Yanam - History
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Yanam - History
Yanam was situated in the provice of Peddapur in the jurisdiction of Timma Raja. The French had a modest building here situated a league from the sea, on the river Coringa into which small vessels could enter. The documents of 1765 throw light on a dispute of a wekkly market or fair in Yanam. A weekly market used to be held here on every Tuesday. People used to come to it for purchasing all their essential commodities once for a week.
Neelapalli, a neighbouring vilage of Yanam was under the British at that time. It is nearly 3 KM. Away from Yanam. The people in this village also used to hold a fair on Tuesday. Thus there was a clash of interests between Yanam and Neelapalli.
After prolonged correspondence with the English authorities at Madras, the French authorities in Yanam succeded in changing the fair of Neelapalli to another day of the week, Saturday. In this way, Yanam triumphed over its neighbouring village Neelapalli.
This is again lack of information because of its subsequent English Occupation.
Yanam was restored again to the French in 1785. Mallhendre took possession of it and he was succeeded by Bluter. It was recommended to them to favour the business of the French Company and to protect the interest of some specified merchants.
After Bluter, Sonnerat became the chief in 1790 in Yanam. He was a scholar. He had a profound interest in Natural Sciences. He wrote a book "VOYAGE AUX INDES ORIENTALES ET En CHINE." In 3 volumes. He appreciated very much the sonority and the music of the telugu language. He administered Yanam during the time of the French Revolution.
The French revolution had its effects in different ways in all the former french settlements. Let us study now there action of Yanam during this period . The french trade at Yanam was considerable at that time. Lew stated in his "Memoire of 1767". It is from Yanam that we get out best "guiness" (fine cloth). It is possible to have a commerce here worth more than a million lives per year under circumstances more favourable than thoses in which we are placed now, but always by giving advances much earlir, which we have never been in a position to do.
From this place we also procured teak-wood, oils rice and other grains both for men as well as for animals". A port from commercce, Yanam enjoyed another kind of importance "the advantages which may be derived in a time of war from the alliances that we the French may conclude with sesveral Rajas who sooner or later cannot fail to be dissatisfied with the English". Although the English gained an effective control over the circars, Yanam enabled the French to enter into ssecret relations with the local chiseftains. Yanam had some commercial importance.
It was a centre for the manufacture of salt and this salt consituted thje major part of the quantity imported by the French into Bengal,region. It was also an important csentre of cotton goods and supplied a large part of the return cargo of the french ships visiting India. A few French citizens in Yanam were fully occupied by these two kinds of profitble busiuness and they had no interest in political and administrative matters which were lesft senterely to the chief or commandant. Indian residents wantseds nothing better than to be lesft in peace to carry on their trading activities.
Mr.Sommerat,Chief of Yanam, was involvsed in this business along with other traders. His commercial involvement brought sserious consequences to his administrative post. The petitions were made against him in this connection, to the De Fresns the them French Governor in Pondsicherry. On 5.6.1790 a French man Mr. Demars complined against him for the Ist time.
He had 40 vessels loaded with salt for Bengal representing the fortune of 10 individuals, he alleged that Mr.Sommerat had been troubling him in carying out his business and requested the Governor and the Ist Committee to rsecall him. By that time, Pondsicherry under the influence of the French Revolution, had alreadly formed the Ist representative committee. But no action was taken in favour of Demars either by the Governer or by this Ist committee. Naturally, the French citizens in Yanam were desinterested in the affairs of Pondicherry owing to his failure.
Yanam - History
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