History of Mauritius: The Naval Battle of Grand Port - 1810
Historical Background to the Naval Battle of Grand Port After being colonised and abandoned by the Dutch, the island passed under French dominion in 1715. Notable French governor Mahé de La Bourdonnais, who greatly marked the history of Mauritius by his extensive development of the colony, used Mauritius as a naval base to lead military expeditions to support French troops in India who were fighting the British. Wealthy French traders of the island called “negociants” armed cargo ships for corsair operations. Corsairs in Mauritius (which was named Isle de France by the French) attacked defenseless British merchant vessels and looted their precious cargoes loaded in India for trading in Europe. These attacks severely disrupted British trade in the Indian Ocean as well as disturbing the reinforcement of the growing British Indian Army. On their return route from Britain to India, these ships often carried British soldiers. The corsairs were granted written legal authorisations or “Lettres de marques” by French governor Malartic which demarked them from pirates. Following the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars in 1803, the security of these routes became a high priority for the British Admiralty. To protect their interests, the British gradually increased their naval superiority in the region.
Size: 5184px × 3456px
Location: Mahebourg, Mauritius
Photo credit: © alberto / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
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