Talk by Professor Robert Ivermee
The Forgotten History of French Imperialism in India
Alliance Française de Delhi, in collaboration with the India International Centre, is pleased to invite you to a talk titled The Forgotten History of French Imperialism in India by Professor Robert Ivermee, Associate Professor at Sciences Po Grenoble – UGA, France, and a leading historian of European colonialism in South Asia.
For nearly 150 years—from the reign of Louis XIV to the fall of Napoleon—France was a formidable imperial power in India. Through its East India Company and state apparatus, it established a far-reaching empire, only to see its dominance eroded by conflicts with Indian rulers, rivalry with other European powers, and a series of strategic missteps. This talk revisits this largely forgotten chapter of colonial history and reflects on its enduring lessons on great power rivalry, inequality, and imperial ambition—issues that remain strikingly relevant today.
Professor Ivermee will be in conversation with Zohra Chatterji, IAS (retd.), former Secretary to the Government of India, scholar, writer, and Vice-President of Alliance Française de Delhi.
Date: Friday, 9 January 2026
Time: 6:00 PM
Venue: Conference Room 1, India International Centre
