Blair, that was an excellent example of stamp collecting also teaching us
history. But I take exception to your listing of the 1940-1944 French State
issue (Petain). There was no way for these stamps to have reached India,
and even if they had, they would not have been issued, since the five
settlements had opted for de Gaulle. The British would not have allowed
Petain to control them. They must be classified as "prepared for use but
not issued for postal use".

Tony

"Blair (TC)" The wrote in message
...
On Thu, 2 Sep 2004 20:53:35 +0200, "amesh \(Mette\)"
wrote:

I have these two stamps

http://shoebox.heindorffhus.dk/shoebox-FranceIndia.jpg

that I am unable to identify. Thanks in advance for any help and info
:-)

French India

When Frederick II of Prussia siezed Silesia in 1740, France sided with
him, the British with Austria. As a result of this, The War of
Austrian Succession, the British decided that France's power in India
was too great to be left alone. After the French quickly cornered the
English in a naval battle, a treaty was signed trading Madras for Cape
Breton Island in North America.

Relations between the British and French worsened as each became mired
in local Indian politics. After the nizam, a major Mughal noble and
power-broker, died, the French took advantage of this time to pick
sides in a dispute over who would be Karnatic nawab (governor).
(Karnataka was a dependancy of the nizam. The nizam chose a nawab in
1743, but rivals for the nawab-ate weren't satisfied. Is this clear?
Good.) The French chose Chanda Sahib for nawab and Salabat Jang for
nizam. The British, not to be outdone, responded by saying that
Muhammad Ali (the Indian, not the boxer) should be nawab.

The nawab-ship wasn't really all that important, but it made a good
excuse for a war. The British/Muhammad Ali, led by Robert Clive,
gained control of Arcot (the capital of Karnataka) in 1751, and the
French/Chandra Sahib were forced to surrended in 1752.

Peace and tranquility reigned for . . . four years. Then, the Seven
Years' War began in Europe in 1756, and the British and French in
India were at it again. The British, with their naval superiority, won
victories in the Bengal, at Madras, at Ponicherry, and at Wandiwash.
The French surrendered for the second time in 1761.

Thus, the French were permitted, by various treaties, to retain only
tiny settlements: Chandernagore, Karikal, Mahe, Pondicherry, Yanam


Chandernagore was a really tiny (3 sq.miles) enclave some 20 miles
north of Calcutta. It was owned by the French between 1816 and 1950
when a referendum returned it to India.
http://www.aurobindo.ru/images/sa/18...nagore_map.gif

Pondicherry was the capital of the French possessions and occupied an
area of 113 square miles. It had been lost by the French during the
Napoleonic wars but was handed back to them in 1816 and stayed French
until it was returned to India after independence.
http://www.aurobindo.ru/images/sa/1910-1950/pond_1.gif

Karikal (Karaikal), near Pondicherry, was a small French settlement
on the S.E. coast in the Tanjore district. It is now a beach resort.
http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/india/beachresorts.jpg

Mahe (S.E. (Malabar) Coast)
http://www.pondy.com/images/mahe/directionmap/mahe2.gif

and Yenam, near Pondicherry
The smallest census district in India is Yenam in Pondicherry
with a population of 31,362 only.
http://www.zum.de/whkmla/histatlas/i...indiaclose.gif


Some more stamp links of interest.

French India (French Republic) 1892 - 1940
http://www.kalnieciai.lt/zenius/asia...ench/india.jpg

French India (French Republic) French Republic stamps overprint
1892 - 1940
http://www.kalnieciai.lt/zenius/asia.../overprint.jpg

French India (French State) 1940 - 1944
http://www.kalnieciai.lt/zenius/asia...ench/state.jpg

French India (Free French Administration) 1941 - 1944
http://www.kalnieciai.lt/zenius/asia...ench/libre.jpg

French India (IV French Republic) 1947 - 1954 11 01
http://www.kalnieciai.lt/zenius/asia...ch/1947-54.jpg

French India - perfins (BJC)
http://www.kalnieciai.lt/zenius/asia...french/BJC.jpg

Blair