Yanaon


Yanaon was one of the five principal settlements of French India between 1731 and 1954. It was referred to in British records as Yanam.

Early years

Reason for European interests

The French in their earlier records does mention their interest in establishing trade in the Northern Circars, which lie in the coastal regions of the Hyderabad sultanate. The Northern circars are very important as they sway a big influence in the court of Deccan Subah. This Subah is indeed the most important among all other provinces of the Mughal empire in the Indian peninsula. The Mughal Empire considers Deccan as their principal power. In some old records, it was mentioned as Ayanaon, a big village in the Circar of Rajamindri, situated along the Ingiram river. This French establishment very well flourished before the setback and failures of the French during the Seven Years' War. From this town and its surroundings, beautiful towels are manufactured. These towels are referred as guinées du Nord. As per the 1783 report by French, "one judges the fineness of this cloth by the number of Conjons...These guineas of Yanaon were made of 'roui' Cotton which has very long threads".
Apart from the above political reason, the areas in and around Yanaon were very fertile and the textile industry flourished. The English and Dutch also established many colonies in the Circars of Rajamundry and Ellore. In these circars, the English had colonies in Draksharama, Veeravasaram, Narsapuram/Madapollam, Injaram, Coringa, Neelapalli, Bendamurulanka and the Dutch made their presence in Palakollu, Jagannathapuram.
VillageParaganaCircarSubahEmpire
YanaonInjaramRajahmundryDeccanMughal Empire

The Subah of Deccan had 22 Circars and Rajamundry circar had 17 paraganas comprising 24 mahals in it with Injaram being on them.

Possible Dutch presence

In the west of Yanam, there are still . People say that the Dutch constructed a fort here. It is being called by locals as "saali kota" because previously weavers used to weave clothes. Some people believe that the Dutch used to keep their currency, minted in the mint at Neelapalli, in this fort. The Dutch were very active during the seventeenth century and by the start of the eighteen century, their presence in India became very nominal. The records office of Madras presidency do mention some file regarding Yanam Dutch settlements when mentioning the Godavari district records.
As per British records, the nearest Dutch settlements to Yanaon are Draksharam and Jaggernaikpoeram. At Injaram, a whopping number of 2000 weavers worked for the Dutch and around 700 for the English. As the textile industry flourished in Godavari districts where the French colony of Yanaon is an enclave, perhaps the Dutch may have made some presence in Yanaon as well. The Dutch factors in Draksharama refer to the villages of Dulla and Vemagiri as being particularly important sources of cloth. Perhaps they may have some trade relationship with the weavers of Yanaon. The Dutch must have left Yanaon well before the French arrival in 1723.

Uncertainty in early history

It is not known exactly when the French founded Yanaon before 1723. It was assumed that Yanaon did not exist as a Human settlement before 1706 as that area was densely forested and got ravaged by a severe cyclone in 1706 as narrated by an eye-witness Gollapoondi Nagichitty. Thus, unlike other major French settlements in India, the year when French got sovereignty is usually mentioned as the year of establishment in some French records. However, there is an old Vishnu temple located in the rue Vichenou of Yanaon and popular belief is that it was built many centuries ago. However there two more nearby villages along the mouths of Godavari in Andhra Pradesh that bear the similar name. They are Surasani Yanam in Uppalaguptam Mandal and Chirra Yanam in Katrenikona mandal. The name Yanaon may have come from the word Inam.

1723 Establishment

The main colonial history of Yanam starts in the early 18th century. French agent M. Courton was resident since 1721 at the French Colony of Masulipatam and played a major role in the establishment of the French presence in Yanaon. As per the letter dated 24 January 1723 by M. Courton to the Superior Council of French India at Pondichéry, it was mentioned that he purchased some land by the Godavari River, near the Ingiron-Yanaon to establish a magasin. Its affairs were supervised by the French colony Masulipatam, which was by then already an important colony for European powers. French trade got permitted at Masulipatam by a firm from the King of Golconda dated 15 October 1669. In 1687, the Mughal empire annexed Golconda and later the Deccan subah came under the rule of its governor Mubariz Khan who ruled from 1712 until 1724. The establishment of Yanam roughly coincided with the cession of Deccan Subah from Mughal Empire and forming the Hyderabad sultanate right after the 1724 Battle of Shakar Kheda.

1727 Abandonment

As per the letter of Dupleix dated January 1928, Yanaon became so profitless and the future seemed to be dim. Under the pretext of the tyranny of local nawabs and governors, the Superior council in Pondicherry forced then French agents at Yanaon, M. Fouquet and M. Guillard to wind up the affairs and abandon it.
File:French East Indies Cannon de 4 bronze 1755 Douai 84mm 237cm 545kg iron ball 2kg.jpg|thumb|A French Indies Company cannon. Bronze, 1733, Douai. Caliber: 84mm, length: 237cm, weight: 545kg, ammunition: 2kg iron balls. The company's coat of arms can be seen on the Canon. |300x300px

1731 Re-establishment

The possession of Rajahmundry and Chicacole circars was disputed between the Nizam of Deccan and the Gajapatis. Mir Qamaruddin, then Nizam of Deccan, settled this issue in 1713. Anwaruddin Khan was appointed Faujdār for these two provinces. He appointed his Tabedār Rustum Khan alias Haji Mohammad Hussain to collect the arrears of tribute from Zamindars in these two circars. Rustum Khan was a Turkish officer who was Nawab of Rajahmundry between 1730 and 1737.

1731 Paravana

A paravana dated 24 May 1731 from Haji Mohammad Hussain, Nawab of Rajahmundry authorised the French Representative Fouquet, then chief of the Company at Machilipatnam to re-establish up a loge at Déchavarom near Yanaon. As per Puducherry government records, this parawana was meant for re-establishment loge at Yanaon.
French re-established in Yanaon on 30 July 1731. M. Guillard became the first chief of Yanam, holding office for 17 long years. The French records also credit M. Guillard for the establishment of a loge at Yanaon, which was within the paragana of Venjaram, in the Circar of Rajamahendri for the purpose of trading teakwood and towels. Guillard was a great merchant and a great captain.

1734 Paravana

During June 1934, a paravana has been issued by the Nawab Dost Ali Khan Bahadur of Carnatic to M. Guillard for making the Pagodas of Pondichéry as the legal tender in Yanaon. Chanda Sahib who allied with French during the Carnatic wars was the son-in-law of Nawab Dost Ali Khan.

1735 Paravana

Nawab Rustum khan granted a paravana dated 4 February 1735 for French commerce in Yanaon.
After 1742 political motives began to overshadow the desire for commercial gains of the French East India Company. All factories were fortified for the purpose of defense. M. De Choisy administered it. He died here on 24 October 1747. Monsieur Sinfray succeeded him. Until 1743, the French paid an annual rent for their possessions in Yanaon to the Nawab of Rajamundry. This annual rent was waived by a paravana that was issued in 1743. Anwaruddin Khan, Nawab of Arcot, granted all the rights on the lands situated before the quarters at Yanam to the French on 9 November 1748.

Era of Nasir Jung

After the death of Asaf Jah I, his son Nasir Jung succeeded him. However, a succession war broke out between Nasir Jung and his nephew Muzaffar Jung. The French sided with the latter and this angered Nasir Jung who ordered his forces in 1750 to capture the French factories located in Masulipatam and Yanaon. In that year, Masulipatam was captured during May and Yanaon was besieged during July.

Era of Muzaffar Jung

However, on 20 September 1750, Yanaon along with Masulipatam was returned to M. Guillard, Chef de Yanaon, who was representing the French.
Later, Muzaffar Jang, Nawab Subedar of the Deccan succeeded Nasir Jung. As a token of gratitude for the French support, Muzaffar Jang conferred on the French the Circar of Masulipatam. Additionally to that, he granted sovereignty of Yanaon, Karaikal, and some adjoining areas of Pondicherry to the French during his visit to Pondicherry in December 1750.
Since the Nizam was only a subedar of Deccan, Muzzafar Jung technically does not hold any right to give away territories to the French without the permission or consent of his liege lord, the Padishah of Hindustan. But the Mughal Padishah Ahmad Shah Bahadur, unlike his father, was only a figurehead and his imperial firmans were respected by subordinates only when it suited their purposes. A firman is a royal decree issued by the Emperor and meant to be irrevocable. For decrees issued by royalty lower than the Emperor then such decrees as named as ', ' and .

Era of Salabat Jung

, the son of the Nizam al Mulk, who was indebted for his elevation to the throne to the French Indies Company, granted the district of Kondavid to the French in return for their services, and soon afterward the other Circars. He confirmed all the grants made by Muzaffar Jung to the French and allowed them to rebuild the factory at Yanaon that was completely destroyed by the forces of Nasir Jung during the siege of Yanaon by his army.
An imperial firman dated 14 May 1753 was issued by the Mughal emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur, confirming all the concessions made to the French by Salabat Jang, the Subedar of Deccan.
In December 1753, a paravana of Salabat Jang, Subedar of Deccan conceded to Bussy the circars of Chicacole, Ellore, Rajahmundry and Mustafanagar with an annual revenue Rs. 2,00,000 for the maintenance of the French troops in the Subah in recognition of the help of these Circars amounted up to 10 lakhs of Rupees per year. These four circars were part of Northern Circars. Bussy helped Salabat Jang to be the Subedar of Deccan. The agreement made between the French and Salabat Jang in Aurangabad bears the signature of Said Loukshur, Minister of Salabat Jang. Yanam acquired considerable importance during the occupation of the Northern Circars by the French.
One street in Yanaon and another in Pondicherry are named in remembrance of Bussy. However, the street in Pondicherry has been renamed 'Lal Bahadur Shastri Street'.