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Fort St George In Madras – Antique Map / Plan 1782
This is an antique 1782 map/plan of Fort St George in Madras, now Chennai. Engraved by Francis Cary Sculp, published Sep 7, 1782, by J. Fielding Pater Noster Row. Print measures 26 x 22 cm. To go back deeper into Indian history, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to land in India at Calicut by the sea route in 1498. They stayed on for over 160 years, expanding their settlement from Calicut to Cochin to Quilon, later to the rest of India.
One of the settlements San Thome near a small fishing village, at Chennai in 1523. Machilipatnam had a British East India Company’s trading center and factory, the Naik of Chingleput suggested them to it Madraspatnam in 1639. For the better prospects of accessing the much-coveted fine muslin, and calico cloths produced there.
Francis Day and Andrew Cogan were solely responsible for the relocation to an empty strip of land close to the beach in Madraspatnam from where Madras got its name. This was with the permission of the Naik, in 1640 a factory (more a warehouse) with a protective stockade around it got completed. Naming it Fort St George, after England’s patron saint, later expanded it and also adding a moat. St Mary’s Church would be completed in 1680, this would become the oldest Anglican Church in India. About 5 km south, British rivals the Portuguese had their own settlement and fortification called San Thome. They were the first European to start a settlement even before the Britishers arrived.
Read more about Fort St George, India.
Did you know- Chennai has a still-active oldest municipal corporation in India, inaugurated in c1688.
From the collection- Drawing Hiding The Taj Mahal WW2., View of Elephanta Caves Bombay – 2 Old Postcards 1910., Old Book – Old Delhi 10 Easy Walks 1997., Electric Trams of Madras / Chennai – 2 Old Photos 1935
The images are of the actual items from my collection. And Not a photocopy, pirated, reproduced, or stock photos or taken from other sources.
