Chingleput District (Madras Presidency)
Encyclopedia
Chingleput district was a district in the Madras Presidency
of British India. It covered the area of the present-day districts of Kanchipuram
and Tiruvallur
and parts of Chennai
city. It was sub-divided into six taluks with a total area of 3079 square miles (7,974.6 km²). The town of Saidapet
(now a neighbourhood in the city of Chennai), and later, Chingleput
(now known as Chengalpattu) served as the administrative headquarters of the district.
indicate that the region was inhabited in the Stone age
. During the first millennium B. C., Chingleput district might have been a part of the Andhra kingdom
. The Pallavas with their capital at Kanchi came to power in about 500 A. D. When the Pallava kingdom began to decline, the region was conquered by the Western Gangas in about 760 A. D. Chingleput was ruled by the Rashtrakutas, Cholas and the Kakatiyas of Warangal
until the 13th century AD when it fell to the Delhi Sultanate
. The region was conquered by the Vijayanagar Empire which ruled the region from 1393 till 1565 and from 1565 till 1640 as the kingdom of Chandragiri
. The region was annexed by the Mughals in 1687 and was later conquered by the Nawab of the Carnatic
. In 1763, Chingleput was ceded to the British East India Company
by Mohammad Ali, the then Nawab of the Carnatic. It was the site of the Carnatic Wars
and was frequently taken by Tipu Sultan
during the last years of the 18th century. In 1801, the Nawab of the Carnatic, finally, relinquished complete sovereignty over the region to the British East India Company.
As of 1901, the district had two municipalities Conjeevaram and Chingleput.
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
of British India. It covered the area of the present-day districts of Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram district
Kanchipuram district is a district in the northeast of the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is bounded in the west by Vellore and Thiruvannamalai districts, in the north by Thiruvallur District and Chennai District, in the south by Viluppuram District and in the east by the Bay of Bengal. It lies...
and Tiruvallur
Tiruvallur District
Tiruvallur district is an administrative district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The town of Thiruvallur is the district headquarters. The district has a mixture of urban and rural characteristics...
and parts of Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
city. It was sub-divided into six taluks with a total area of 3079 square miles (7,974.6 km²). The town of Saidapet
Saidapet
Saidapet is an important neighbourhood in Chennai , India. The Saidapet Court, the only other court of judicature in Chennai city apart from the Madras High Court and the Saidapet bus depot are located here...
(now a neighbourhood in the city of Chennai), and later, Chingleput
Chingleput
Chingleput or Chengalpattu or Chengalpet is a city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The name of the city is derived from the old nomenclature 'chenkazhuneer patru'...
(now known as Chengalpattu) served as the administrative headquarters of the district.
History
Excavations made by Robert Bruce FooteRobert Bruce Foote
Robert Bruce Foote was a British geologist and archaeologist who conducted geological surveys of prehistoric locations in India for the Geological Survey of India. In 1863, the year after his archaeological survey began, he discovered the first conclusive Paleolithic stone tool in India. He found...
indicate that the region was inhabited in the Stone age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
. During the first millennium B. C., Chingleput district might have been a part of the Andhra kingdom
Andhra Kingdom
Andhra in Indian epic literature was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It was a southern kingdom. Andhra and Kalinga are often used interchangeably. Andhras are sub-tribes of Andhra satavahanas. The state Andhra Pradesh got its name from this kingdom.Andhra Tribes are also mentioned in...
. The Pallavas with their capital at Kanchi came to power in about 500 A. D. When the Pallava kingdom began to decline, the region was conquered by the Western Gangas in about 760 A. D. Chingleput was ruled by the Rashtrakutas, Cholas and the Kakatiyas of Warangal
Warangal
Warangal is a city and a municipal corporation in Warangal district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Warangal is located northeast of the state capital of Hyderabad and is the administrative headquarters of Warangal District. This district is a combination of three cities: Warangal,...
until the 13th century AD when it fell to the Delhi Sultanate
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate is a term used to cover five short-lived, Delhi based kingdoms or sultanates, of Turkic origin in medieval India. The sultanates ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526, when the last was replaced by the Mughal dynasty...
. The region was conquered by the Vijayanagar Empire which ruled the region from 1393 till 1565 and from 1565 till 1640 as the kingdom of Chandragiri
Chandragiri
Chandragiri , is a suburb of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, India. Recently it is included under Municipal Corporation limits of Tirupati...
. The region was annexed by the Mughals in 1687 and was later conquered by the Nawab of the Carnatic
Nawab of the Carnatic
Nawabs of the Carnatic , ruled the Carnatic region of South India between about 1690 and 1801. They initially had their capital at Arcot,vellore city...
. In 1763, Chingleput was ceded to the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
by Mohammad Ali, the then Nawab of the Carnatic. It was the site of the Carnatic Wars
Carnatic Wars
The Carnatic Wars were a series of military conflicts in the middle of the 18th century on the Indian subcontinent...
and was frequently taken by Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
during the last years of the 18th century. In 1801, the Nawab of the Carnatic, finally, relinquished complete sovereignty over the region to the British East India Company.
Taluks
Chingleput district was made of eight taluks:- ChingleputChengalpattu talukChengalpattu taluk is a taluk of Kanchipuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The headquarters of the taluk is the town of Chengalpattu- Population :...
(Area: 436 square miles (1,129.2 km²); Headquarters:Chingleput) - ConjeevaramKanchipuram talukKanchipuram taluk is a taluk of Kanchipuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The headquarters of the taluk is the town of Kanchipuram- Population :...
(Area: 514 square miles (1,331.3 km²); Headquarters:Conjeevaram) - Madurantakam (Area: 696 square miles (1,802.6 km²); Headquarters:Madurantakam)
- Ponneri (Area: 347 square miles (898.7 km²); Headquarters:Ponneri)
- Saidapet (Area: 342 square miles (885.8 km²); Headquarters:Saidapet)
- Tiruvallur (Area: 744 square miles (1,927 km²); Headquarters:Tiruvallur)
Administration
The district was sub-divided into three sub-divisions each under the charge of a Deputy Collector:- Chingleput sub-division: Chingleput, Madurantakam and Conjeevaram taluks
- Saidapet sub-division: Saidapet taluk
- Tiruvallur sub-division: Tiruvallur and Ponneri taluks.
As of 1901, the district had two municipalities Conjeevaram and Chingleput.