02585oam 22004335 450 991081040750332120240501203145.090-04-41440-110.1163/9789004414402(CKB)4100000009825958(MiAaPQ)EBC5973869(nllekb)BRILL9789004414402(EXLCZ)99410000000982595820191130d2020 uy 0engurcnu||||||||txtrdacontentcrdamediacrrdacarrierThe Agency of Empire: Connections and Strategies in French Overseas Expansion (1686-1746) /Elisabeth HeijmansLeiden;Boston :BRILL,2020.1 online resource (257 pages)European Expansion and Indigenous Response ;32.90-04-40943-2 Front Matter -- The Agency of Empire -- Copyright Page -- General Series Editor’s Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Abbreviations -- Maps, Tables, Figures and Graphs -- Glossary -- Introduction -- When Principals Become Agents -- Overseas Directors as Mediators -- Cross-cultural Relations with Rulers -- Inter-imperial Cooperation -- Attempts at Self-Sustainability -- Conclusion -- Back Matter -- Bibliography -- Index.In The Agency of Empire: Connections and Strategies in French Expansion (1686-1746) Elisabeth Heijmans places directors and their connections at the centre of the developments and operations of French overseas companies. The focus on directors’ decisions and networks challenges the conception of French overseas companies as highly centralized and controlled by the state. Through the cases of companies operating in Pondicherry (Coromandel Coast) and Ouidah (Bight of Benin), Elisabeth Heijmans demonstrates the participation of actors not only in Paris but also in provinces, ports and trading posts in the French expansion. The analysis brings to the fore connections across imperial, cultural and religious boundaries in order to diverge from traditional national narratives of the French early modern empire.European Expansion and Indigenous Response ;32.French coloniesFrancefastHistory.fastFrench colonies.337Heijmans Elisabeth1269208NL-LeKBNL-LeKBBOOK9910810407503321The Agency of Empire: Connections and Strategies in French Overseas Expansion (1686-1746)3919619UNINA