why and how did the burmese king incline towards the french?
Answers
The Governor-General of French India Joseph François Dupleix had started to show interest in Burma since 1727, on account of the country's abundance in teak and crude oil. As a result, a French shipyard was established in the city of Syriam in 1729, building ships for Pondicherry.[1] The shipyard was abandoned in 1742 due to the revolt of the Mon.[1]
Intervention in Burma (1751)
A few years later, a Mon envoy visited Dupleix requesting French help in the fight against the Burmese.[2] Dupleix promised men and munitions and dispatched Sieur de Bruno with the objective of developing French influence in the country.[3] He arrived at Bago, Burma in July 1751.[4] Sieur de Bruno reported back that a few hundred French troops would be able to take control of the Irrawaddy Delta, triggering an official request by Dupleix to the French court to obtain the necessary military support.[5][6] Sieur de Bruno obtained a treaty[7] and formed an alliance between France and the Mons.[8]
Governor Thomas Saunders of Madras attempted to counter the French moves in the region by sending a military force to survey the island of Negrais under Captain Thomas Taylor. He also tried to negotiate the cession of Syriam to the British.[5] The Mons firmly opposed these attempts at British encroachment under the counsel of Sieur de Bruno, who had considerable influence at the Mon court and was especially on excellent terms with the Heir Apparent.[5] Saunders finally decided to occupy Negrais forcibly, occupying the island on 26 April 1753.[5]
However, Dupleix's proposals to take control of the Irrawaddy delta were rejected by the French government, strongly limiting his capacity to intervene there.[9]