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History

Chennai (formerly Madras) was the site of the East India Company's first settlement. Founded in 639 AD on land given by the Raja of Chandragiri, (the last representative of the Vijayanagar rulers of Hampi) it was a fishing settlement before a small fort was built in 1644.

A town, subsequently known as George Town, grew in the area of Fort St. George. The settlement became independent of Banten, Java, in 1683 and was granted its first municipal charter by James II in 1688. It thus has the oldest municipal corporation in India, a matter of pride for Chennai's citizens.

In the 18th and early 19th centuries, when the British and French competed for supremacy in India, the city's fortunes waxed and waned. Chennai's history is intimately entwined with that of the East India Company's and later with that of the British Empire.

Because of its strategic position (as a seaport) Clive of India used it as a base for his military expeditions during the Wars of the Carnatic. During the 19th century, it was the seat of the Chennai (Madras) Presidency, one of the four divisions of British Imperial India. Briefly too it was occupied by the French.

The city was named Chennaipatnam in 1640 and renamed Madras and remained such till 1996 when it went back to being Chennai. Chennai is a city with multiple cultural influences because of the various people who occupied it at different times. Besides the British and the French the Portuguese came here too, colonising San Thome in 1522.

And of course long before the colonisers it was a city with a rich Tamil heritage and strong Dravidian influences. Its uniqueness lies in its deep and all-abiding commitment to keeping alive centuries-old traditions - cultural, religious and educational.

But most important Chennai, practically speaking, is the last bastion of Dravidian India. In this it is the least hybrid of Indian cities - where Southern music and dance traditions flourish, specifically the highly evolved Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam dance.

 

 


History

The world-famous Kalakshetra for dance and music begun by the dancer Rukmini Arundale is the most prestigious institution to study this wonderful dance form. During the festival season (winter and spring) the city comes alive with artistes from all over the South vying for honours at performances held all over the city.

It is also a city with strong religious sentiments. Besides the picturesque old Hindu temples dotting the city there are the churches dating back to 1547 when Luz Church was built. And of course Chennai's high educational standards are legendary - many of India's finest educational institutions are located here, including the Presidency College, Loyola and Stella Mary's.

Chennai's history as the first settlement of the East India Company has shaped its future as a thriving industrial city. In 1611 the British established a factory in Machilipatnam and in 1641 Chennai became the headquarters for British factories on the East Coast.

That enterprise can be seen in the development of the city into a thriving, pulsating metro with giant flyovers, high-rises, some of India's most important industrial houses…A large migrant population has enriched and revitalised the traditional old one and today Chennai is a fascinating blend of the old and the new.


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