FRENCH INQUISITION IN INDIA

Language is a communication system in which words are transmitted conventionally through

voice, gesture, or writing. It is a social expression system in which humans may express
themselves. It's also utilised by a certain country or culture.

Establishment of French in India

The French East India Company (FEIC) were the last major European powers to
arrive in India in the. The time span for the French presence in India was nearly three
centuries; from 1673 to 1954.

Around 1660s, French set up their first factory in Surat (in Gujarat), followed by
Masaulipatnam (Andhra coast). Their former colonies were established at
Chandernagore (now Chandannagar, Bengal) and Pondicherry (now Puducherry), and
later extended to Yanam (Andhra coast), Mahe (Malabar coast), and Karaikal (in
the union territory of Puducherry) .

Indian French

The Indo-European language family encompasses the vast bulk of Europe, the Iranian
plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. English, French, and other European languages
of this family spread throughout the modern period of colonialism and are still spoken in
various regions of India. There are various branches or sub-families within the Indo-
European family. One such language is Indian French; a dialect of French spoken by Indians
in former French colonies in India. It is heavily influenced by English and regional Indian
languages such as Tamil (Pondicherry Tamil dialect), Telugu (Yanam Telugu dialect), and
Malayalam (Mahé Malayalam dialect), as well as the Indo-Aryan language of Bengali in
Chandannagar.
 French Language Influence in Pondicherry (Union Territory)

Pondicherry (now Puducherry) is a union territory of India, consisting of four small

geographically unconnected districts. It was formed out of four territories of former French
India, namely Pondicherry (now Puducherry), Karikal (now
Karaikal), Mahé and Yanaon (now Yanam).

Article XXVIII of the Traité de Cession (a treaty signed between France and India in 1956
that ceded French territories in India to the Republic of India) states that
“The French language shall remain the official language of the Establishments so long as the
elected representatives of the people shall not decide otherwise.”
The Second Pondicherry Representative Assembly voted in 1963 to maintain the official
status of the French language and to regard the mother languages spoken in the union
territory, together with Hindi and English, as associated languages to French for all official
and practical reasons.
Union Territories Act, 1963 once again reconfirmed the Traité de Cession
Pondicherry still maintains French as an official language and has a population of 10,000
French citizens.

The five official languages of Puducherry are Tamil, English, Malayalam, Telugu, and
French, according to an official mention in Rajya Sabha Parliamentary (2006).
  Pondicherry(City)

Pondicherry (now Puducherry) is the capital city of Indian Union Territory of Puducherry.
The French East India Company established a commercial centre in Pondicherry in 1674, and
this outpost eventually became the main French foothold in India. Under the Treaty of
Cession of 1956, French was the official language of Puducherry. The French language was
also the official language of French India.

 Yanam

Yanam (or Yanaom in French) is a town in Puducherry's Yanam district. It was a French
colony for over 200 years before being unified with India in 1954, and it is still occasionally
referred to as "French Yanam" due to its combination of French and Telugu language and
culture, nicknamed Frelugu. Some French nationals live in Yanam and get French pensions.

 Karaikal

Karaikal (or Karikal in French) is a town in Puducherry's Union Territory. In 1674, Karaikal
became a French colony. Before 1739, Karaikal was part of the Kingdom of Thanjavur (now
Tanjore), which was controlled by Raja Pratap Singh. The French eventually obtained this
one and only land around Thanjavur by making a deal with Pratap Singh in 1750. The French
influence is still present in Karaikal, which is sometimes referred to as Fremil; a blend of
French and Tamil.

 Mahé

Mahé (Mayyazhi) is a tiny town in the Puducherry Union Territory’s Mahé district. It is
located at the mouth of the Mahé River, surrounded by Kerala. This community serves as
both a fishing port and a coastal resort. Mahé, formerly part of French India, is currently a
municipality in the Mahé district. Malayalam and French are the most commonly spoken
languages.

French Language Influence in Chandernagore

Chandnagore (now Chandannagar) is a city in the Hooghly district in West Bengal. It was
one of the former French colonies in India other than the other former colonised cities in the
Union Territory of Puducherry.
Bengali and French are the most commonly spoken languages.

There are various French lessons and language courses available in Chandannagar these days.