South Arcot District (Madras Presidency)
Encyclopedia
South Arcot was a district in the Madras Presidency
of British India. It covered the area of the present-day districts of Cuddalore
, Viluppuram
and Thiruvannamalai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu
. The district was divided into eight taluks and covered a total area of 5217 square miles (13,512 km²). The administrative headquarters was the town of Cuddalore
.
In ancient times, South Arcot was a part of the Chola
and the Pallava
kingdoms. British presence in the district dates to 1690 when the British East India Company
set up a factory at Fort St David
near Cuddalore. South Arcot was the scene of confrontation between the British and the French
and the British and Tipu Sultan
. The British took over the administration in 1781 and established full sovereignty in 1801.
The economy is largely agricultural. South Arcot is not noteworthy for mineral wealth.
and later, by Vijayanagar kings. In 1646, South Arcot came under the Bijapur sultans who ruled till 1676, when it was conquered by the Marathas. In 1698, the Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb took Gingee
and established his rule over South Arcot.
The British presence dates back to 1682, when the British East India Company
established a factory at Cuddalore and Kanimedu. When these two failed, the Company set up another factory at Fort St David near Cuddalore. Fort St David served as the temporary capital of Madras Presidency from 1746 onwards when Madras was taken by the French East India Company
, till 1752. Cuddalore was taken by the French from 1758 to 1760, when it was retaken by the British. From 1767 to 1790, Hyder Ali
and his son Tipu Sultan
launched repeated attacks on the region.
Complete sovereignty over the region was given to the British by the Nawab of the Carnatic
in 1801. The district of South Arcot was created as a part of Madras Presidency at about this time.
but failed due to lack of fuel. The most important industrial units in the district were the East India Distilleries factories at Nellikuppam
and Thiruvennanallur. Chidambaram was an important centre of cotton and silk weaving.
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 Cuddalore
Cuddalore District
Cuddalore District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Cuddalore is the district headquarters. For the first time, urn burial grave goods were found in the village of Marungur in the district, carrying inscriptions in Tamil Brahmi from the 1st century...
, Viluppuram
Viluppuram District
Villupuram is one of the thirty districts which make up Tamil Nadu state situated on the southern tip of India. The district headquarters is located at Villupuram. Villupuram district came into existence on 30 September 1993 when it was created out of South Arcot district...
and Thiruvannamalai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. The district was divided into eight taluks and covered a total area of 5217 square miles (13,512 km²). The administrative headquarters was the town of Cuddalore
Cuddalore
Cuddalore is a fast growing industrial city and headquarter of Cuddalore district in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. Located south of Pondicherry on the coast of Bay of Bengal, Cuddalore has a large number of industries which employ a great deal of the city's population.Cuddalore is known...
.
In ancient times, South Arcot was a part of the Chola
Chola Dynasty
The Chola dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which was one of the longest-ruling in some parts of southern India. The earliest datable references to this Tamil dynasty are in inscriptions from the 3rd century BC left by Asoka, of Maurya Empire; the dynasty continued to govern over varying territory until...
and the Pallava
Pallava
The Pallava dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which ruled the northern Tamil Nadu region and the southern Andhra Pradesh region with their capital at Kanchipuram...
kingdoms. British presence in the district dates to 1690 when 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...
set up a factory at Fort St David
Fort St David
Fort St. David was a British fort near the town of Cuddalore, a hundred miles south of Madras on the Coromandel Coast of India.-History:It was bought from the Mahrattas by the British East India Company in 1690. Robert Clive served as the governor of Fort St David in 1756.The ruins of Fort St David...
near Cuddalore. South Arcot was the scene of confrontation between the British and the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the British and 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...
. The British took over the administration in 1781 and established full sovereignty in 1801.
The economy is largely agricultural. South Arcot is not noteworthy for mineral wealth.
History
In ancient times, the northern part of South Arcot was under the rule of the Pallavas while the southern part was a portion of the traditional Chola homeland. In the 14th century, South Arcot was conquered by the Delhi SultanateDelhi 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...
and later, by Vijayanagar kings. In 1646, South Arcot came under the Bijapur sultans who ruled till 1676, when it was conquered by the Marathas. In 1698, the Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb took Gingee
Gingee
Gingee is a panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The nearest town with a railway station is Tindivanam, 28 km away....
and established his rule over South Arcot.
The British presence dates back to 1682, when 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...
established a factory at Cuddalore and Kanimedu. When these two failed, the Company set up another factory at Fort St David near Cuddalore. Fort St David served as the temporary capital of Madras Presidency from 1746 onwards when Madras was taken by the French East India Company
French East India Company
The French East India Company was a commercial enterprise, founded in 1664 to compete with the British and Dutch East India companies in colonial India....
, till 1752. Cuddalore was taken by the French from 1758 to 1760, when it was retaken by the British. From 1767 to 1790, Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...
and his son 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...
launched repeated attacks on the region.
Complete sovereignty over the region was given to the British 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 1801. The district of South Arcot was created as a part of Madras Presidency at about this time.
Administration
South Arcot was sub-divided into four sub-divisions:- Tinduvanam sub-division: Tindivanam taluk, Tiruvannamalai taluk and Villupuram taluk.
- Tirukkoyilur sub-division: Kallakurichi taluk and Tirukkoyilur taluk.
- Chidambaram sub-division: Chidambaram and Vriddhachalam taluks
- Cuddalore sub-division: Cuddalore taluk.
Taluks
As of 1901, South Arcot was sub-divided into eight taluks:- Chidambaram (Area: 402 square miles (1,041.2 km²); Headquarters: Chidambaram)
- Cuddalore (Area: 448 square miles (1,160.3 km²); Headquarters: Cuddalore)
- Kallakurichi (Area: 873 square miles (2,261.1 km²); Headquarters: Kallakurichi)
- Tindivanam (Area: 816 square miles (2,113.4 km²); Headquarters: Tindivanam)
- Tirukkoyilur (Area: 584 square miles (1,512.6 km²); Headquarters: Tirukkoyilur)
- Tiruvannamalai (Area: 1009 square miles (2,613.3 km²); Headquarters: Tiruvannamalai)
- Villupuram (Area: 509 square miles (1,318.3 km²); Headquarters: Villupuram)
- Vriddhachalam (Area: 576 square miles (1,491.8 km²); Headquarters: Vriddhachalam)
Demographics
South Arcot had a population of 2,349,894 in 1901 and was the third most populous district in Madras Presidency. 94 percent of the population were Hindus while 3 percent were Muslims and 3 percent Christian, of whom, 92 percent were Roman Catholics. Tamil is the vernacular of the district, but there are also large numbers of Telugu-speaking people.Economy
The economy of the district is largely agricultural. Attempts were made in the early part of the 19th century to establish iron mines at Porto NovoParangipettai
Parangipettai , historically called Porto Novo, is a panchayat town in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Parangipettai is situated on the north bank of the mouth of the Vellar river at a distance of 30 km from Cuddalore. From Chennai, Parangipettai can be reached through...
but failed due to lack of fuel. The most important industrial units in the district were the East India Distilleries factories at Nellikuppam
Nellikuppam
Nellikuppam is a city and a municipality in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Demographics: India census, Nellikuppam had a population of 44,191. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Nellikuppam has an average literacy rate of 69%,which is higher than the...
and Thiruvennanallur. Chidambaram was an important centre of cotton and silk weaving.