Tipu’s Tree of Liberty

French had the “Islands of France” in the Indian Ocean which are now Mauritius, and Island of Bourbon, which us now called Reunion. Both of them played an important role in halfway rendezvous for French intrigue and for the assembling of a hostile expedition, but the Battle of Nile changed the course of history and none of the French plan was carried out.

• Tipu had also allowed the Directory to plant a “tree of liberty” in Shrirangpatnam.

These islands were the cradle of French activity in India throughout the 18th century, but from 1810 onwards Mauritius has been in English possession. However, Reunion is still French. In 1795, the Dutch territory Ceylon was annexed to the Madras presidency, but a few years later it was made a crown colony by the Treaty of Amiens. Later around in 1801, Tsar Paul of Russia was actually planning, with a bit of connivance of Bonaparte, for an overland invasion of India, but before anything could be done, Tsar Paul was assassinated.