Mediation of the dubash ; La médiation des dubashes
The dubashes, Indian intermediaries at the service of the French administration, played a key role in Pondichéry in the second half of the 18th century. This role has evolved during the period, marked by the conflicts with England and the economic difficulties of the counter. The article envisages how the position of the dubash is constructed through interactions with colonial administration. The position of the Indian agents is unstable due to strong competition and distrust from the French government. The dubashes of the Tiruvengadam family seek to limit the instability they face through written strategies. They remain essential agents for the French people. Their knowledge of local social structures and cultural forms is indeed necessary for the exercise of authority. ; International audience The dubashes, indian intermediaries serving the French administration, played a key role in Pondicherry during the second half of the eighteenth century, a role that evolved throughout this period marked by conflicts with the British and economic difficulties in the colony. This paper examines the construction of the dubashes' position through interactions with the colonial administration. Intense competition among Indian agents, as well as distrust on the part of the French governement, made this role an unstable one. The dubashes of Tiruvengadam's family sought to limit the instability they confronted through the use of the strategic use of the written word. They remained essential agents for the French, as their knowledge of local social structures and cultural forms was necessary for the exercize of the colonial authority. ; The dubashes, Indian intermediaries at the service of the French administration, played a key role in Pondichéry in the second half of the 18th century. This role has evolved during the period, marked by the conflicts with England and the economic difficulties of the counter. The article envisages how the position of the dubash is constructed through interactions with colonial administration. The ...