History of Chennai | Tourist attractions in Chennai | Tours form Chennai

The city of Chennai being one of the main cities of South India offers much worth exploring. We at India tours and travel take you to Chennai city, which has a rich past. In the 19th century the city became the seat of Madras Presidency, the southern division of British Imperial India. After independence in 1947 it became the capital of Madras State that was renamed Tamil Nadu.

The capital city of Tamil Nadu has the population of about 5.9 million. History of Chennai reminds us of the period when rich Tamil Heritage and strong Dravidian influences existed in the city before the coming of the colonizers. An important fact about the history of Chennai is that it is the last bastion of Dravidian India.Britishers established their first Warehouse in 1639 when they acquired the sandy beach from the local Nayaks on lease. Later by 1654, Fort St.George was built and other neighboring villages were included in the Chennai city. In the 17th century, the Fort House, which housed the Governor and his Council were also captured. In 1910 Assembly Hall and in 1925 the Secretariat was also built in the city. As you move on to your tour to Chennai, you would know more about the city and its glorious past.

The time when the city of Madras was established in the beginning will take you back to the earliest stages of English commercial enterprise in India. According to the history of Chennai the English East India Company was started here in 1600. After Twelve years they built a Trading House or Factory at Surat on the West Coast under the protection of the Mughal Governor of Gujarat. First attempt of landing at Pulicat was made by the Britishers on the Coromandel Coast. The place is about 25 miles north of Madras and its great backwater, the Pulicat Lake, afforded a safe shelter for the shipping of those days. But the Dutch, who were the bitter rivals of the English, had already settled at the place, hence it was difficult for the English to ply their trade from the same place.

In the 16th century the Portuguese and Dutch arrived at Chennaipattinam, which was a popular trading center for spices and clothes for more than 2000 years. British East India Company established a settlement in the fishing village of Madraspattnam that they leased from the local Nayaks in 1638. The construction of Fort St. George was started in Madraspattnam.In 1668; the George Town grew in the area of fort. During the 17th and 18th centuries Europeans competed for supremacy in India and Britain became the ultimate gainer. Under the command of Robert Clive, British launched a campaign against French, a series of war known as the Carnatic Wars. Finally the French were forced to withdraw to Pondicherry.The history of Chennai has its own charm which is not common to other Indian cities. The popular Southern music and dance traditions of Chennai city are also a part of the rich history of Chennai.These include the highly evolved Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam dance.

History of Chennai city would help you know more about the rich cultural heritage and traditions, which still form a part of Chennai. Travel to Chennai with India tours and travels for an altogether new experience.

History of Chennai | Tourist attractions in Chennai | Tours form Chennai