The history of organised European
colonisation on the islands began with the
Danish East India Company in 1754/56. During this time they were administrated from
Tranquebar (in continental
Danish India) administrated under the name of
Frederiksøerne; missionaries from the
Moravian Church Brethren's settlement in
Tranquebar attempted a settlement on
Nancowry and died in great numbers from disease; the islands were repeatedly abandoned due to outbreaks of
malaria: 1784–1807/09, 1830–1834 and finally from 1848 gradually for good. Between 1778 and 1783,
William Bolts attempted to establish an Austrian colony on the islands on the mistaken assumption that
Denmark–Norway had abandoned its claims to the islands.
[7]
Italy made an attempt at buying the Nicobar Islands from Denmark between 1864 and 1868. The Italian Minister of Agriculture and Commerce
Luigi Torelli started a negotiation that looked promising, but failed due to the unexpected end of his Office and the
first La Marmora Cabinet. The negotiations were interrupted and never brought up again.
[8]
Denmark's presence in the islands ended formally on 16 October 1868 when it sold the rights to the Nicobar Islands to Britain,
[7] which in 1869 made them part of
British India.