ABSTRACT
Pierre Benoist Dumas succeeded Pierre Christophe Le Noir in 1735. He came with his wife, Marie Gertrude Venzil, whom he had married earlier in Pondicherry. She was a Dutch Protestant, while Dumas was a Catholic. Dumas had earlier, as member of the Superior Council of Pondicherry been against the prosecution of Nainiappa Poulle. Pondicherry had a population of 80,000 when Benoist Dumas took over power. Of them, 8,000 were Christians. Christianity was making steady progress in Pondicherry due to the zeal of the missionaries and official patronage. In 1739, Mahe entered a period of prosperity which lasted for about two decades until 1761 when the English conquered it. Pepper trade accounted for its prosperity. Mahe grew as a political and trading entity on the Malabar Coast, subject to Pondicherry. In July 1741, a parvana was received from the Mughal emperor confirming Karaikal and the adjoining regions as French possessions.
