Abandoned by the Dutch, the island became a French colony when, in September 1715, Guillaume Dufresne D’Arsel landed and took possession of this precious port of call on the route to India. He named the island “Isle de France”, but it was only in 1721 that the French started their occupation. However, it was only as from 1735, with the arrival of the most illustrious of French governor, Mahé de La Bourdonnais, that the “Isle de France“started developing effectively. Under the French, the island witnessed major changes. The increasing importance of agriculture led to the importation of slaves and the undertaking of vast infrastructural works that transformed Port Louis into a major capital, port, warehousing, and commercial centre.
