DUPLEIX, JOSEPH-FRANcOIS, was born towards the end of the 17th century. His father was a farmer-general of the French revenues and a director of the French East India Company. Intend ing to form his son for commercial pursuits of the highest kind, he had him educated in mathematics, engineering, and fortification, and in 1715 sent him to sea, and he made several voyages to America and the Indies. The influence of his father procured him the situation of a member of the council at Pondicherry, theu the seat of govern ment of the French East India Company in Hindustan, and Dupleix landed there in 1720. Ho remained in this situation about ten years, during which he devoted himself to the business of his office, made himself well acquainted with the commerce of the country, embarked in it on his own account, and realised a large property. Meantime his talents and information pointed him out as the most proper person to superintend the business of the company at their settlement of Chanderoagore, on the river Hoegly, about 16 miles above Calcutta. His activity and enterprise soon produced a favourable change on the place ; the colonists multiplied, he entered into the country trade, and ho and his partners had not less than twelve vessels trading to Surat, the coast of Malabar, the Maldives, the Philippines, and else where. He increased his own property to a very great amount, and during his administration of about ten years, more than 2000 brick houses were built at Chandernagore, a new establishment for the French company was formed at Patna, and their commerce in Bengal was greatly extended.
The reputation which Dupleix had acquired by his administration at Chandernagore pointed him out as the most suitable person to be appointed governor at Pondicherry of all the establishments of the French in Hindustan. To this situation he was accordingly appointed in 1742. The French had at this time another governor in the East Indies, with distinct and independent power, whose seat of govern ment was in the Isle of France (3lauritius), and included the island of Bourbon. This governor was La Boutdonnais, a naval officer of the greatest skill and courage. War having broken out in 1744
between the Freockand English, La Bourdounais collected a squadron at Mauritius, with which the English ships off the coast of the Car natic were unable to contend ; he then landed a body of troops, September 14, 1746, and compelled Madras, at that time a settlement of the English, to surrender; but entered into a treaty to restore it on the payment of a stipulated sum. This was in accordance with direct orders from the French government, who did not at that time deem it prudent to extend their territory in Hindustan. Thipleix however was of a directly opposite opinion, and he refused to abide by the terms of the capitulation. This led to violent disputes between Dupleix and La Bourdonnais, tho result of which was that La Bourdonnais was recalled home, and Dupleix retained Madras, and plundered It. He afterwards made three or four attempts, but without success, to capture Fort St. David, another English settle ment on the Coromandel coast, about twelve miles south from Pondicherry. As it was the main object of Dupleix to expel the English from Hindustan, or at least from its eastern coast, and he was unable to accomplish it by his own troops, be entered into various intrigues with the native princes, especially with the soubandar or viceroy of the Deccan, and the nabob of the Carnatic. The conflicts between the French and English, each supported alternately by the native rulers, continued till 1754. In that year a conference was held in London between agents appointed by the French and English East India Companies, and attended also by a minister from each government. By a decision of this conference Dupleix was recalled to France, and M. Godheu, who superseded him in the goternment of all the French possessions in Hindustan, landed at Pondicherry on the god of August. Dupleix, after his return to Paris, in vain endeavoured to obtain repayment of vast sums of money which he had expended on account of the East India Company, and after a series of unsuccessful law-suits, died of grief. Voltaire, 'Prdeis du Siècle de Louis XIV.; ch. 30, says, "I1 en mourut Menton de chagrin."