It was in 1715 that the French claimed the island and named it Isle de France. Several governors have been appointed in the island; however, none of them have been able to succeed in developing the island. It was only when Mahe de Labourdonnais came as the governor of the island that the island began to develop and Labourdonnais was even able to make Isle de France a prosperous colony. Labourdonnais is even considered as the greatest governors of Isle de France “As a colonial administrator, Labourdonnais stands out among French Governors.” (V. Teelock, 2009)
In June 1735 under the French East India Company rule, Bertrand Mahe de Labourdonnais was appointed as the governor of Isle de France. When he came to Isle de France, Labourdonnais came with a baggage of experience and achievement which fitted him well for this post. The fact that he had many connections in the Indian Ocean also worked in his favor. According to Hazareesingh, Labourdonnais was a man of tireless energy and considerable visions. Labourdonnais was a hard worker and he also expected the others to work as hard as him.
Labourdonnais had a full understanding of the commercial and strategic positions of Isle de France in the Indian Ocean. When he came to Isle de France, Labourdonnais saw his role as a governor consisting of two main tasks. The first task was to satisfy the immediate needs and interest of the Mascarene Islands, to develop them into permanent and flourishing colonies. It was in this prospect that he developed a commercial port-and strategic naval base in Isle de France. The second task was to make use of the resources available in the Mascarene Islands in order to meet the demand imposed by the broader strategic needs of France in the coming struggle for power.
The first task of Labourdonnais when he came to the island was the construction of the city around the harbor. In fact,