Trading has had great importance in the past. At the same time, trading in the Indian subcontinent was the desire of many trading companies. Several trading companies like English, French, and Dutch East India Companies have come to India to trade spices, cotton, raw materials, etc. But, apart from being from different regions, these trading companies had plenty of differences to differentiate them easily.
English East India Company vs French East India Company
The main difference between English East India Company and French East India Company is that English East India Company was operating under a constitutional monarchy and was answerable to the British Parliament. On the other hand, French East India Company wasn’t operating under any legislature; hence, the company wasn’t reporting to anyone.
The English East India Company was more stable as they got the backing of both merchants and the British government. Hence, the trading company got continuous funding from the British state and its shareholders. With such immense support and funding, the trading company became a global power with its army, ships, and laws.
The French East India Company raised maximum funds from one of its most prominent investors, i.e. Louis XIV. But, the trading company struggled to gain support from French merchants in growing the trade. Hence, lack of support led to the decline and abolishment of the trading company.
Comparison Table Between English East India Company and French East India Company
What is English East India Company?
The English East India Company was the biggest trading company that came to trade in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The company was introduced on 31st December 1600 by an English merchant named Thomas Smythe. The trading company had its headquarter situated at East India House, London, from where the company managed trading in the Indian subcontinent.
Initially, the English trading company was licensed by the “Governor and Company of merchants in London” that was formed to trade in the East Indian subcontinents. The company started proliferating by covering most of the subcontinent by the mid-1700 and early 1800. The most preferred trading resources in India were cotton, silk, indigo dye, sugar, spices, tea, opium, etc.
The English East India Company sent their first commercial ship to India in 1608, and they docked at Surat, Gujrat. In 1611, the English trading company built their first Indian factory in Masulipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, followed by Surat in 1613. The company started expanding to other ports across India to get maximum trade benefits by trading other materials to Britain.
What is French East India Company?
Another colonial commercial enterprise, the French East India Company, entered into trading in the Indian subcontinent. The trading company was introduced to compete with the English and Dutch trading companies in the Indian subcontinent. The company was founded by a French statesman named Jean-Baptiste Colbert on 1st September 1664.
The French East India Company was formed by collaborating three French trading companies named Compagnie de Chine, the Compagnie d’Orient, Compagnie de Madagascar. King Louis XIV chartered the trading company to trade resources available in the Eastern continents. Louis XIV became the first and the biggest investor in the French East India Company.
The French East India Company tried to enter India to counter the existing English trading company. The first ship of the French East India Company docked and built their Indian factory at Surat in 1668. Another Indian factory was established along the Andhra Pradesh coast in Masulipatnam in 1669.
The French trading company failed to continue trading for a long due to a lack of financial management. Later on, in 1769, the French East India Company discontinued trading and gave the properties and assets to the state.
Main Differences Between English East India Company and French East India Company
- The two trading companies differ by their establishment time, as the English East India Company began their journey in 1600, while the French East India Company started later in September 1664.
- The English trading company had got into the Indian subcontinent via Surat but built their first Indian factory in Masulipatnam, along the Andhra Pradesh coast. The French East India Company started from Surat by building their first Indian factory.
- The English East India Company worked for a constitutional monarchy, i.e. British Parliament. In contrast, the French East India Company was under absolute monarchy, i.e., working independently.
- The English trading company had many established investors, including merchants and the British state. In contrast, the French trading company had Louis XIV as their major shareholder.
- The English East India company started dissolving after the Indian rebellion in 1857. It was finally abolished under the Act of Parliament in 1874. In contrast, the French trading company failed to manage things properly, which led to its abolishment in 1769.
Conclusion
Trading in the Indian subcontinent had helped several states and provinces proliferate. Many traders had anchored at Indian ports to take quality materials like spices, cotton, silk, etc., back home. But, among them, the English East India Company managed to survive for an extended period and take the benefits of resources available.
The two trading companies had a significant difference in their operational tactics. The English East India Company managed the trade well and proliferated around the Indian coasts, which the French company failed to do.
References
- https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/sealr39§ion=21
- https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/41140204