The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 60 The restlessness of the French
February 1724, 2, light rain, Garrigal.

"The State of Qi has organized a huge expedition fleet, which is about to go to distant Persia, preparing to conquer that ancient empire." Rodrigo Beaubois, manager of the French East India Company's trading station in Garrigal, stood in front of the window and watched Looking at the drizzle outside, he said with a hint of sadness: "Once the Qi people bring Persia under their colonial rule, they will firmly lock the entire Indian Ocean region, thus consolidating their maritime hegemony. ... The Indian Ocean will eventually be Completely become the ocean of Qi State!"

"Yes, Mr. Beaubois, your expectation is likely to become a reality in the near future." Captain Jean Huggie, the captain of the trade station guard, nodded and said: "In fact, there are currently no countries in the entire Indian Ocean region that can challenge the Qi people. There are only a handful of forces. The Mughal Empire, the Maratha Kingdom, Myanmar and other countries may have some strength, but it is absolutely impossible to shake the hegemony of the Qi people."

"Yes, the northwest war launched by the Mughal Empire, which dispatched [-] troops, was forced to terminate last month due to the forcible intervention of the Qi State, and an armistice contract was signed with the two rebel kingdoms in the northwest." Rodri G. Boubois said: "Tens of millions of rupees were spent and the war lasted for two years. The empire achieved almost no results. It was hurriedly ended under the extremely partial mediation of Qi State. I am sure that after this battle, The weak Mughal Empire would no longer be able to solve the northwest problem, and the Qi State also extended their tentacles into the Punjab, exerting a deeper influence on this region rich in grain and cotton. As a result, the Qi people almost controlled After occupying most of southern India, they began to increase their penetration and control of northern India. Looking at this situation, the Qi people want to completely engulf the entire India!"

"Mr. Beaubois, are you still brooding about the Mahé incident a few months ago?" Captain Jean Huggie comforted: "Actually, there is no need. The Qi people began to invade India more than 60 years ago. They established their current absolute dominance in India through several large-scale wars. If they want to lose, the British, the Dutch, and the Portuguese are probably even worse than the French."

In March last year, the French forcibly landed at a fishing port called Mahe on the Malabar Coast (the southwest coast of India) and began building a fort in preparation for establishing a colonial stronghold here.

A month later, the people of Qi State immediately rushed over after hearing the news. After seeing a small European-style fortress that was beginning to take shape on the coast, they made serious representations and ordered the French to dismantle this fortress with military functions and Evacuate the area.

The person in charge authorized by the French East India Company immediately rejected the Qi people's request, claiming that the fortress was built here purely to protect the safety of French merchants and expatriates and to prevent attacks by bandits from both sea and land directions.

When the people of Qi heard this, they were immediately unhappy.Are you kidding me? Who doesn’t know that the southern part of India is our Qi State’s sphere of influence. Whether it is at sea or on land, it is protected by our Qi State. Where are there any rampant bandits?

They warned the French that the entire Malabar coast was under the protection of the Qi naval fleet and there would be no pirate attacks at all.In addition, this area is the territory of the Kingdom of Cochin under the Qi vassal (originally the territory of the Kingdom of Kozhikode, which was annexed by the Qi Kingdom and merged into the territory of the Kingdom of Cochin). Its sovereignty cannot be violated, and no foreign forces are allowed here. Build forts and strongholds of military significance.

Faced with the solemn statement of the Qi people, the proud French continued to choose to continue the confrontation.They believe that since the Kingdom of Cochin can allow you Qi people to establish colonial strongholds on this coast and reap huge commercial benefits, why should we, the French, be prohibited from setting up an "ordinary commercial stronghold" in this desolate port to share Generous trade benefits.

I won’t leave. Do you still dare to attack us French people?

Don’t forget that in Europe, apart from the Netherlands and Prussia, we, France, have a positive, friendly and open attitude toward your country.You Qi people won't go to war against us, France, just because of a small colonial stronghold.

Yes, the Qi people did not directly use force against the French-occupied Mahé stronghold, but they adopted a blockade strategy.As many as seven or eight warships and armed merchant ships took turns swimming in the waters near Mahe, prohibiting any ship from entering to provide necessary supplies to the French.

At the same time, the Qi people mobilized more than a thousand troops from the Kingdom of Cochin to besiege the Mahé stronghold from the land direction, preventing the French from going deep into the inland areas and obtaining corresponding food and other related materials.

The two sides were in a stalemate for more than two months. The poor French exhausted all their supplies and finally had to surrender to the Qi people.They used explosives to destroy the hastily built fortress, took all their belongings, took a merchant ship, and left Mahé in embarrassment, returning to the Garrigal trading station.

Yes, this trading station in Garrigal was only established with the permission of the Qi people and was required not to remain armed.The people of Qi seem to be the masters here, deciding everything.

"Don't you think the Qi people are becoming more assertive in India? A few days ago, they had issued an ultimatum to the Madurai Naya Kingdom, asking them to hand over King Wasim I of Thanjavur who fled to the country. Come out and accept the punishment of the people of Qi." Rodrigo Boubois said quietly: "The people of Qi not only sent troops to devour this small country, but also wanted to put their king on trial and accept the sanctions of Qi's laws." " Mr. Beaubois, I think the people of Qi have the strength and ability to punish any king who goes against their will." Captain Jean Huggie shrugged, expressing his reaction to Rodrigo Beaubois's words. Noncommittal.

As a professional mercenary, they served in several colonial territories in the French Caribbean. They behaved more forcefully than the Qi people. They killed the indigenous and black slaves on the island arbitrarily and did not treat them as human beings at all. .

Although Wasim I was the king of the Kingdom of Thanjavur, in his opinion, he was no different from the natives of the Caribbean islands.The same ignorance, the same barbarism, the same ignorance.They clearly knew that the strength of their kingdom was far inferior to that of the Qi people, but they still wanted to provoke them.If this is the case, then you must bear the corresponding consequences.

"So, what do you think of the English proposal to unite all European countries to jointly resist Qi's control and monopoly of India, and even the entire eastern trade?"

The rain outside seemed to be getting heavier. Rodrigo Beaubois gently closed the window and turned to look at this well-informed mercenary captain who had traveled around the world.

"The English are not trustworthy at all." Captain Jean Huggie shook his head and said: "For hundreds of years, they have been hiding on several islands in the Atlantic Ocean, peeping at the entire European continent, and taking advantage of the unpredictable European situation at any time. Their major political and economic interests. Decades ago, the series of wars we experienced in France all involved the English, and they were subjected to various calculations by them. As for uniting all European countries to boycott Qi, I think This is simply undesirable. The English want nothing more than to exploit the power of the continent to secure important commercial interests for themselves."

"However, if the monopoly of the Qi people cannot be broken, all our European countries will not be able to share in the rich Eastern trade. Captain Yuji, can you imagine? Arabia, Persia, India, Burma, the East Indies, Siam, Annan, As well as Qin, Japan and Korea..., so many countries and regions, so many people, and such a vast market are almost all controlled by the people of Qi. Oh, God, the people of Qi are simply sitting on a pile of gold mountains of huge wealth. , Eat until your brain is full of fat and your mouth is full of oil!"

The French East India Company was first established in 1602. By 1650, it had failed three times.In 1664, it was established for the fourth time by Colbert, Louis XIV's financial director, mainly engaged in trade with India and East Africa.But over the years, the business situation has not been ideal.The performance achieved every year is not comparable to that of the Dutch East India Company, or even the British East India Company. The trade volume is less than [-]% of the British, and the profits cannot even cover the costs in some years.

Four years ago (1720), the failure of the French paper currency reform led by Scotsman John Law, coupled with the collapse of the Mississippi Bubble, not only severely damaged the French economy, but also dealt a fatal blow to the French East India Company, which was almost on the verge of bankruptcy again .

As a result, the French East India Company had to reorganize and reform, and reappointed directors and senior overseas leaders.As a former financial officer of the French royal family and now the senior manager of the East India Company in India, Rodrigo Beaubois naturally wanted to make some achievements to prove his ability and then obtain the title of Louis XV. and the favor of the Duke of Orleans as regent, and returned to the court.

Last year, he rashly sent a fleet and armed escorts to land in Mahe, just to try to break the Qi people's trade monopoly in southern India, and to trade directly with local merchants and princes to obtain higher trade profits.

Unexpectedly, this move was strongly countered by the Qi people. They used the radical method of armed blockade to force the French out of the Malabar coast.

In this regard, Rodrigo Beaubois not only further realized the strong control of the Qi people in the Indian region, but also felt some strong unwillingness deep in his heart.

Perhaps the English suggestion deserves some consideration.

(End of this chapter)