Glorious Failure

Description

This is a powerful new account of a chapter in history that is crucial to understand, yet often overlooked. For 150 years, from the reign of Louis XIV to the downfall of Napoleon, France was an aggressive imperial power in South Asia, driven by the pursuit of greatness and riches. Through their East India company and state, the French established a far-reaching empire in India, only to see their dominant position undermined by conflict with Indian rulers, competition from other European nations, and a series of fatal strategic errors.

Exploding the myth of a benign French presence on the subcontinent, Robert Ivermee’s extensive research reveals how France’s Indian empire relied on war-making, conquest, opportunistic alliances, regime change and slavery to pursue its ambitions. He considers influential French figures’ reactions to the collapse of the imperial project, not least their deployment of new ideas, like freedom and the rights of man, to justify fresh ventures of domination—even as colonial authorities failed to acknowledge the equality of French India’s diverse indigenous peoples, both before and after the French Revolution.

From great power rivalry to informal empire and entrenched inequalities, Glorious Failure tackles topics that remain vital and urgent in today’s world.

Reviews

‘The absence of a measured and digestible account in English of France’s once extensive empire in India has long been rued. Glorious Failure promises to be a glorious success.’ — John Keay, historian, journalist and author

‘From the ambitious launch of the Compagnie des Indes to the astonishing but ultimately ephemeral expansion of its successor, the Compagnie perpétuelle des Indes, Ivermee charts the fascinating and oft-neglected rise and fall of French commercial and territorial designs in India in a compelling and accessible read.’ — David Veevers, author of The Great Defiance

‘Slashing through the euphemism and nostalgia rampant in Francophone scholarship, Ivermee unearths France’s abortive attempt at conquering India. Blazingly bold, immensely readable, and an indispensable contribution to historical writing that lays bare the staggering human cost of Europe’s imperial fantasies, Ivermee’s book is a dazzling triumph.’ — Shashi Tharoor, politician and author of Inglorious Empire

‘An innovative and highly commended book. Early successes, the impact of the French Revolution and Enlightenment thinking, which did not inhibit slave-trading, are all examined in new research and told in an engaging, narrative style.’ — Rosie Llewellyn-Jones, author of Empire Building

Author(s)

Robert Ivermee is a historian of British and wider European colonialism in South Asia. He is Associate Professor at the Catholic University of Paris, and the author of Glorious Failure and Hooghly, both published by Hurst.