discours d'un fidele sujet du roy, touchant l'establissement
d'une Compagnie Françoise pour le Commerce des Indes Orientales both 1660s [part of the publicity
campaign]
Josiah Child, A New Discourse of Trade (1665) &
Pieter de la Court, Political Maxims of the State of Holland (1662)
[both later be singled out by Turgot in his eulogy of Vincent de Gournay in 1759 as the “legislators of
commerce” for modern Europe.]
Jean Pottier de la Hestroye, 'Mémoire touchant le commerce de la France et les moyens de le rétablir' (1698)
(how to get F on par with GB & Dutch on overseas trade)
Melon, Essai politique
Dutot, Réflexions sur le commerce et les finances (1735/38) [was caissier of the CIO]
Raynal, Histoire
Paul Boesnier de l'Orme, L'esprit du gouvernement économique (1775) [ European desire for conquest
policies of monopoly and colonization => // Raynal]
Alexandre Deleyre, Tableau de l'Europe, pour servir de supplément à l'Histoire phil & pol des […] deux
Indes (1774) [= collaborator of Raynal's Hist phil et pol & later pro-regicide in revolutionary Convention]
Voltaire, Fragments historiques sur l'Inde [defence of Lally, attack on luxury trade, consumption, and of
European warfare in India]
Condillac, Le commerce et le gouvernement considérés relativement l'un à l'autre (Amsterdam, 1776)
Morellet, Catalogue d'une bibliothèque de l'économie politique (published together with the Prespectus d'un
Dictionnaire de commerce in 1759)
Necker & East India Company
Morellet, Mémoire sur la situation actuelle de la Compagnie des Indes (1769)
Necker writes, Réponse au mémoire de M. l'abbé Morellet sur la Compagnie des Indes,
Pierre-Samuel Dupont de Nemours, Du commerce et de la Compagnie des Indes, seconde édition …
augmentée de l'histoire du sys de Law (Paris, 1769) [physiocrat Dupont writes to support Morellet]
Morellet,: Examen de la Réponse au mémoire de M. N. … (Paris, 1769) [response to Necker]
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Necker, Eloge de Colbert, [defended privileged companies, and extolled the virtues of the Indies Company]
cf.
Necker, De l'administration des finances (1784)
André-Daniel Laffon de Ladébat, Répopnse au maire d'Orient, ou Défense d'un mémoire adressé au
gouvernement … sur les avantages d'une liberté absolue pour le commerce de l'Inde (1776)
Mirabeau
Mirabeau's L'ami des hommes, ou Traité de la polpulation, (1757) [first draft of ami = paragraph by
paragraph commentary of Richard Cantillon, Essai sur la nature du commerce en général, see below]
Mirabeau's Théorie de l'impôt (December 1760)
Mirabeau's Dénonciation de l'agiotage au roi et à 'Assemblée des notables (1787) [attack on Calonne's East
India Comp speculation]
Gournay Circle:
Cantillon, Essai sur la nature du commerce en gén (written 1730s, published 1750s)
Louis-Joseph Plumard de Dangeul, Remarques sur les avantages et les désavantages de la France et de la
Grande Bretagne (1754)
Forbonnais Elémens du commerce (1754)
Forbonnais, “Du gouvernement d'Angleterre, comparé par l'auteur de l'Esprit des loix au gouvernement de
France”, in Opuscules de M. F***, Amsterdam, 1753 [defense of absolutism, a critique of Montesquieu's De
l'esprit des lois ]
Coyer's La noblesse commerçante (1756)
Simon Clicquot de Blervache and Jacques-Claude-Marie Vincent de Gournay, Considérations sur le
commerce, et en particulier sur les compagnies, sociétés et maîtrises (Amsterdam, 1758)
GB-F comparison
Abbé le Blanc Lettres d'un Français sur les Anglais (1745) : gives ex of farm laborers taking tea
Coyer, Noblesse commerçante on productivity of British
Ange Goudar, Les intérêts de la France mal entendus, dans les branches de l'agriculture, de la population,
des finances, du commerce, de la marine et de l'industrie, par un citoyen (Amsterdam, 1756)
French East India Company (most important /useful) Scholarly Works
Catherine Manning, Fortunes à Faire: The French in Asian Trade 1718-48 (Aldershot, 1996)
Ina Baghdiantz McCabe, Orientalism in early Modern France (Berg, 2008)
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Subramanian (ed.), French East India Company and the Trade of the Indian Ocean: A Collection of Essays
by Indrani Ray. (New Delhi: Munshiram Publishers, 1999)
Donald C. Wellington: French East India companies: a historical account and record of trade, Lanham, Md.
/ Oxford 2006
Haudrère and Butel essays in Sushil Chaudhury and Michel Morineau (eds.), Merchants, Companies and
Trade – Europe and Asia in the Early Modern Era (Cambridge: CUP, 199)
René Favier, Les Européens et les Indes orientales au XVIIIe siecle ; aspects maritimes, commerciaux et
coloniaux (Ophrys, 2000)
Philippe Haudrère, Gérard Le Bouëdec, Les Compagnies des Indes (Rennes: Ouest-France, 1999)
Philippe Haudrère, Les Compagnies des Indes orientales : Trois siècles de rencontre entre Orientaux et
Occidentaux (1600-1858) (Paris: Desjonquères, 2006)
Philippe Haudrère, « La Direction générale de la Compagnie des Indes et son administration au milieu du
XVIIIe siècle », L’Administration des finances sous l’Ancien Régime - Colloque tenu à Bercy les 22 et 23
février 1996 - Comité pour l’histoire économique et financière de la France.
Philippe Haudrère, La Compagnie française des Indes au XVIIIe siècle (1719 – 1795), 3 vols (Librairie de
l’Inde, 1989)
Louis Mézin, Gérard Le Bouëdec, Philippe Haudrère, Les Compagnies des Indes, (Ouest-France, 2005)
Edouard Moisson, Dupont de Nemours et la question de la Compagnie des Indes (New York, 1968 [1918])
Michel Morineau, Les Grandes Compagnies des Indes Orientales (PUF, coll. Que sais-je ?, 1999)
Jules Sottas, Histoire de la Compagnie Royale des Indes Orientales - 1664 - 1719 ( Rennes: Édition La
Découvrance, 1994)
Related and potentially useful:
Daniel Dessert, Argent, pouvoir et société au grand siècle (Paris, 1984) [on financiers as major investors in
trade and manufacturing]
Frederick L. Nussbaum, “The Formation of the New East India Company of Calonne”, American Historical
Review 38.3 (1933), 475-97
Louis Cullen 'History, Econ Crises, Understanding Eighteenth-Century F' (on East India Comp quarrel)
Glenn J. Ames, Colbert, Mercantilism, and the French Quest for Asian Trade (Northern Illinois Uni Press,
1996)
Edouard Moisson, Dupont de Nemours et la question de la Compagnie des Indes (New York, 1968 [1918])
Gabriel Fleury, François Véron de Forbonnais: Sa famille, sa vie, es actes, ses oeuvres, 1722-1800 (Mamers,
1915)
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Museums
Musée de la Compagnie des Indes, Lorient
(http://musee.lorient.fr)
Collections:
Porcelain
Textiles
Furniture
Paintings and other visual depictions
Ship models
The museum has a useful website on the Company and organises regular exhibitions, conferences, and
publications.
Available publications by the Museum:
Féerie indienne, des rivages de l'Inde au royaume de France, catalogue de l'exposition. 2009, 174 p., 28
€.
Le Goût de l'Inde, actes du colloque organisé les 4 et 5 juin 2007 par le musée de la Compagnie des
Indes et l'université de Bretagne-Sud, Presses Universitaires de Rennes (PUR) et musée de la
Compagnie des Indes, 2008, 184 p., 30 €.
Carnets du Mékong, catalogue de l'exposition organisée en 2005 au musée de la Compagnie des Indes
de la Ville de Lorient, 2005, 32 p., 6 €
Les Portes de la Chine, catalogue de l'exposition organisée en 2004 par le musée de la Compagnie des
Indes de la Ville de Lorient, texte en français et en anglais, 2004, 212 p., 30 €. Disponible en version
anglaise.
Cargaisons de Chine, catalogue de l'exposition organisée au musée de la Compagnie des Indes de la
Ville de Lorient, 2002, 204 p., 35 €. Disponible en anglais.
L'Inde de Gustave Moreau, catalogue de l'exposition co-produite par le musée de la Compagnie des
Indes de Lorient et le musée Cernuschi à Paris, 1997, 256 p., 16 €.
Musée de la Marine
Is split over five very pretty locations: Paris, Toulon, Brest, Port-Louis, and Rochefort.
Each organise various events and exhibitions. The one in Toulon is currently closed for refurbishment.
The website for all of these is: www.musee-marine.fr/
Organisations
Association des Amis de Mahé de La Bourdonnais
Président : Philippe Haudrère.Correspondance : 52 rue de Châteaudun - 28220 Cloyes sur le Loir
website: www.labourdonnais-association.org
edit and publish the Cahiers de la Compagnie des Indes
involved with several other books and publications, on La Bourdonnais in particular
Créée en 1997 l'Association est régie par la loi du 1er juillet 1901. Elle a pour vocation de promouvoir la
connaissance des liens historiques de la France établis par Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais,
avec l'Océan Indien. Remarquable gouverneur des isles de France et de Bourbon, il fut aussi un marin
exemplaireà Madagascar, pionnier aux Seychelles, et victorieux aux Indes.
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L'Association a donc pour but de contribuer à préserver le patrimoine historique de la France avec l'Ile
Maurice, l'île de la Réunion, Madagascar, les Seychelles et les comptoirs des Indes concernés par La
Bourdonnais. Elle a également pour objet de servir de lien entre les associations homologues et de
promouvoir simultanément la francophonie.
Other sources of interest
Frédéric Bargain, Edhson, La Compagnie du crime (Lorient: Le Ster, 2009) (historical detective novel on the
French East India Company set in 1721)
21