Rue de la Compagnie Rue Dumas Rue Lally-Tollendal

Governor General Pier Benoit Du- Governor General Arthur de Lally, Baron de
In 1664, Louis the 14th and the ‘Con- mas (1734-41) was instrumental in Tollendal (1758-61), was a renowned hero of
trôleur général des finances’ Colbert set enlarging both trade and territory of the French army. He was personally commis-
up an East Indian company, following Pondicherry. He gained Karikal for the sioned by the directors of the Compagnie,
the model of the British and the Dutch in French in 1738 and he initiated the and endorsed by King Louis the 15th to fight
the early 17th century. The ‘Compagnie French policy known as ‘nababism’ the seven years war in India (also known as
des Indes Orientales’ received trading and earned the right to mint gold pa- Rue Romain Rolland the third Carnatic war). Of Irish origin, he was
rights from the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb godas and silver fanams in Pondicher- eager to defeat the British. Made the gover-
to set up an establishment in Surat in Romain Rolland was a famous 20th century French dramatist, novelist,
ry from the Mughal courts (1736). The essayist and art historian after whom Pondicherry’s public library is also nor general in 1756, he launched a series of
1666. The southern operations from income from this venture augmented attacks against the British soon after his arrival
Pondicherry commenced in 1673 and named. Romain Rolland had close ties to Mahatma Gandhi with whom
greatly the profit of the La Compagnie he had been corresponding for a very long time. After the merger with in Pondicherry. Having failed to besiege
prospered until 1750’s with textiles be- Française de Indes Orientales and due Madras, and left on their own by the king, the
ing the largest trade item. The company India, when the new authorities wanted to erase the symbols of colo-
to this new wealth, the urban develop- nial domination, but also recognize the special relation Pondicherry French subsequently lost the war and Pondi-
was unable to sustain profitable ventures ment of Pondicherry was completed cherry was handed to the British in 1761,
during the times of war and by 1769 the had with France, the name of Romain Rolland came naturally.
by the addition of many ornamental who razed the town nearly to the ground and
Compagnie des Indes Orientales was buildings. it was abandoned for four years. Lally, ac-
taken over by the French crown. Rue Mahé de LaBourdonnais cused by the Supreme council of Pondicherry
Comte Mahé de La Bourdonnais (1699- of treachery, was sentenced to death in 1766.
Ananda Rangapillai street 1753) was a French naval officer who
Rue Francois Martin Ananda Rangapillai (1709 -1761) was achieved success as the governor of Rue Law de Lauriston
Governor General Francois Martin is con- a wealthy commercial agent work- the Isle de France (now Mauritius). He Governor General Jean Law de Lauriston (1765-
sidered to be the ‘founder of Pondicherry’ ing for the Compagnie des Indes as a came to Pondicherry to aid Dupleix and 1777) was sent as the governor general when
where he settled as early as 1673, as its first ‘courtier’ who also acted as chief in- participated in the first Carnatic war by Pondicherry was given back to the French, fol-
administrator. He was made the first gover- terpreter or ‘dubash’. He served under laying siege to Madras which he took in lowing the peace treaty of Paris in 1763. His pri-
nor general in 1699 and Pondicherry was four governor generals, notably Du- 1746. Having negotiated the surrender mary task was to re-build the town and he was
established as the headquarters of French pleix. During his governorship he was of Madras with the British, he stood in successful in restoring some of its lost glory in
India in 1701. The urban character of the made Diwan (councillor) and ‘chief of opposition to Dupleix who wanted the a period of acute financial distress and political
city began to evolve after he implemented the Indians’. Rangapillai maintained complete destruction of Madras. La disorder. The current Raj Niwas was constructed
a grid patterned Dutch town plan. Indian a private diary in which he left a vivid Bourdonnais also distinguished himself at this time as the New Government Palace by
weavers and artisans came to settle in picture of Dupleix and Pondicherry of in the defence of the French outpost of the engineer Bourcet, and was extended at the
Pondicherry due to his initiatives, making it the 18th century. Rangapillai’s home, a Mahé. When he came back to France, he end of the 19th century. Works on the canal
a flourishing trade centre. fine example of Franco-Tamil architec- was jailed at the Bastille due to the ac- (which still exists today and divides the French
ture, built in 1735, still exists on the cusations against him sent to Compagnie and Tamil town) were planned at this time and
street that bears his name. by Dupliex. slowly realized between 1770 and 1827.

Rue de Bellecombe

Rue Desbassyns De Richemont

Rue Baslieu
Rue Suffren

Rue Ananda Rangapillai

Rue Belcombe
Rue Victor Simonel
Governor General Guillaume Léonard

Rue Mahe De Labourdonnais

Rue Lally Tollendal

Admiral Pierre André de Suffren

Rue Dupuy
de Bellecombe (1777-1778) was the Rue Suffren
Rue Francois
Martin de Saint Tropez, Bailli de Suffren
Rue Bussy
governor general of Pondicherry from

Rue Law de Lauriston

Rue Romain Rolland (1729-1788) was a brilliant naval
1777 to 1778. Hostilities created by commander known both for
the American war of independence led Rue De La Compagnie his nerve and skills in handling
Rue Dumas
the British to lay siege to Pondicherry his ships. Suffren navigated the
in 1778. Guillaume Leonard de Bel- south eastern coasts of India in
lecombe bravely held ground for ten Goubert Avenue
the 1780’s to support Bussy dur-
weeks after which he was forced to ing the French-Indian war.
surrender to the English.
Rue Desbassayns de Richemont Rue Baslieu
Rue Dupuy Governor General Comte Desbassayns de Richemont (1826-1828). First Baslieu was a wealthy settler who
Governor André Julien, Comte made administrator of the colony, he was named governor per interim died just before the Seven years
Dupuy (1816-25). On behalf soon after, which made him the youngest of all the governors of French In- war leaving no children. He gave
dia (25 years). In two years of governorship he managed to completely re- all his fortune to the poor children
of Louis the 18th, Comte
new the French administration. Under Governor de Richemont significant and widows of Pondicherry, but
Dupuy restored the French
advancements were made using a strong authoritarian policy in the fields as it was placed with the French
sovereignty of the settlements of health, education, law, commerce and industries. Under his patronage
in India after the peace treaty Company, which actually was
the College Royal, now the Lycée Français de Pondichéry, was established bankrupted in 1764 and sus-
of Paris of 1814. He made on 26th October, 1826 and Bibliothèque publique, was inaugurated in
significant contributions to the pended in 1769, the beneficiaries
1827. He brought in qualified European workers with a view to introduce
legal proceedings in Pondi- had to wait for more than 15 years
industrialisation and the first modern spinning wheel was established in
cherry by applying uniform le- before receiving the benefits.
1829. During his admin-
Rue de Bussy gal codes for the French estab- istration, the boulevards
Charles Joseph Patissier, Marquis de Bussy-Castelnau (1783-85) was lishments. Dupuy had found were completed and the Rue Victor Simonel
the first lieutenant of Dupleix who was keen to further the French in Pondicherry a poor and ‘Cours Chabrol’ (Goubert Victor Simonel was a young
influence among the local rulers by participating in regional con- deprived population which he Salai) was started. aspiring officer, who belonged to
flicts. Marquis de Bussy aided Count Lally in the third Carnatic war tried to help during his gener- a well known French family of
in 1757 during the French campaign against the British in Madras. ous, but weak administration. Rue Goubert Pondicherry and having com-
When the French lost, he along with Lally, was taken as a prisoner He also started the boulevards Edouard Goubert, the French Indian pleted his studies at the Collège
of war but was later released in Europe. He returned to Pondicherry (of the present town) in order creole who played a major political colonial, he served during the
twenty one years later as the new governor general in 1781. The to clean the ruins of the old role during the decolonization process, WWI. He was killed in action at
two years of his governorship were spent in continuous warfare fortifications destroyed by the became the first chief minister of the the battle of Verdun. After the war,
against the British until a shaky peace was established in 1783-84. British in 1793. Union territory of Pondicherry in the the street was renamed to honor
independent India. his sacrifice as a symbol.
 ‘Compagnie des Governor General Governor General Ananda Rangapillai Comte Mahe de Governor General Jean Law de Governor General Charles Joseph Bailli de Suffren Governor Andre Governor General Romain Rolland Edouard Goubert Baslieu Victor Simonel
Indes Orientales’ Francois Martin Pier Benoit Dumas (1709 - 1761) La Bourdonnais Arthur de Lally, Lauriston Guillaume Leonard Patissier, Marquis de (1729-1788) Julien, Comte Dupuy Comte Desbassayns (1963-1964)
(1699-1706) (1734-41) (1699 - 1753) Baron de Tollendal (1765 - 1777) de Bellecombe Bussy-Castelnau (1816-25) de Richemont
(1758 - 61) (1777-1778) (1783-85) (1826-1828)

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1840

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Portuguese set Danes set up
French
Rule
British
Rule
French FRENCH

Rule
BRITISH
up a factory a factory 1700-1761 British
1523 Dutch buy 1624 1761-1765 1778-1783 1793-1815 DUTCH
First French Dutch
Textiles settlement DANish
1618 Rule 1765-1778 1783-1793
Colonial history of pondicherry 1674-1693 1693-1700 french 1815-1954 PORTUGUESE

INTRODUCTION
Any town is truly experienced when
we have walked its streets and felt its
TALKING HISTORY
During the 1500’s the Indian coastline
was explored by Portuguese, Dutch

STREETS OF
air. We invite you to walk through our and Danish merchants in search of
town and take in the unique Franco- lucrative trade. By comparison the
Tamil atmosphere that French were relatively late entrants.
pervades the streets of Pondicherry. They were invited in the 1670’s by

PONDICHERRY
As you walk through the ‘French Town’ Sher Khan Lodhi, vassal of the Sultan
look out for the signboards with street of Bijapur, to settle down in the region
Intach, 62 Rue Aurobindo,
names. Most of the streets carry the of Pondicherry. Bellanger de Lespinay
Pondicherry - 605001
name of people involved in the history was the first French official to come to
of this town. Each name is like a door the future settlement. It was, however,
opened to a moment in history. Open the gates of Pondicherry his successor Francois Martin who
history through its streets laid the foundation of the town.The
political intrigues among the European
nations in India affected Pondicherry
on many occasions. In its long vibrant
colonial history it changed hands
many times.