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French East India Company
A chartered trading company established in 1664 by Colbert on Louis XIV's orders to break Dutch and British monopolies on Eastern trade.
Timeline
- 1664Versailles · FranceFinance minister Colbert, with Louis XIV's support, issued an edict establishing the French East India Company with royal capital, granting it a monopoly on Eastern trade and consolidating the previously scattered French Eastern trading ventures.
- 1665–1670West coast of India · Tamil NaduThe company's fleet sailed from Le Havre and Lorient, establishing early trading footholds on the west coast of India and Madagascar, competing with the English and Dutch companies in spices, cotton cloth, and pepper, but suffering severe financial losses in its early years.
- 1667–1668Paris · FranceFacing operational difficulties, Louis XIV injected further capital and reorganized the board, bringing the company within the framework of mercantilist state economic policy and strengthening administrative control and military convoy protection over Eastern trade.
Sources
- Compagnie française des Indes orientales https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_East_India_Company
- The French East India Companies: A Historical Perspective and Cross-Cultural Implications — Philippe Haudrère (2006)