PONDICHERRY, the chief of the French settlements in India, situated in the district of South Arcot. in the Madras presidency. The other French establishments are Mahe in Malabar, Karikal (q.v.) in Tanjore, Yanaon in Godavari, and Chandernagore (q.v.) iu Bengal. The extent of the united territories is given by 31. Block at 188 sq.miles. Pondicherry is situated on the Coromandel coast in 11° 56' of n. lat., and 79° 54' of e. long., and is 88 m. from Madras. The territory of Pondicherry is divided into three districts—Pondicherry, Vellenore, and Bahour—has an area of 107 sq.m., and comprises 92 villages. The total population of the French establishments iu ladia in 1840 was reckoned at 171,217; in 1876 it amounted to 285,022. The population of the town of Pondicherry is about 50,000. Its exports (indigo, cotton, skins, nuts, oils, etc.) and imports amount in value to about £600,000 annually. Pop. of district of Pondicherry about 90,000. The town stands on a sandy plain, and is divided by a canal into a European and a native town. It has a handsome square, where are the governor-gen eral's house, the Catholic cathedral, and the bazaar. In Pondicherry is the high court for the French possessions in Asia, a European college, and an Indian school. The open roadstead is defended by a citadel, and possesses a light-house; and from it mail steamers sail for Europe, Madras, etc. The governor of Pondicherry is governor-general of the French possessions in India. The spinning of cotton and the fabrication of cot ton-thread are the chief manufactures in French establishments.
Ilistary. —The first settlement of the French in India was at Surat, in 1668. The chief of tile French East India company at that time was Carou. Subsequently he took Trincomalee from the Dutch; but theywere not long in repossessing themselves of it. Caron then turned to the Coromandel coast. In 1672 he took from the Dutch St. Theme, a Portuguese town (now a suburb of Madras); but two years later the Dutch retook this place also. It was then that Francois Martin collected about 60 Frenchmen and settled
them in Pondicherry, which, in 1674; he bad purchased, with the surrounding territory, from Giugee, who had the supervision of all Sivaje's conquests in the country. The Dutch took the town in 1693; but by the treaty of Hyswick it was restored to the French in 1697. Chandernagore was ceded to the French in 1688 by Aurungzebe. In 1727 they obtained the cession of Mahe; in 1739 they purchased Karikal from the king of Tanjore; and in 1752 Yanaon was ceded to them. Dupleix was governor of Pondi cherry when war broke out between France and England,and in 1746 La Bourdonnais took Madras. In 1748 admiral Boscawen besieged Pondicherry, but two months later, was compelled to raise the siege. In the same year occurred the peace of Aix la Cha pelle; but it did not put an end to hostilities in India till some time later. In 1757 war recommenced. In 1758 count de Lally became governor-general, and attacked the Eng lish settlement of fort St. David. which surrendered, and was totally destroyed. In 1761 Eyre Coote took Pondicherry. By the peace of Paris Pondicherry was restored to the French in 1763 with reduced territory, and also Mahe, Karikal, and Chandernagore. Pondicherry was again taken by the English under sir Hector Mouro in 1778. and restored in 1783. In 1793 the English again repossessed themselves of it, but the treaty of Amiens in 1S02 again restored it, but only till the following year. From this time it was held by the English till, by the treaties of 1814 and 1815, it was for the last time restored to France, reduced to the nhrrow limits assigned by the treaty of 1783.
Annexed is a statement exhibiting some particulars relative to such of the present French possessions in India subordinate to Pondicherry as are not noticed separately in this work: