Yanam, French India
| Établissement français de Yanaon | ||||||||||
| French colony | ||||||||||
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Motto Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité |
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Anthem La Marseillaise |
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 Maximum extent of French influence (1741–1754)
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| Capital | Pondichéry | |||||||||
| Languages | French | |||||||||
| Government | Republic | |||||||||
| Historical era | Imperialism | |||||||||
| • | Treaty of Paris | 26 September 1816 | ||||||||
| • | Coup d'État | 13 June 1954 | ||||||||
| Population | ||||||||||
| • | 1948 est. | 5,853 | ||||||||
| • | 1936 est. | 5,220 | ||||||||
| • | 1885 est. | 4,266 | ||||||||
| Currency | French Indian Rupee | |||||||||
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Yanaon or Yanam was a French colony between 1731 and 1954. Yanam has some 300 years of history and was known as French Yanam after it was transferred to the Union of India in 1954.
The main colonial history of Yanam starts with early 18th century. It is mentioned in the book, The botanic garden of Yanam (Le Jardin Botanique de Yanaon) by Médecin-colonel Alfred-Alphonse-Léon Bigot (Colonel A. Bigot), that at first, the French establishment of a warehouse here in 1723 A.D. the La Compagnie des Française Indes Orientales of France established here a trading post of theirs. Since the business became slack and commercial operations had not produced the desired results, it was given up in 1727.
In the west of Yanam, there are still Neelikundilu (Indigo wells). People say that the Dutch constructed a fort here. It is being called by locals as "saali kota" because previously weavers (Saalivandru) used to weave clothes after the exit of the Dutch. They used to keep their currency, minted in the mint at Neelapalli, in this fort.
The Dutch left Yanam before 1725. Some 25 kilometres (16 mi) north they used to have a colony at Jagannadhapuram (Dutch Jaggernaikpoeram, English Jagannaickpore), now in Kakinada between 1734–1795 and 1818–1825.
This region was presented as Inam (gift) to the French general the Marquis de Bussy by Vizianagaram King Pusapati Peda Vijaya Rama Raju as a token of gratitude for the help rendered by Bussy in the fight in 1757 against the rulers of Bobbili. Yanam is nicknamed as Inam de bussy (Bussy's Gift).
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Wikipedia