Fort St George
Fort St George is the name of the first British citadel in India, founded in 1639 at the coastal city of Madras. The construction of the fort provided the momentum for further settlements and trading activity, in what was formerly a no man's sand. Thus, it is a reasonable contention to say that the city evolved around the citadel.
The Company, which had entered India around 1600 for trading activities, had begun licensed trading at Surat, which was its initial citadel. However, to secure its trade lines and commercial interests in the flavor trade, it felt the essential of a port closer to the Malaccan Straits. It succeeded in purchasing a piece of coastal land, originally called Madraspattinam (Channapatnam - by a few accounts.), from a local chieftain, where it began construction of a harbour and a fort. The fort was completed on April 23rd, coinciding with St. George's Day, celebrated in honour of St. George, the patron saint of England. The fort, hence christened Fort St. George faced the sea and a few fishing villages, and soon became the hub of trade activity. It gave birth to a new settlement area called George Town, which grew to envelop the villages and led to the structure of the city of Madras. It also helped establish British influence over the Carnatic region, and keep the kings of Arcot and Srirangapatna, as well as the French forces based at Pondicherry, at bay.
The fort is a stranglehold with 6 meter high walls that withstood a number of assaults in the 18th century. It briefly passed into the tenure of the French from 1746 to 1749, but was restored to the British under the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which ended the War of Austrian Succession.
Today, the Fort serves as the directorial headquarters for the governmental assembly of Tamil Nadu state, and still houses a battalion for troops in transit to various locations at South India and the Andamans. The Fort Museum contains many ruins of the Raj, including portraits of many of the Governors.
The Company, which had entered India around 1600 for trading activities, had begun licensed trading at Surat, which was its initial citadel. However, to secure its trade lines and commercial interests in the flavor trade, it felt the essential of a port closer to the Malaccan Straits. It succeeded in purchasing a piece of coastal land, originally called Madraspattinam (Channapatnam - by a few accounts.), from a local chieftain, where it began construction of a harbour and a fort. The fort was completed on April 23rd, coinciding with St. George's Day, celebrated in honour of St. George, the patron saint of England. The fort, hence christened Fort St. George faced the sea and a few fishing villages, and soon became the hub of trade activity. It gave birth to a new settlement area called George Town, which grew to envelop the villages and led to the structure of the city of Madras. It also helped establish British influence over the Carnatic region, and keep the kings of Arcot and Srirangapatna, as well as the French forces based at Pondicherry, at bay.
The fort is a stranglehold with 6 meter high walls that withstood a number of assaults in the 18th century. It briefly passed into the tenure of the French from 1746 to 1749, but was restored to the British under the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which ended the War of Austrian Succession.
Today, the Fort serves as the directorial headquarters for the governmental assembly of Tamil Nadu state, and still houses a battalion for troops in transit to various locations at South India and the Andamans. The Fort Museum contains many ruins of the Raj, including portraits of many of the Governors.
posted by puffaloonie at 8:42 AM
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