Important Causes for the Failure of French Company in India are mentioned below:
Causes
1. It is curious to know that causes that were responsible for the success of the English and failure of the French company. To begin with, it may be pointed out than the French company was merely a department of the Government. It lacked self-reliance and completely dependent upon the Government which in itself was rotten during the 18th century.
On the other hand English company was a private enterprise. This created a spirit of self-reliance among the people. They know that if they worked hard, they would be able to get profit and if they slackened they were to be ruined. The result was that the English company became prosperous.
2. Another potent factor of the English company was naval supremacy. The English possessed mastery over the seas and could send help to India at will without much obstruction. On the other hand they could cut off the link between the French possession in India and France. The French had to avoid the Englishmen on the way while coming to India.
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The result was that sometime, months and years were spent on the sea. This happened particularly in the case of count Lally. Although he started very early from France so as to be in India in time, he reached India very late on account of his forced halt on the way.
3. The French entered India from a wrong quarter. The Deccan was not fertile. The result was that the military conquest of the Deccan by the French did not compensate them. Their enterprise was a failure, on the other hand the English started from the fertile land of Bengal.
There was a lot of gold with the people and consequently the English got a lot of money after the conquest. The Ganga provided the golden road to the interior of the country and flourishes their trade.
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The French leader like Duplex and Bussy, through quite able and energetic were certainly inferior to the English leaders like Lawrence and Clive. The English leadership was more patriotic and united. Neither count Lally nor Bussy was a match for Eyre Coote.
Moreover the French officers often quarrelled among themselves. They did not work in co-operation. This brought disaster for them. It is well known that Duplex and La Boundonnai’s could not work together on the question of Madras and the latter left the former. On the other hand, the English always helped one another and that was the secret of their success.
The French company gave greater importance to territorial gains than commerce. This made the French company poor. All their resources were wasted in wars. Since the French Government in Europe was busy in war in Europe and America, it was not in a position to support the ambitious schemes of Duplex.
On the other hand, English always kept their eyes on the sea and never neglected their commerce. On the other hand the English Company always emphasised on promotion of trade and this made them rich company.
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The French leaders were suffering from over confidence. They took their initial revenues very lightly and never informed their Government because they hoped to regain the lost position.
For example, Duplex even after successive military revenues never sought any help from the French Government. Positive reinforcement from the Home Government might have changed the situation. This over confidence contributed eventual collapse of the French empire in India.
The French could not give whole hearted attention to India. Because apart from India, the French were also involved in Europe and North America. This was because geographical proximity of different countries which involved her in different European Wars.
As most of the French resources in men and money were exhausted in the European battles she could not provide sufficient funds or money for India. On the other hand England remained aloof from the European wars, and utilised her man power, and man power resources for furthering their interest in India. This factor helped the English in establishing their supremacy in India.
The two primary conditions of success whether commercial or military in India were the establishment of strong points on the coasts, and the maintenance of a naval force that could open communications with Europe.
The English had gained the preponderance at sea, while the French had now lost their footing on land. The causes of their failure are to be found not in the ill- luck or incapacity of individual but in the wide combination of circumstances that decided against her great contest with England at that period.