Activities of La Compagnie FranÇaise des Indes Orientales in Siam in the Second Half of the 17th Century Revisited

Abstract

Knowledge concerning commercial activities of the French Company of the East Indies in Siam and Dai Viet in the 17th century is plagued by a large gap in research. This article, based on an examination of archives and various later works of research, seeks to fill part of that gap and redraw knowledge of the process of establishing and conducting commercial activities of the French in 17th century Siam. It reviews the ambiguous relations of the Paris Foreign Missions Society (Les Missions Étrangères de Paris - MEP) and the French Company of the East Indies (La Compagnie FranÇaise des Indes Orientales - CIO), the ambitions of the French court and missionaries in Siam, and the vain attempts of the French to enhance their position in Siam. In doing so, the article provides a broad picture of French activities in the Indochinese peninsula giving a comparative perspective of their economic and religious penetration in Dai Viet in the second half of the17th century.