Literature in English on French colonial enterprises, especially on the French activities in South Asia and the Indian Ocean, is hardly available. By and large, comprehensive and detailed studies in English on the French East India Companies are still rare.1 English books on the French East India companies, their military establishments and wars published for an expert readership, thus, can expect a wide readership. This much-awaited work, however, falls short of expectations and potential. Not only does Chartrand fail to introduce his readers adequately to the (hi-)story he sets out to explore. The narrative, too, loses itself in a multitude of unconnected facts, numbers, events, and details that – albeit meticulously researched – remain unembedded in a larger structure.

The book is organised in a total of 21 chapters, plus an introduction and a conclusion. Chapter 1 deals with the various French companies trading with overseas territories between 1611 and 1719, namely the different Compagnie des Indes orientales, the Compagnie de la Chine, the Compagnie des Indes occidentales, the Compagnie de Senegal, the Compagnie de Guinée, the Compagnie de l’Assiente, and finally the Louisiana Company. After the end of the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714), the aim of the envisaged re-organisation of the American slave trade was, so it seems, to maintain the Spanish monarchy’s monopoly (Assiento de Negros) on that trade. At least this could explain why the many French West and East India companies, the West African companies and the slaving company were consolidated in one single Compagnie des Indes (CdI). It would have been helpful had the author provided more information on the political, economic and financial background of this merger of companies.

Chapters 2 to 14 merely deal with the military affairs of the new Compagnie des Indes between its foundation in 1719 and dissolution in 1770. These chapters are rather a catalogue of wars fought by the French in their overseas territories than an analysis of how the military was organised and functioned. Although chronologically listed, the wars and military manoeuvres nevertheless are presented out of context. In this respect, a general overview of the eighteenth-century political background in South Asia / India would have been instructive in order to better understand, why the French as well as their British counterparts, the East India Company, became increasingly involved in Indian politics. Also, the different parts, the Crown troops and the CdI troops played remain unclear. It is, for example, remarkable that the sizes of Royal and CdI troops were almost the same, about 3.300 each, during the European Seven Year’s war and the South Indian wars of succession in Haiderabad and Karnataka.

Although the author sheds some light on the various Asiatic soldiers, he should have provided a systematic rather than a random history of the sipahi (Persian-Indian-Turkish phrase for soldier or mercenary), the native Indian soldier trained according to the latest methods of European discipline and drill. Sipahis were the rank-and-file soldiers of the armies in South Asia and beyond. The CdI set up the first sipahi units in 1676, but they gradually became a permanent military force after 1737, much like the standing infantry of the contemporary European armies. But it was François Dupleix (1697–1763), who, as governor general (1742–1754) organised the sipahi units in companies and clothed them in uniforms according to the latest European military fashion. In this way, Dupleix’s actions were innovative and paved the way for the expansion of the French political and military influence during the European War of the Austrian Succession (1742–1748) and the South India theatres of war; they prolonged warfare in this quarter of the globe for another four years.

Chapters 15 to 18 explore a variety of topics, such as the lifestyle of the European troops at home and abroad, cavalry units, volunteers, artillery and gunners as well as European and Indian weaponry – and, thus, are very informative. Uniforms are dealt with in a separate chapter and include many coloured and black-and-white pictures. Overall, the author seems to have a fable for uniforms, as the many pictures, photographs and drawings throughout the book demonstrate. This is, in fact, one of the main characteristics and strengths of René Chartrand’s publications, an array of over fifty books and hundreds of articles. His probably most outstanding works are the five-volume-set of “The Armies and Wars of the Sun King”, which were also printed by Helion and Company, and his five-volume strong study on “Louis XV’s Army”.2 René Chartrand was a senior curator with the National Historic Sites branch of Parks Canada for nearly three decades and was also employed at the Department of National Defence as a staff historian. He worked as a freelance historical consultant for media productions and for historical restorations of military sites in North America and the West Indies.

Without doubt, the most valuable parts of Chartrand’s latest book are, besides to the images of colourful uniforms of contemporary soldiers, the numerous reproductions of forts and fortress plans, buildings, town plans and plans of battles in Asia, Africa and America which come from hitherto unearthed archival sources. They provide valuable insight into the everyday life of European and Asian as well as African soldiers on three continents. Another valuable contribution to military history is Chartrand’s general overview provided with his book for the first time. However, it lacks a systematic approach, which is, given the author’s most intimate knowledge on military matters, a pity. Unfortunately, he passed away in July 2024.

Notes:
1 The rare exceptions include Colonel Malleson, Dupleix (Rulers of India Series), Oxford 1890; Siba P. Sen, The French in India, 1763–1816, Calcutta 1958 (2nd edn, New Delhi 1971); Catherine Manning, Fortunes a Faire. The French in Asian Trade, 1719–48, Aldershot 1996; Daniel Marston, The French-Indian War, 1754–1760, Botley 2002.
2 The Wars of the Sun King, 1: The Guard of Louis XIV (2019), 2: The Infantry of Louis XIV (2020), 3: The Cavalry of Louis XIV (2020), 4: The War of the Spanish Succession, Artillery, Engineers and Militias (2021), 5: Buccaneers and Soldiers in the Americas (2022); Louis XV’s Army, 1: Cavalry & Dragoons (1996), 2: French Infantry (1997), 3: Foreign Infantry and Artillery (1997), 4: Light Troops & Specialists (1997), 5: Colonial and Naval Troops (1998). All books contain plenty of coloured drawings and photographs showing contemporary uniforms, weaponry and maps.