What was Madras before?

Chennai
What was Chennai previously called? Chennai was previously called Madras. Madras was the shortened name of the fishing village Madraspatnam, where the British East India Company built a fort and factory (trading post) in 1639–40. Tamil Nadu officially changed the name of the city to Chennai in 1996.

What is the importance of Madras?

From the 17th century, Madras became a city of key importance within the British network of maritime trade routes, exporting locally produced cotton and chintz, as well as many different spices and other cargoes imported from the east.

Who changed the name of Madras?

Government of Tamil Nadu
In 1996, the Government of Tamil Nadu officially changed the name from Madras to Chennai. At that time many Indian cities underwent a change of name.

How did the name Madras originate?

The name Madras was Derived from Madrasan a fisherman head who lived in coastal area of Madras. The modern city of “Chennai” arose from the British settlement of Fort St. George and its subsequent expansion through merging numerous native villages and European settlements around Fort St. George into the city of Madras.

How was Madras formed?

Madras was founded on August 22, 1639 when the East India Company bought a piece of land along the coast. Chennai was known as Madraspatnam and was located in Tondaimandalam, sandwiched between Pennar river in Nellore and Cuddalore. This area had been ruled over by the Chola, Pallava, Pandiya and Vijaynagar empires.

How was Madras named?

The name Madras was Derived from Madrasan a fisherman head who lived in coastal area of Madras. The modern city of “Chennai” arose from the British settlement of Fort St. George and its subsequent expansion through merging numerous native villages and European settlements around Fort St.

Why did Madras renamed as Chennai?

In 1996, Tamil Nadu capital Chennai got its current name. Earlier it was known as Madras. At that time the nationwide trend was to rename cities in native language. Elangovan said Madras was renamed as Chennai in memory of the Telugu ruler Chennappa.

How did Madras get its name?

Why was Madras renamed?

Who founded Madras?

Francis Day and his superior Andrew Cogan can be considered as the founders of Madras (now Chennai). They began construction of the Fort St George on 23 April 1640 and houses for their residence.

What is the etymology of Madras and Chennai?

It is believed that both Madras and Chennai have been derived from the towns of Madrasapattinam and Chennapatnam that together encompass the city as we know it today. There are various theories about the dual etymology of the city, ranging from government reports to local tales carried forward by the older generations residing in the city.

Was Chennapatnam the original location of Madrasapattinam?

In fact, Madrasapattinam finds a mention in the very first grant sanctioned by Damarla Venkatadri. However, some believe that Chennapatnam was the original area where the Fort was constructed, and this included the ‘new’ town that was rapidly developing around it. Madras and its harbour in the 1910s.

What is the original name of Anna Nagar?

Anna Nagar was originally called as “Naduvakkarai”. You can still find this is in offical documents. Saidapet – Gets its name from Sayyid Shah. The Arcot Nawab gifted this place to his loyal general Sayyid, and it was called as Syed Pettai which later became saidapet.