The History of Pulicat revolves around the early role of Pulicat as a seaport in one of the few natural harbours on the Coromandel Coast of South India. Pulicat is in Tamil Nadu at the mouth of Pulicat lake. Worth a visit to AARDE Pulicat Museum located in Kottai Kuppam road at Pazhaverkadu will give the detailed account on the history of Pulicat.
Summary Described as a grand port, starting with early 300 BCE history till the 15th century, Pulicat figured prominently as Tamil, Telugu and Muslim rulers fought to garner benefits from rich port revenues. Thereafter, some Arabs and Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and the British dominated the port till 1825. In the early 16th century, it had a multi-cultural population exceeding 50,000 and was the most important Indian port on the Bay of Bengal. Later, it was a fishing village and a health resort under British rule.Pandian pp.72–75
In the 17th century, Dutch agents in Pulicat operated a large Slave trade along the Coromandel Coast. Between 1621 and 1665 alone, over 38,000 slaves were shipped from central Coromandel ports, including Pulicat, Madras, Nagapatnam and Devanampatnam.
The history of Pulicat is traced to eight periods of Indian kings and foreign colonialists between the 3rd century BCE and the present post independence period. Period Kingdoms/Rulers 3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE Ancient Tamil kingdoms 3rd to 10th century The Pallava Period & first Arab settlement in the 9th century 10th to 12th century The Chola Period 13th to 17th century Vijayanagara Empire & Arab migrants 1502 to 1606 Vijayanagara Empire & Portuguese outpost 1606 to 1825 Dutch East India Company Trading center & Vijayanagara Empire 1825 to 1947 British Raj outpost Post independence Period Republic of India, fishing village
Early history (300 BCE – 1279 CE)
Ancient Tamil Kingdoms From the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century XE, Pulicat was a northern outpost of the Ancient Tamil kingdoms of the Early Cholas, the Early Pandyan Kingdom and the Sangam Cheras. Natarajan p. 72 In the 1st century, the anonymous mariner who wrote Periplus of the Erythraean Sea listed Podouke (Pulicat) as one of the three ports on the east coast of India. In the 2nd century, Ptolomey's list of ports on this coast included Podouke emporion.
Pallava and Chola periods In the 3rd century, Pulicat came under the power of the Pallava kings to the north. In the 7th century, during the Pallava period, Pulicat was named Mamalla Pattinam indicating it was an important coastal city worthy enough to carry the coronation title of a King.Azariah pp.34–35 In the 11th century, during the Golden Era of the Medieval Cholas an important Shiva Temple was built by Rajendra Chola on the Arani River, southwest of the lake at Tirupalaivanam near Pulicat.Azariah p.10 Original from Harvard University. Wikimapia: Thirupalaivanam-Sivan-Koil
Arab migrants In the 9th century, Pulicat contained settlements of Arab maritime traders. In the 13th century, A.H. 668 (1269 CE), Arabic Suni-Shafi Khadems from Medina migrated to the shores of this lake after they were banished from Mecca for refusing to pay tributes to a new Caliph. They adopted the Tamil language and became leading traders in the area.Pandian p.130 From 1225 to 1275, Arab ships transporting tin from Malaya to Die, Oman or Dhufar regularly stopped at Pulicat. In the 12th and 13th century, as a result of their trade links with Arabian Peninsula and Indian Ocean ports, Pulicat and other Coromandal port towns came to be identified as centers of formal Islam in South India. A significant number of their Tamil speaking community were classed as "permanent professing Muslims".Bayly p. 78 In the early 16th century, a Muslim named Cajole was the Port Captain of Pulicat.Županov p. 100 Streets with dilapidated masonry houses, once occupied by these Arabian Muslims, are still found in the area. Some remaining resident families claim records in Arabic testifying their migration to this area.
Vijayanagara Empire (1336–1646) In 1336, at the beginning of the Vijayanagara Empire, during the reign of the early Sangama Dynasty kings Harihara Raya I and Bukka Raya I, the area now called Pulicat was known as Pralaya Kaveri.a Forgotten Empire by Robert Sewell, Fernão Nunes, Domingos Paes Ppp 1,2 pp.7,25 In 1422, at the beginning of the reign of Deva Raya II this port city was renamed Anandarayan Pattinam after the new governor Anandaraya. This name was retained till 1521, when it was changed to Palaverkadu during the reign of Krishnadevaraya.Azariah pp.35–41, 48
In the 15th and early 16th century, Pulicat rose to importance due to stabilization of the Vijayanagar empire and firm links, including a road, to the great imperial capital of Vijayanagara.Subrahmanyam p.94 In this period, Pulicat was the most important port in southeast India. It was a well-developed trading center thought to have a population exceeding 50,000. The Coromandal coast was a major producer of textiles and yarns for export to Melaka and Burma, and Anandarayan Pattinam was the port from which they were shipped.Subrahmanyan p. 23 During this period, in Pulicat there was also a great industry for cutting and polishing precious stones as diamonds, sapphires and rubies procured from the Deccan, Ceylon and Pegu (Burma).
In 1505, Pulicat was stated to be the most active and richest port on the Coromandel Coast.From here there was a barter trade which included exchange of local colored cotton goods for precious rubies from Burma and elephants from Ceylon.The Pulicat Governor, appointed by the Raja of Vijayanagar, collected duties on these transactions.Lach pp. ? In 1532, it was recorded that property tax was levied in Pulicat on a graded scale and sales tax was levied on rice and paddy, oil and ghee, jaggery, pepper, turmeric, betal nut, gallnut, sugar, cumin, fenugreek, dry ginger and textiles. Import taxes on commodities and export taxes on cloth and corn were also levied.Azariah pp. 40,41,49
After the 1556, Battle of Talikota resulted in a decline of the Vijayanagar Empire, Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah Wali, the third ruler of the Kingdom of Golkonda took control of Palaverkadu. In 1570, the new king Tirumala Deva Raya divided the kingdom and allowed Sriranga Deva Raya to rule the area. Palaverkadu was renamed as Prelaya Kaveri.Azariah p.13
In 1586, Oboyoma, the favorite queen of Venkatapati Deva Raya, the Vijayanagaar emperor, now operating from the new capital at Chandragiri, was bequeathed Pulicat to rule. She gave aid to Portuguese Jesuits to build a residence at Pulicat.
After the death of Venkatapati Deva Raya in 1614 and a succession struggle, his son Ramadeva became king in 1617 and named his father in-law Ethiraja as master of Pulicat. At the time of his death, the King had no less than three large chests full of diamonds in his possession.Sewell et al. p.399 In 1616, the Madurai Nayak ruler Muttu Virappa paid a tribute of 600,000 Pagodas to Venkatapati Deva Raya at Chandragiri.Sewell et al. p.385
European trading outpost (1502–1825)
Portuguese trading outpost In 1502, the Portuguese traders established a trading outpost here during the rule of Krishnadeva Raya and soon dominated the port until 1560.Bethencourt p.211 These private merchants were out of reach of the official authority in Goa and some were viewed as renegades, bandits and pirates.Županov p.101 In 1515, they built a church dedicated to Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres (Our Lady of Joys) which was renamed to Our Lady of Glory. It is the oldest church in the present Madras-Mylapore Diocese and is still used, but in poor condition.
In 1520, there were 200 – 300 Portuguese inhabitants in Palaverkadu.Županov pp. 91, 94 By 1545, there were 600 – 700 families and from 1565 their population was in decline. By 1600, Pulicat had only two or three thousand residents.
Dutch trading center
In 1606, a Dutch ship stopped on the shores of the Karimanal Village, north of the mouth of the lake requesting water.Pandian p.131 Local Muslims offered food and help to the Dutch. They struck a trade partnership to procure and supply local merchandise to the Dutch for trade in the East Indies.
Queen Eraivi, a wife of King Venkata II, ruled Prelaya Kaveri and during her reign in 1608 the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie or (VOC), was given permission to build a fort and do trading. They built a fort named Geldria at Pulicat as a defense from local kings and the Portuguese, from where they soon monopolized the lucrative textiles trade with the East Indies and other countries in the region.Pandian pp.? Under pressure from the Dutch, an English trading post established in 1619 was disbanded in 1622.Pandian p.73 The Dutch establishment here met with early stiff resistance from the Portuguese, including several attacks on the harbor. In 1611, Venkatatapati turned against the Portuguese and the Jesuits were ordered to leave Chandragiri and the Dutch were permitted to build a fort at Pulicat.
In 1614, subsequent to the death of Venkatapati and taking advantage of a predicament in naming his successor, the Portuguese attacked the Dutch at Pulicat.Lach pp. 1008–1011 In 1623, the Portuguese attacked the harbor and burned two ships.Mukund p. 57 In 1633, the Portuguese again attacked the Dutch at Pulicat with a promise of land support from the Vijayanagar ruler which never materialized. After the Portuguese had withdrawn their fleet, the Vijayanagara King (Sri Ranga) residing at Ratnagiri then attacked the Dutch at Pulicat but was paid a handsome tribute by the Dutch. Thereafter, the Dutch were not troubled.Sewell et al. pp.232,233
During the Dutch occupation Pulicat was known by the name Pallaicatta From 1616 to 1690, Pulicat was the official headquarters of Dutch Coromandel. It then shifted to Negapatnam but with ceding of Negapatnam to the British in 1784, the headquarters shifted back to Pulicat. The VOC was established to protect Dutch trade in the East Indies and fight their enemies from Europe who wished to enter east India trade. They held power for 200 years as the largest trading company. The trading involved spices including nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, and tea, silk and Chinese porcelain.
Manufacture of cloth for export was the sole occupation of several indigenous groups in Pulicat and the hinterlands of Tamil, Telugu and Kannada territories, and it is likely that over 1,000 handlooms operated in Pulicat alone. In the 1620s, the Dutch East India Company established a gunpowder factory in Pulicat. Its output was so substantial that for several decades it was able to keep many of the major Dutch trading centers in the East Indies and homeward-bound fleets well supplied. In 1615, the first VOC mint in India was established in Fort Gelria where, initially, "Kas" copper coins with VOC monogram and a Sanskrit legend were minted. The Pulicat mint operated till 1674, when a new mint was established at Negapatanam. These coins were widely used in Ceylon.
Dutch's dominance in the coasts of India during the 16th century was partly attributed to the Hindu ruler, Zamorin. Zamorin welcomed the Portuguese and in turn prospered from the trade from the entry point ports he commanded.
Among the many trading voyages that departed from Pulicat, in 1658 the Dutch trading ship Avondster (captured as the Blessing from the British in 1653 and renamed) transported money and valuable cargo from Pulicat to Bengal.