Chandernagore, a former French possession near Kolkata, has experienced several changes in fortune, moving from being the hub of revolutionary activities against British imperialists to being subjugated by the French. Utilizing diverse original sources from India and France, as well as the private papers of Debendra Nath Dash, a key figure in Chandernagore politics, this book examines the unfolding events in the struggle of the people of Chandernagore against French colonial rule. It situates the events within the broader context of other French settlements-Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam-with Pondicherry being pivotal to French imperialism in India. The struggle against French tutelage was fought in a non-violent manner through a process of negotiations that led to a peaceful referendum in 1949, the first of its kind in India. This book is a ground-breaking research work on Chandernagore-a town on which there is still little published material available-and provides important scholarship in the field of the history of West Bengal.
About the Author
Sailendra Nath Sen is a former Professor of History, University of Calcutta, an Honorary Professor of History there since 2005, and a Fellow, Asiatic Society. He has produced pioneering works on the history of the Marathas including Anglo-Maratha Relations during the Administration of Warren Hastings, 1772-1785 (1961, repr 1994) and Anglo-Maratha Relations, 1785-1796 (1974, 1994). His two-volume project on the history of the Marathas entitled Fall of the Maratha Empire, 1796-1818, is forthcoming. Professor Sen's other publications include Ancient Indian History and Civilization (2nd edn, 1999), History of the Freedom Movement in India (1998), A Text Book of Indian History and Culture (2007), An Advanced History of Modern India (2010), and A Textbook of Medieval Indian History (forthcoming).
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