Historians have paid relatively little attention to the influence of the French in India. The history that has been written by the British proves to minimize the role of the French; and not surprisingly, French accounts of affairs tend to embellish the details. This paper will attempt to find this middle ground in efforts to provide an objective account of French influence in India during the 18th and 19th centuries. In the final analysis, it will be made clear that after their defeat by the British in 1783, the French played a valuable role in helping India thwart complete British domination of their country.