MADRAS
DAY – HISTORY
What's
in the news?
●
Madras Day is celebrated on August 22 to
commemorate the founding of Madras (now Chennai).
Key
takeaways:
●
The city’s inception dates back to 1639 when the East India Company (EIC) purchased Madrasapattinam from local kings.
●
After India gained independence in 1947,
the state and city were initially referred to as Madras.
●
The state was officially renamed Tamil
Nadu in 1969, and Madras was officially changed to Chennai in 1996.
British
and Madras:
1.
Early 17th century:
●
British East India Company arrives in
India with the primary objective of establishing a trade foothold.
2.
1612:
●
The
company’s victory over the Portuguese at Swally Hole (near Surat) secures
trading privileges.
●
Under the guidance of Thomas Roe, the Company obtains an accord from Emperor Jahangir.
●
Accord grants permission for trading and
setting up factories in India in return for providing naval protection.
3.
Establishment of Trading Posts:
●
EIC sets up trading posts known as “Forts”
at key sites to enhance trade and engage with local rulers.
●
Noteworthy trading posts were established
in Surat on the western coast and Masulipatnam on the eastern coast.
4.
Search for a Fresh Settlement:
●
Tensions with local rulers and Dutch
presence in Pulicat drive Francis Day’s
proposal for a fresh settlement.
●
Resulting in the discovery of
Madrasapattinam, which later forms the basis for the development of modern-day
Chennai.
Historical
Background of Madrasapattinam:
●
Madrasapatnam held historical importance
under Pallavas, Cholas, and Vijayanagar dynasties.
●
Damarla
Venkatapathy Nayak, a chieftain under Venkata III, ceded
land to the English in 1639 for Fort St. George’s founding.
Evolution
of the Settlement
●
The settlement around Fort St. George flourished, leading to the naming of the area as
Chennapatnam in tribute to Chennappa Nayak.
●
The modern name “Chennai” is thought to
have evolved from “Chennapatnam,” reflecting this historical connection.
●
Over time, the city expanded, encompassing
segregated Black and White towns, and experienced the formation of a mayor and
Corporation during Governor Elihu Yale’s leadership.
How
Madras became Tamil Nadu and then Chennai?
●
After gaining independence, the Madras
province continued as Madras State.
●
In 1956, Congress leader K. P. Sankaralinganar initiated a
protest to rename the state Tamil Nadu.
●
Following Sankaralinganar’s demise, the
movement was taken up by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party.
●
In 1961, Communist leader Bhupesh Gupta
proposed renaming Madras State to Tamil Nadu in Parliament.
●
CN Annadurai, a notable DMK leader and
later Chief Minister, endorsed the proposal.
●
In 1967,
after DMK came to power in the state, a resolution was passed in the State
Assembly, leading to constitutional changes and eventual renaming in 1969.
Chennai:
Shedding Colonial Influences
●
Renaming Madras to Chennai aligned with
the wider movement of Indian cities discarding colonial-era names to affirm
cultural identity.
●
This trend paralleled renaming instances
in other cities like Mumbai (formerly
Bombay) in 1996 and Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) in 2001.