France and England divide India

As you might know (or probably not), I am sort of planning to create a timeline in which the French ally with the Dutch and the combination of both would create a naval counterbalance to the English. Basicly, England won't rule the waves, but has to share it with the Dutch and the French. This means England (or Britain) is going to lose some colonies to France and the Netherlands. Personaly I was thinking of giving France Southern India, while England focuses on the Bengal area.

I do not know a lot about the colonisation of India. When I was checking google looking for some information and inspiration about it, I found out that England manage to colonise northern India relatively early on. It looks like they used the Ganges river from the Bengal area to colonise a large part of Northern India. Would this be possible for them to do if France controls southern India, or more correctly England does not control Southern India, while France at least tries to increase its influence in that area (I think it will take a while before France controls all of it, or have puppet rulers in place)? Mind you, I do consider it possible for France and England to actualy decide on spheres of influence on India. Basicly divide it.
 
It's entirely possible that the French end up dominating Southern India, if 7 Years War goes a bit differently or doesn'the happen at all. But there is a problem. if the French win 7YW that means Mughals (French ally in India) drive the English out of Bengal. So I guess to have both England and France control large swathes of India, your need to somehow avoid the 7 Years War.
 
if the French win 7YW that means Mughals (French ally in India) drive the English out of Bengal.

Not the Mughals. It would mean that the Bengal Nawabate, led by Siraj-ud-Daulah, with only a nominal link to the Emperor, would kick the British out of Bengal. Furthermore, I think it not implausible that upon Siraj-ud-Daulah’s death the British install a puppet Nawab, so kicking the British out may prove to only be temporary.
 
The main issue would be, for what matter France, to convince Versailles that a mainland colony would be worth the trouble. IOTL, the mercantilist approach and the downfall of maintaining a colonial empire there (namely the costs involved, and how it would trigger the EIC into a attrition war) made Dupleix's ambitions and plans not that well recieved complete with order to cease and desist.
It could change, of course, but you'd need another PoD or a sub-PoD to make France more open to an earlier and deeper colonisation mindset there.
 
It's kinda implausible for France to control southern India in its entirety.

By the late eighteenth century, India had near-parity with Europe in military terms; the British conquest was enabled first and foremost by the British control of the resource of Bengal, among the most populated and largest economies of the subcontinent. I find it very doubtful that France could handle Mysore or the Marathas; probably they'll remain limited to the Coromandel Coast.
 
The POD for my potential timeline is in the middle of the 17th century. So not just before the 7th year war. There should be enough time to make the necessary changes happen. Roughly the idea is that Stadholder Willem II (William III's father) survives, wins the power struggle in the Netherlands with the opposing regents and forms (or actualy strengthens) the alliance with France. The Netherlands and France remain allied for the rest of the 17th century and (at least) most of the 19th century (not unlike the Netherlands and Britain were allied). Since the Netherlands and France divided the Southern Netherlands France's borders are more or less secure, so France can (with the help of the Netherlands) focus more on the sea than they did OTL. France manages to colonise Southern India (although to completely colonise it will take quite a while, just like with Britain and France will set up/use some allied vasal states, just like Britain did). Britain's India will focus more on the Bengal area and possibly Indo-China. I am now simply checking how likely this is and what needs to happen for this. I certainly appreciate the answers so far.
 
France manages to colonise Southern India (although to completely colonise it will take quite a while, just like with Britain and France will set up/use some allied vasal states, just like Britain did). Britain's India will focus more on the Bengal area and possibly Indo-China. I am now simply checking how likely this is and what needs to happen for this.
Well, the question to ask is, how does France actually manage to conquer southern India without access to the vast resources of Bengal that Britain had? The southwestern coast around Madras and Pondicherry (the Coromandel Coast, as they call it) could be controlled by France, but beyond that - in Mysore, Hyderabad, Maratha country - things are a lot more tricky.
 
Well, the question to ask is, how does France actually manage to conquer southern India without access to the vast resources of Bengal that Britain had? The southwestern coast around Madras and Pondicherry (the Coromandel Coast, as they call it) could be controlled by France, but beyond that - in Mysore, Hyderabad, Maratha country - things are a lot more tricky.

Once again, Mysore wouldn’t be a problem, as it was closely allied to France.
 
It's kinda implausible for France to control southern India in its entirety.

By the late eighteenth century, India had near-parity with Europe in military terms; the British conquest was enabled first and foremost by the British control of the resource of Bengal, among the most populated and largest economies of the subcontinent. I find it very doubtful that France could handle Mysore or the Marathas; probably they'll remain limited to the Coromandel Coast.

It was driven first and formost by British naval dominance. There were so many battles that were helped by naval bombardment before hand, by quickly shipping in additional troops when they were losing, or by rescuing troops to fight another day when they had lost.
 
Once again, Mysore wouldn’t be a problem, as it was closely allied to France.
A southern India mostly controlled by Mysore wouldn't actually be a French India, so obviously Mysore would eventually end up fighting France since it won't peacefully become a subsidiary ally like Hyderabad.

There were so many battles that were helped by naval bombardment before hand, by quickly shipping in additional troops when they were losing, or by rescuing troops to fight another day when they had lost.
Plassey: No naval support
Buxar: No naval support
Porto Novo: One ship, IIRC
Arakere: No naval support
Seringapatnam: No naval support
Assaye: No naval support
 
A southern India mostly controlled by Mysore wouldn't actually be a French India, so obviously Mysore would eventually end up fighting France since it won't peacefully become a subsidiary ally like Hyderabad.

In the Carnatic Wars, Hyder Ali allied himself with the French quite strongly. I don’t think the alliance between Hyder Ali’s Mysore and France will break so easily.
 
A southern India mostly controlled by Mysore wouldn't actually be a French India, so obviously Mysore would eventually end up fighting France since it won't peacefully become a subsidiary ally like Hyderabad.


Plassey: No naval support
Buxar: No naval support
Porto Novo: One ship, IIRC
Arakere: No naval support
Seringapatnam: No naval support
Assaye: No naval support

The Bengal campaign Plassey was part of had a naval squadron under Admiral Watson. I can't be bothered to go through the rest of them.
 
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