Pondiche y in he F ench Re olu ion E a 1785–1793:
Pa 1: Reasons and Beginnings 1785–1791
Michal Wanne
The F ench Re olu ion is one o he mos popula opics in he wo ld’s his o iog aphy,
so a e issues conce ning esponses ha he Re olu ion gene a ed in colonies. How-
e e , esea ch in o his ield su e s ela i e non-uni o mi y. While ques ions such as
abolishmen o e-es ablishmen o sla e y in Ca ibbean colonies and he his o y o
supp essing sla e e ol on Hai i ha e been gi en conside able a en ion,1 he de el-
opmen in F ench colonies in he Indian Ocean has been analysed less equen ly so
a . The de elopmen in Pondiche y ( oday’s Puduche y), he cen e o he F ench
se lemen s in India— he au ho ’s s udy subjec , has been g ounded on wo ea lie
s udies by Ma gue i e V.Labe nadie om he 1930s,2 and a ele an chap e s om
he his o y o F ench ac i i ies in India om Siba Pada Sen’s pen da ing back o he
1950s.3
Anyhow hey a e aluable wo ks a ew ac s dec ease hei impo ance: The wo k
by Labe nadie educes e en s o he Re olu ion o only be acon using and simple
ba le o he powe among indi iduals, i neglec s he ole o Indians and o eigne s
hey played du ing hose e en s; i iews hem as me e e idence o apowe igh .
1 Le ʼs emembe jus a ew i les om he pas wo decades C.WANQUET, La F ance e la
p emiè e aboli ion de l’escla age, 1794–1802: Le cas des colonies o ien ales, Ile de F ance (Mau-
ice) e la Réunion, Ka hala 1998; P.DELISLE, Ca holicisme, escla age e accul u a ion dans
la Ca aïbe ancophone e en Guyane au XIXe siècle, Ma ou y 2006; O.PÉTRÉ–GRENOUIL-
LEAU (Ed.), Aboli l’escla age: Un é o misme à l’ép eu e (F ance, Po ugal, Suisse, XVIIIe–XIXe
siècles), Rennes 2008; J.EHRARD, Lumiè es e escla age: L’escla age colonial e l’opinion pu-
blique en F ance au XVIIIe siècle, B uxelles 2008; F.LAPEYRE, Quand les oyageuses décou-
aien l’escla age, Pa is 2009; F.BLANCPAIN, É ienne de Pol e el: Libé a eu des escla es de
Sain -Domingue, Béche el 2010; C.OUDIN–BASTIDE, L’e oi e la e eu : Escla age, poison
e so celle ie aux An illes, Pa is 2013; C.CHIVALLON, L’escla age, du sou eni à la mémoi e:
Con ibu ion à une an h opologie de la Ca aïbe, Pa is 2013; O.GRENOUILLEAU, Qu’es -ce que
l’escla age?: Une his oi e globale, Pa is 2014; S.LARCHER, L’au e ci oyen: L’idéal épublicain
e les An illes ap ès l’escla age, Pa is 2014.
2 M. V.LABERNADIE, La é olu ion e les é ablissemen s ançais dans lʼInde, 1790–1793, Pa -
is— Pondiché y 1930; M.V.LABERNADIE, Le ieux Pondiché y 1673–1875, Pa is— Pondi-
ché y 1936.
3 S. P.SEN, The F ench in India (1765–1816), Calcu a 1958.
52 PRAGUE PAPERS ON THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1/2017
Labe nadie wi hou adoub eels no sympa hy o e olu iona y elemen s ha she
p esen s as ebels whose agi a ion all “hones people” 4 a oid, and which does no con-
ain aso o gene al idea backg ound. Siba Pada Sen en iched he s udy subjec by
comp ehensi e app oach; he had aken in o an accoun he de elopmen in Chan-
de nago e ( odayʼ Chandannaga ) and o he colonies. In gene al, he had sympa hy
owa ds democ a izing endencies b ough abou by he Re olu ion; ne e heless he
despised adicals, and was no eluc an o c i ically commen on mos F ench e o-
lu iona ies’ in lexible a i udes owa ds aces. He was one o hose who had de o ed
a he insu icien a en ion o ac i i ies o Indian popula ion. 5
Achange in his espec was only b ough abou by nume ous s udies examining
asocial de elopmen and in e acial ela ionships, namely he 1960s legal and his-
o ical s udies by Pie e Lampué6 and Roge Glachan 7. The hing ha had eno mous
impo ance o esea ch in o impac s o he F ench Re olu ion in India we e s udies
om he la e 1980s and he ea ly 1990s linked wi h ac i i ies o he In e na ional
His o ical Associa ion o he Indian Ocean. The hing ha ep esen ed he u ning
poin in he esea ch we e colloquiums held in Delphi in Feb ua y-Ma ch 1989, which
would p oduce a aluable s udy om Claude Wanque ’s pen;8 he ou comes o he in-
e na ional con e ence held in Sain -Denis de la Reunion in 1986 acing ela ionships
be ween F ance and Indian empe o s om he 17 h cen u y onwa ds,9 bu p ima ily
acolloquium held in Oc obe 1990 in Sain -Pie e de la Réunion whose esul s would
be published in acollec ion edi ed by Claude Wanque and Benôi Jullien in Pa is in
1996.10
The s udies can be g ouped in o a ew ields by hei objec i es. Some o he au-
ho s depic e olu iona y e en s in he F ench colonies. This s eam p ima ily o-
cuses on issues o in e acial and social ela ionships in colonies on he Co omandel
Coas ,11 and is domina ed by bene icial s udies by M.Gobalakichenane de o ed o
aTamil manusc ip known as he Jou nal de Vi anaicke depic ing e en s in Pondi-
che y in 1778–1792,12 as well his s udy abou Tamils’ ac i i ies in he F ench colonies
in he Re olu ion e a.13
4 LABERNADIE, La Ré olu ion, p.205.
5 SEN, The F ench, pp.438–439, 535.
6 P. LAMPUÉ, Le égime cons i u ionnel des colonies ançaises, in: Annales du d oi e des
sciences sociales, Vol.4, 1934, pp.233–244.
7 R. GLACHANT, His oi e de l’Inde des ançais, Pa is 1965.
8 C. WANQUET, Ré olu ion ançaise e iden i é eunionaise, in: Re ue ançaise d’his oi e d’ou-
e me , 1e e 2e im, 1989, pp.35–74.
9 Les ela ions his o iques e cul u elles en e la F ance e lʼInde: XVIIe-XXe siècles = His o ical and
cul u al ela ions be ween F ance and India: XVII h–XX h cen u ies, Sain -Denis de la Reunion
1987.
10 C. WANQUET— B.JULLIAN (Eds.), Ré olu ion F ancaise e Océan Indién: P émices, hé i ages
e dé iances, Pa is 1996.
11 TAFFIN, Ci oyens, pp.235–248.
12 M. GOBALAKICHENANE, La é olu ion de Pondiché y d’ap és Vi anaicke II; TAFFIN, Ci oy-
ens, pp.221–234.
13 M. GOBALAKICHENANE, La Re olu ion F ançaise des Tamouls de Pondiche y (1790–1793),
Chennai 2014.
MIcHAL WANNER 53
This s udy aims o syn he ically con ain all ou comes and o conside in e ela ion
o he de elopmen in Pondiche y and o he colonies, mos ly on he Masca ene Is-
lands and Chande nago e. Acco ding o his s udy’s au ho , he de elopmen in one
colony impac ed he de elopmen in o he colonies in many si ua ions.
FRECH POLICY IN INDIA AFTER THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR
Pondiche y, he cen e o F ench colonies in India, was placed in adi icul si ua-
ion a e The Re olu iona y Wa .14 Al hough he English handed he own back o
he F ench on 1s Janua y 1785, ye i had o ace economic p oblems and poli ical un-
ce ain y. Gene ally, he e was awidesp ead eeling o despe a ion and us a ion
among inhabi an s.15
Hopes o e-gaining Pondiche y poli ical s a u e aded owing o policy adop ed
by he F ench go e nmen a e 1783. The Wa had comple ely w ecked i s inances,
so he go e nmen ee e ed on he e ge o bank up cy. Fo ha eason i had li le
ole ance o colonial expansion and only concen a ed on inances consolida ion. As
S a e Sec e a y o he Na y, Eugѐne Gab iel de La C oix, Ma quis de Cas ies w o e in
1787, he King’s in en ion was “ o y o p ese e peace among p inces un il we a e able o
help hem, and up o he ime we a e able o join he o ces o Holland. We mus wai be o e
he igh disposi ion a ises, so we could ask his powe o a ew bases”.16
The F ench had depended upon he use o he Ne he lands’ na y and na y bases
agains he English in case o wa , which hey would pa ially do du ing he Re o-
lu iona y Wa and he Napoleonic Wa s. Howe e , he help hey ecei ed om he
Ne he lande s was nowhe e nea as huge as he English na y, and only p o ided ali -
le compensa ion o he necessi y o p o ec Du ch dependencies, Ma quis de Cas-
ies, e en issued o de s o e acua e Pondiche y in case o wa wi h England, and o
anspo all oops and muni ions o T incomalee on S i Lanka, whose ha bou he
F ench pa y in Holland had p omised o gi e o F ance.17
The issue had gone so a as o adepu a ion sen o F ance by he key ally o F ance,
Myso e Tipu Sul an, would ecei e no hing mo e he e bu acou eous ecep ion, since
he inancial si ua ion o F ance did no allow he igh o be e-s a ed. The e o e he
English we e able o a ack lonely Myso e and o o ce he ci y o su ende hal o he
e i o y and mos o i s easu es. The F ench p es ige adequa ely lowe ed due o ha .18
14 The as implica ions o he Ame ican Wa o Independence o e he si ua ion in India
ha e been summed up in he s udy M.WANNER, Zápas e opských mocnos í Indickém
oceánu době álky onezá islos USA 1778–1783, in: His o ica Olomucensia, Vol.48, 2015,
pp.69–97.
15 GOBALAKICHENANE, La Rè olu ion, pp.221–234.
16 H. H.DODWELL, The Exclusion o F ench, 1784–1815, in: H.H.DODWELL (Ed.), The Cam-
b idge His o y o India: B i ish India 1497–1757, Vol.5, Camb idge 1929, p.325.
17 J. MURAY (Ed.), Co espondence o Cha les, Fi s Ma quis Co nwallis, Ha a d 1859, Vol.1,
p.337; M.WILKS, His o ical Ske ches o he Sou h o India, in an A emp o T ace he His o y
o Mysoo : F om he O igin o he Hindoo Go e nmen o ha S a e, o he Ex inc ion o he Mo-
hammedan Dynas y in 1799, Vol.2, London 1817, p.124.
18 DODWELL, pp.325–326.
54 PRAGUE PAPERS ON THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1/2017
The go e nmen would decline eques s o building up an a my in India. All Eu-
opean oops and muni ions had been wi hd awn om Indian colonies, so wha only
emained on he si e we e no oo many sipahis. All F ench dependencies in he Eas
became subo dina e o he Go e no -Gene al o Île de F ance in 1785,19 since in Pa is,
he Masca ene Islands had been belie ed o be “ he key o Indian seas”, Gib al a o he
Eas ”, and “ he boule a d o F ench dependencies in Asia” ;20 Po Louis on Mau i ius had
been conside ed o be as o e o soldie s and abase o co sai s due o a a he exag-
ge a ed idea abou he possibili ies o launch ala ge na al expedi ion o India om
hose islands. One ad an age was amomen o su p ise. The Masca ene Islands we e
a enough o a oid he di ec a en ion o he English bu close enough o allow an
expedi ion o be moun ed o India om he e.
“Lying a he one-mon h-jou ney dis ance om he sho es o India, Île de F ance could
ha e se ed as a mou y p o ided i had been equipped wi h all equi ed ma e ial, and i
soldie s and sailo s had been sen he e a peace no a he momen o wa decla a ion.”21
Ne e heless, expe ience would show ha he Islands had been su e ing disad an-
ages, since F ench admi als we e o ced o lea e Indian wa e s no la e bu a an
ini ial ailu e o when wo ies abou possible de ea appea ed.
Due o ha adminis a i e e o m Pondiche y had los i s g and s a us as he
cen e o he F ench dependencies in India and became asubo dina e se lemen . The
F ench go e nmen ’s pos -1783 policy was o main ain se lemen s in India as ading
s a ions. I was in agla ing con adic ion wi h policy ollowed in he p eceding hal o
he cen u y. The ans e o he main cen e om Pondiche y o Po Louis assumed
eno mous symbolic impo ance since i indica ed ha F ance had de ini ely esigned
om i s ambi ions in India. I was no possible o cul i a e close diploma ic ela ions
wi h Indian p inces o o plan mili a y in e en ion om he dis an Île de F ance.
The capi al ci y ans e ine i ably esul ed in ano he ans e , now he emaining
mili a y o ces o Po Louis. Pondiche y became an inden ensible ci y.22
Those ma e s made ha policy ex emely unpopula among Pondiche y dwell-
e s likewise hey did among esiden s o some o he se lemen s ha had blamed he
local go e nmen o be ayal o he na ional in e es s. The hing ha was seen as
an ac o eache y was lea ing he F ench se lemen s in India a he me cy o he
English. Those eelings would play an impo an ole du ing he Re olu ion ou b eak
i e yea s la e .23
Wha is mo e, he ela ion be ween he managemen on he Masca ene Islands
and he Pondiche y colony was complica ed by ha adminis a i e e o m despi e
he exis ence o nume ous e hnic and amily ies and key economic ela ionships
among esiden s o bo h cen es esul ing om mig a ion. Mos o he Go e no s
19 SEN, The F ench, pp.426–427.
20 S. E.LE DUC, Ile de F ance: Documen s pou son his oi e ci ile e mili ai e, Po Louis 1925, p.9.
21 H. PRENTOUT, LʼIle de F ance, sous Decaen 1803–1810, Pa is 1901, P e ase, p. ix.
22 SEN, The F ench, p.430.
23 C. WANQUET, Pondiché y e /ou Po Louis, ou les ince i udes de la s a égie ançaise dans
lʼocéan Indien à la in du XVIIIe siècle, in: Les ela ions his o iques e cul u elles en e la
F ance e lʼÍnde, XVIIIe–XXe siècle, Ac es de la Con é ence de lʼAssocia ion his o ique in-
e na ionale de lʼocéan Indien, Sain -Denis, Tom. 1, 1986, pp.343–362.
MIcHAL WANNER 55
had been g adually on du y in he majo i y o colonies in he Indian Ocean. “L’Inde
en Inde” ade had been g adually making bo h o he colonies ich. Vi ally impo an
oods u , ebony, spices (mos ly clo e), sla es, ab ics o hei blue clo hes o u ni-
u e om Pondiche y wo kshops had been lowing om India o Île de F ance and
Île de Bou bon. Flowing in opposi e di ec ion was suga , oil, ice and g ain c ops.24
The yea s 1795–1796 showed ha he Masca ene Islands could only exis in isola ion
wi h no con ac wi h India and colonies in he Indian Ocean a he cos o d as ic e-
duc ion o a ioning o “ ou o six ounce o bad b ead o each o he dwelle s pe aday”.25
The mu ual dependence exis ed also in he sphe e o de ence. As Abbé Raynal igh ly
s a ed: “The link be ween Île de F ance and Pondiche y is impo an o ha deg ee ha
bo h dependencies a e mu ually dependen since no de ence o se lemen s in India would
exis i i we e no Île de F ance, and Île de F ance would be exposed o he English in asion
om bo h Asia and Eu ope i i we e no Pondiche y.”26
In addi ion o losing he F ench Indian colony ano he conside able loss occu ed
in he economic sphe e. T ade du ing he Wa had ceased, and Pondiche y dwelle s
hoped ha he economic si ua ion would imp o e a e he Wa . On ha accoun hey
became disenchan ed wi h he es ablishmen o anew company holding monopoly
on eas e n ade. A e six een yea s when all F ench ade s had been allowed o
ake pa in exchange o goods be ween F ance and coun ies eas o he Cape o Good
Hope, he monopoly was e-gained by he Company o Indies and China (Compagnie
des Indes e la Chine). The call o anew company ha ing monopoly on ade wi h Eas
Indies appa en ly occu ed as he esul o he weakness ha he F ench had owa ds
he B i ish in India.27
The Company was es ablished p ac ically in sec ecy by he Royal S a e Council
Dec ee o 3 June 1785. The Company consis ed o adi e se g oup o ade s and i-
nancie s om Pa is, Lo ien , G enoble, Swi ze land and Sco land. I was es ablished
a e nego ia ions wi h he B i ish, who had backed he es ablishmen o ha new
F ench company as a ool o suppo ing ade o hei Eas India Co po a ion. The
Company had 20 million li es in capi al a ailable, and enjoyed he p i ilege ce -
i ied by he Council’s Resolu ion o 21 Sep embe 1786 ha g an ed he monopoly
ade o he eas o he Cape o Good Hope including “expo o peppe , sandalwood,
ca damom, ab ics and all p oduc s om hose coun ies, and impo o goods om Eu-
ope”. The monopoly did no apply o he Masca ene Islands ha means, he ha bou s
on Île de F ance (Mau i ius) and Île de Bou bon (Reunion). They emained accessible
o all F ench ships.28
24 C. WANQUET, Les Iles Masca eignes, lʼInde e les Indiens pendan la é olu ion ançaise, in: Re-
ue ançaise dʼhis oi e dʼou e-me , Vol.78, No. 290, 1991, pp.29–57.
25 C. WANQUET, His oi e dʼune Ré olu ion. La Réunion 1789–1803, Ma seille 1980, Vol.2, p.126.
26 G.-T.-F.RAYNAL, APhilosophical and Poli ical His o y o he Se lemen s and T ade o he Eu o-
peans in he Eas and Wes Indies, Vol.2, London 1798, p.423.
27 T. CLAEYS— G.LE BOUËDEC, Comme ce Lib e e Compagnie de Calonne, in: R.ESTIENE
(Ed.), Les Compagnies des Indes, Pa is 2013, p.79.
28 LABERNADIE, La e olu ion, p.15; J.TARRADE, Le ma échal de Cas ies e la poli ique an-
çaise dans lʼOcéan Indien à la in de lʼancien égime, in: C.WANQUET— B.JULLIAN (Eds.),
Ré olu ion F ancaise e Océan Indién: P émices, hé i ages e dé iances, Pa is 1996, pp.39–48;

56 PRAGUE PAPERS ON THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1/2017
The Company had i s cen al o ice in he Hô el de Massiac in Place des Vic oi es
in Pa is; i s home ha bou became Lo ien in B e agne. The Company ook o e build-
ings, shops and wo kshops o he e s while Pe pe ual Company o Indies (Compagnie
Pe pé uelle des Indes) in Lo ien and Ma seille,29 and opened ac o ies in Can on,
Pondiche y, Bengal, on he Co omandel Coas , he Malaba Coas , in Mocca and on
Île de F ance.30
The Company had been apidly expanding. P o i s enabled 18 pe cen di idends
o be paid in 1788 and 16 pe cen di idends o be paid in 1789. The Company sen
goods o India amoun ing o 36.17 million li es du ing i s sho exis ence; howe e ,
i mos ly expo ed sil e . Goods impo ed in o Eu ope mos ly consis ed o ex ile
manu ac u ed in Chande nago e in Bengal, Pondiche y, Yanam, and Ka aikal on
he Co omandel Coas . One ag eemen en e ed in o in 1787 g an ed he F ench he
igh o sell 200,000 maunds o sal o English ac o ies e e y yea , and o buy 18,000
maunds31 o sal pe e and 300 cases o opium om hem e e y yea . Howe e , due o
he es ablishmen o he Company he inland ade was he only one ha had been
le open o p i a e ade s om Pondiche y, which would no be yielding oo much
owing o he poli ical si ua ion in he coun y, and would be limi ed o sending sal o
Bengal acco ding o he 1787 Ag eemen .32
GOVERNORS CHANGING
The yea s be ween 1785 and 1790 saw apid changing o go e no s in Pondiche y:
six in me e i e yea s. None o hem se ed he e as go e no long enough o become
in ol ed in he colony econs uc ion and de elopmen . Wha is mo e, changing
a oused he eeling o poli ical doub s, since each o he go e no s wo ied abou he
loss o hei popula i y so ied o pass unpopula solu ions esul ing om e o ms
equi ed by Pa is on hei successo s. Subsequen o Ma quis Bussy’s unexpec ed
P.HAUDRÉRE, Quelques aspec s du comme ce en e la F ance e lʼAsie à la in du XVIIIe siécle
1765–1793, in: C.WANQUET— B.JULLIAN (Eds.), Ré olu ion F ancaise e Océan Indién: P é-
mices, hé i ages e dé iances, Pa is 1996, p.35.
29 Pe pe ual Company o Indies, which p eceded his company, los he monopoly by ago -
e nmen dec ee o 8 Augus 1769. The sha eholde s hen handed o e all he p ope y o
he company o he s a e and by an edic om Janua y 1770 hey ecei ed compensa ion
o hese asse s. M.MORINEAU, Les G andes Compagnies des Indes o ien ales, Pa is 1999,
p.85.
30 CLAEYS— LE BOUËDEC, Comme ce Lib e, pp.79–80.
31 Maund— anglicized exp ession o auni o weigh used in India, A ghanis an, Pe sia
and A abia. The size a ies g ea ly by e i o y. Maund was equi alen o 25 pounds (11
pounds) and 160 pounds (72.5 pounds). In Bengal, he a e was s anda dized in 1833 ac-
co ding o local habi s a 82.28 pounds (36 kg). ANew English Dic iona y on His o ical P in-
ciples, Ox o d 1908, p.250; J.PRINSEP, Use ul Tables, Fo ming an Appendix o he Jou nal o
he Asia ic Socie y: Pa he Fi s , Coins, Weigh s, and Measu es o B i ish India, 2nd Ed., Cal-
cu a 1840, pp.84–90.
32 O. PRAKASH, The New Camb idge His o y o India II/5: Eu opean Comme cial En e p ise in
P e-Colonial India, Camb idge 1998, p.309.
MIcHAL WANNER 57
dea h in 1785 powe s we e aken by his depu y, Cou enceau. Ne e heless, he would
un he o ice no mo e bu ew mon hs, and would only manage o seize he occupied
F ench dependencies in India om he English hands and gain hem back. P io o
Bussy’s dea h, in eac ion o his eques o going back o F ance, he Minis y had al-
eady decided o appoin Souillac, Go e no o Île de F ance, o be Bussy’s successo . 33
Ha ing a i ed om Île de F ance in May 1785, Souillac would s ay in Pondiche y no
longe bu ou and ahal mon hs. He wen back in Oc obe o assume he o ice as he
Go e no -Gene al o all F ench colonies in he Eas in acco d wi h he adminis a-
i e eo ganiza ion announced by he F ench go e nmen in May 1785. Souillac only
b ough o Pondiche y he F ench go e nmen ’s ins uc ions ela ing o economical
measu es, bu would ha e no ime o implemen hem. He appoin ed his successo in
Pondiche y— Cha pen ie de Cossigny, who had commanded aF ench con ingen
in Myso e Tipu Sul an’s a my in 1783. Cossigny had been holding he o ice o nea ly
wo yea s bu p oceeded highly slowly o a oid unpopula measu es when accom-
plishing s a e aims. In Sep embe 1787, he ook o e he o ice as he Go e no o Île
de Bou bon.34
Cossigny’s pos as he Go e no o Pondiche y was aken by Coun Thomas Con-
way who had commanded F ench o ces on he Cape o Good Hope du ing he p eced-
ing wa . Holding he o ice o wo yea s he became ex emely unpopula due o his
e o o push h ough adminis a i e and economic e o ms p oposed by he Minis-
y. His I ish oo s we e he cause o own dwelle s’ i i a ion and mis us owa ds
him as hey kep emembe ing ano he I ishman, Lally-Tollendalan’s debacle on he
se en-yea -wa Indian ba le ield, and who hey had seen as a ai o .35 His low popu-
la i y is documen ed by a espec able ci izen and ich ade om Pondiche y, Bu y
de S . Fulgence’s no e: “This man is inso a as anxious, iolen and aw ul, inasmuch as ou
Gene al has ne e been he igh one o un he colony. […] The hope is ha ano he hea
ailu e will ee us om ha man.” 36
Conway le o Île de F ance in Oc obe 1789 o be appoin ed Go e no -Gene al;
he would appoin de F esne as Go e no . He en us ed him wi h a ask o execu e he
go e nmen ’s ins uc ions, i s o all o send he emaining Eu opean uni s o Île de
F ance and lea e Pondiche y una med.37
Leading o iden ical consequences, analogous eplacemen s o single colonies’
heads could be seen elsewhe e oo. To gi e an example, Chande nago e and i e sub-
o dina e colonies in Pa na, Cossimbaza (also Kasimbaza o Kasim Baza ), Dhaka,
Jougdie and Balaso e had been es o ed in 1785. The man who became he head o he
colony was Dange e ux con e ed ap eceden i le “Commandan ”. He was eplaced
by Mo en in Oc obe 1787, who would hold he posi ion un il his eplacemen in 1788
wi h o egoing Mon igny.38
33 SEN, The F ench, pp.427–428.
34 LABERNADIE, La Ré olu ion, pp.12–13.
35 M. WANNER, Sedmile á álka O ien u, P aha 2001, pp.149–181.
36 LABERNADIE, La Ré olu ion, p.18.
37 SEN, The F ench, p.429.
38 Ibidem, pp.452–453.
58 PRAGUE PAPERS ON THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1/2017
ADMINISTRATIVE REORGANIZATION AND ECONOMIC MEASURES
P io o he F ench Re olu ion ou b eak, he F ench colonies in Asia had been ahi e
o e o m ac i i ies o i e yea s, whose impac would assume conside able signi -
icance o he cha ac e o he Re olu ion in each o he colonies. The i s adminis-
a i e measu e had been in ended o es ablish anew High Council in Pondiche y
and was decla ed by he Royal Edic o Augus 1784 dissol ing so he ea lie Council
es ablished in Feb ua y 1776. The new Council consis ed o ago e no , an in endan ,
asenio o ice and a ew ade s o espec able ci izens nomina ed by he Go e no .
The council had bo h ci il and c iminal powe s, and wo ked as an Appeal Cou o
cases ha had appea ed be o e he cou in o he se lemen s. The hing ha caused
ag a e p oblem abou he new Council’s wo k was ha he membe s had no been
paid asala y, so i was ex ao dina ily di icul o ge expe ienced ci izens who would
ha e accep ed ha o ice o honou . The economic eali y p o ed essen ial, so i was
ine i able o es ablish o he paid unc ions o hose who had been nomina ed o he
Council.39
Conway se up he Adminis a i e Commi ee sho ly a e he had aken he o ice
in 1787, whose ask was o help he Go e no adminis a e se lemen s in India. He
also e-es ablished he Consul a i e Chambe consis ing o Indian wo hies in De-
cembe 1787. Go e ned by he Highes Council’s dec ee his body had been al eady
o med in Janua y 1778.40
The undamen al eo ganiza ion conce ned he o egoing uni ica ion o he
F ench colonies si ua ed eas o he Cape o Good Hope unde one go e nmen . The
Go e no -Gene al’s esidence was Po Louis on Île de F ance. He had wo subo di-
na e go e no s; one o hem esided on Île de Bou bon (Réunion), ano he in Pondi-
che y. The Go e no o Pondiche y was in cha ge o adminis a ion o o he se -
lemen s in India, howe e , hei a i ude o au ho i ies in Pondiche y and on Île de
F ance was no clea . The F ench colonies in India we e subo dina e o Pondiche y
in ma e s o gene al adminis a ion, bu he Go e no o Chande nago e enjoyed
he igh o u n di ec ly o he go e nmen in Po Louis. Pondiche y did no ha e
any con ol o e Chande nago e, and he Commandan o Chande nago e was di-
ec ly dependen on he F ench Go e no -Gene al on Île de F ance. Such powe s
alloca ion led o chaos, and would be one o he causes o diso de s in Chande na-
go e in 1790.41
Each o he Go e no s had been making e o s o impose cu backs and o cheapen
he adminis a ion, o ha eason hey made edundancies o sala y cu s. The num-
be o cle ks was educed o eigh ; he quan i y o ansla o s ell o wo. As ade ailed
accoun on mon hly expenses w i en by In endan Mo acine in Sep embe 1786
shows, he F ench go e nmen ea ma ked o Pondiche y he amoun o 228,000
li es in o al. Ala ge po ion o ha amoun wen o ci il expenses. Pondiche y
had los i s poli ical impo ance; no oops we e based he e. Me ely sipahis se ing
a he police han de ence unc ions we e supposed o s ay in he own. Howe e ,
39 Ibidem, p.429.
40 Ibidem, pp.429–430.
41 LABERNADIE, La Ré olu ion, pp.191–199.
MIcHAL WANNER 59
he s eng h o he oops he e was limi ed o only 1,200 men and se en Eu opean
o ice s.42
Ne e heless, he wi hd awal o Eu opean oops om Île de F ance p o ed di -
icul , so abou 300 Eu opean soldie s would no lea e Pondiche y un il 1790 when
he ship Bien enue would b ing Conway’s ins uc ions abou how o comple ely emp y
Pondiche y. The command was igno ed owing o ci izen’s poli ical opposi ion and de
F esne’s poli ical o e hough .43
Cas ies indica ed he F ench go e nmen ’s in en ions as o he ques ion o In-
dian se lemen s in one impo an poli ical epo w i en o Souillac on 14 Feb ua y
1787. The King should ha e emained esponsibili y o he adminis a ion o Pondi-
che y, Mahé, Ka aikal, Yanam and Chande nago e, o he se lemen s and colonies
should ha e become subo dina e o he new Company o Indies and China. Since
no eason o es o e o i ica ion in Pondiche y exis ed, he own should ha e only
been p o ec ed by amoa , possibly by clay mounds. Tha Cas ies’s di ec i e ceased
econs uc ion o Pondiche y designed by an enginee La Lus iè e in Sep embe
1785. Acco ding o de Cas ies’s second ins uc ion o June 1787 he own had been
planned o be en i oned by aslope ea h mound “jus o p e en dese ion and main-
ain o de ”.44
Fa s ic e ins uc ions aiming o in oduce sa ings in he adminis a ion we e
sen om Île de F ance in Ap il 1789. The expenses o all F ench se lemen s in India
had been ixed o 700,000 li es in o al; he oops o sipahis should ha e been e-
duced o one 500-men ba alion. Conway ecei ed hose ins uc ions on he way o Île
de F ance in Oc obe 1789, and would en us his successo de F esne wi h ca ying
hose ins uc ions ou . Conway’s ins uc ions o his successo show ha he issue
should ha e been ans e ed o Go e no s o each o he se lemen s. They hem-
sel es we e supposed o deal wi h he ade de elopmen , se e jus ice and aise ax
collec ion.45
I is wo h no ing ha in e es s and in en ions o he s a e did no co espond wi h
hose o he Companies o Indies and China, as indica es he le e om In endan
Mo acin add essed o he Company’s managemen in Pa is, da ed on 10 Sep embe
1789. The eason o composing he le e was he Company’s in en ion o ake he ad-
minis a ion o Indian se lemen s o e om he go e nmen . Mo acin had pe ec ly
analysed he economic si ua ion in he F ench se lemen s, and poin ed ou i was no
hopeless. He ejec ed educ ion in mili a y uni s in India, and p o es ed agains lea -
ing he se lemen s wi h no p o ec ion agains a acks om ex e io o in e nal ci il
diso de s. He a gued in a ou o p ese ing abou 500 Eu opean soldie s including
100 a ille ymen and 1,200 sipahis, and indica ed how o achie e ha aim wi hin he
budge o he F ench dependencies in India. The annual ax yield om each o he se -
lemen s p oduced 1,200,000 li es in o al. As he saw ha i was he amoun which
would ha e co e ed bo h mili a y and ci il expenses p o ided he p o i om selling
opium, sal and sal pe e had no been spen on cha i y. Since he local go e nmen
42 SEN, The F ench, pp.430–431.
43 Ibidem, p.432.
44 Ibidem.
45 Ibidem.
66 PRAGUE PAPERS ON THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1/2017
om unsa is ac o y and unpopula e o ms in nume ous sphe es. The news abou he Re olu ion in
F ance led o c ea ing ep esen a i e bodies ha would no sol e he same p oblems like he F ench
Na ional Assembly. The ollowing cou se o he Re olu ion in Indian colonies was dynamized by p i-
ma y miles ones o he de elopmen in F ance whose impac in each o he colonies was di e en .
The de elopmen in Pondiche y was ela i ely calm. The main poin o dispu es was he ques ion o
in ol ing classes o Indians and Eu asians in o poli ical p ocess. While eques s o he hal -b eeds
had been accep ed, c owds o Indian ci izens emained beyond he poli ic s uc u e despi e he ole
hey had in he economic li e o he colony. The key e olu iona y eques s o mula ed in ha col-
ony in Feb ua y 1790 would be accep ed by he Na ional Assembly due o a ouble ee cha ac e
o he cen e in Pa is.
KEYWORDS
His o y o India; The F ench Re olu ion in Colonies; His o y o Eas India Companies; B i ish-F ench
S uggle o India; F ench Colonial Impe ium in Asia
Michal Wanne | Minis y o he In e io o he Czech Republic— Depa men o A chi es Ad-
minis a ion and Reco ds Managemen , Milady Ho áko é 133, 166 21, P aha 6, Czech Republic,
michal.wanne @m c .cz