Historical Gaps and Non-existent Sources: The Case of the Chaudrie Court in French India

Abstract This article develops a typology of historical and archival gaps—physical, historiographical, epistemological—to consider how non-existent sources are central to understanding colonial law governance. It does so by examining the institutional history court known as Chaudrie in French colony Pondichéry India eighteenth century, integrating problems that specific study legal history—questions pertaining jurisdiction, codification, evidence, sovereignty—with issues all historians face regarding power making archives. Under rule, was home multiple judicial institutions, administered officials East Indies Company. These included court, which existed at least from 1700 1827 forum where judges were meant dispense justice according local Tamil modes dispute resolution. However, records this prior 1766 have not survived. By drawing on both contemporaneous mentions later accounts its workings, centers missing or phantom sources, severed body archive political, judicial, bureaucratic decisions. argues jurisdiction decoupled sovereignty, reason it did generate state-managed preserved for itself until 1760s. The Chaudrie’s early makes visible relationship between is paralleled approaches governance modern Empire.