It is merely an accident of History that India was a British colony rather than a French one. France, however, did occupy some enclaves scattered across the country. The French presence in India can be viewed as the symbol of a failed enterprise. What were the causes of this failure and what are its implications? Is it entirely insignificant?

This dissertation proposes to study the history of French presence in India from the beginning of colonization to present times. In particular, it will try to determine whether or not nearly three centuries of French presence in India has resulted in a new reality which makes the former French territories of India different from other parts of India.

This new reality is often known as creolization. What are the criteria which can be used to define creolization in these territories? Are these criteria relative or are they absolute? These are some of the questions which will be answered while examining the situation of the former French territories in the larger context of India.

The methodology used is an examination of the facts of history starting chronologically from the time of the commercial occupation and expansion of the Compagnie des Indes Orientales in these territories in the seventeenth century up to the time of the formal transfer of these territories to the Government of India and of its ratification in the French parliament in 1962. This historical analysis has been complemented by field work undertaken by me in the former French territories during the summers of 2003, 2004 and 2005. The field work component of the dissertation was crucial in that it enabled me to assess the ground realities through interviews and conversations with the local people. The problematization of creolization in these territories is the underlying theme of the dissertation.