Les Français et l'Inde portugaise de 1761 à 1793 : relations internationales et initiatives individuelles

The french and portuguese india from 1761 to 1793 international relations and private initiative

• Auteur / Autrice : Ernestine Carreira
• Direction : Jean Aubin
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Histoire
• Date : Soutenance en 1993
• Etablissement(s) : Paris, EHESS

Résumé

Ce travail de doctorat se propose d'etudier l'inde portugaise dans la seconde moitie du xviiie siecle. Analysee dans la perspective de ses relations avec les francais, l'inde portugaise tenta de survivre face aux appetits expansionnistes anglais grace a l'application constante de la politique de neutralite decretee par lisbonne. Cependant, si en europe le portugal entretenait des relations privilegiees avec la grande-bretagne, en inde la compagnie anglaise ne se montrait guere favorable a la survie des territoires portugais. Goa fit donc le choix original de cultiver ses relations avec pondichery et de mettre sa neutralite au service des francais. Ce choix repondait aussi aux exigences de la politique indienne car il permit d'obtenir, directement ou indirectement, une aide francaise lors des divers conflits qui opposerent l'inde portugaise aux grandes puissances d'alors: l'empire marathe dans la premiere moitie du siecle et celui de mysore dans la seconde. Parallelement aux affaires politiques, la presence francaise a goa fut aussi celle des hommes qui y sejournerent a titre prive: les militaires et les marchands. La premiere communaute allait se reveler techniquement indispensable a la survie et a l'agrandissement du territoire qui quadrupla pendant cette periode. La seconde, analysee a travers une correspondance commerciale privee, met en evidence un reseau comprenant les mascareignes francaises, mozambique et l'inde portugaise.

This thesis presents portuguese india during the second half of the 18th century. The main point is its relationship with the french. This colony tried to resist to the expansionist english ambitions by a constant adoption of the neutrality policy ordered by lisbon. In europe indeed, portugal had good relantionship with great britain; in india however, the english company was not interested in the survival of the portuguese dominions. Goa therefore chose to develop its relationship with pondicherry and had its neutrality benefiting the french. This decision also fitted the needs of indian politics for it enabled, directly or indirectly , goa to take advantage of french's help during the various conflicts which opposed portuguese india to the local powers: the maratha empire in the first half of the century, and mysore in the second half. Further to these political questions, the french presence in goa was also a presence of individuals who were there for private reasons : military people and merchants. The first community became technically essential to the survival and growth of the territory which increased by four times during this period. The second one is analysed through a private commercial correspondance and shows a network including the french mascareignes,mozambique and portuguese india.