Place:Cuddalore, Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, India

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NameCuddalore
TypeCity or town
Coordinates11.717°N 79.767°E
Located inCuddalore, Tamil Nadu, India
source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names


the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Cuddalore is the city and headquarters of the Cuddalore District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Situated south of Chennai, Cuddalore was an important port during the British Raj.

While the early history of Cuddalore remains unclear, the city first rose to prominence during Pallavas and Medieval Cholas' reign. After the fall of Cholas, the town was ruled by various dynasties like Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire, Madurai Nayaks, Thanjavur Nayaks, Thanjavur Marathas, Tipu Sultan, French and the British Empire. Cuddalore was the scene of the Seven Years' War and the Battle of Cuddalore in 1758 between the French and British. It has been a part of independent India since 1947. During the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, and the subsequent tsunamis generated, Cuddalore was one of the affected towns, with 572 casualties.

Apart from fishing and port-related industries, Cuddalore houses chemical, pharmacological and energy industries in SIPCOT, an industrial estate set up by the state government. The city is administered by municipal corporation covering 101.6 km2 . It had a population of 308,781 in 2011. Cuddalore is a part of the Cuddalore legislative assembly constituency, a part of the Cuddalore Lok Sabha constituency. There are 25 schools, two arts and science colleges and two engineering colleges in the city. There is one government hospital, six municipal maternity homes, and 42 other private hospitals that take care of the citizens' healthcare needs. Roadways are the primary means of transportation, while the town also has rail connectivity. The nearest airport is Chennai International Airport, located 200 km (120 mi) away from the city, and another local airport is located in the district at Neyveli township is Neyveli Airport. The nearest seaport is Cuddalore Port where it handles small cargo ships, and the construction of port entry is underway. The closest major seaport is Karaikal port, located 100 km (62 mi) away from the town. Cuddalore is famous for educational institutions and medical establishments.

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

From ancient times the old town has been a seaport. For two centuries, Cuddalore was subject to several foreign powers including the Netherlands, Portugal, France, and the British. Until 1758 Cuddalore was the capital to South Indian territories which was under British control. Britain ruled a more significant part of South India (entire Tamil Nadu, parts of present Andra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka) from this fort (St. David).

In the early 17th century, the Dutch obtained permission from the ruler of Cuddalore to build a fort there, but political pressure from their Portuguese rivals forced them to abandon it.

Later, the French and English came to Cuddalore for trade and business. The French established a settlement up the coast at Pondicherry in 1674, followed in 1690 by Fort St. David's British colony at Cuddalore.

During the 18th century, various wars between the European powers spilt over to their colonial empires, and their allies, including those in the Indian subcontinent. During this period the French and British fought several times in the area.

In 1746, during First Carnatic War, part of the Austrian Succession War, French forces besieged the British at Fort St. David for several months before being driven off in 1747.

In 1758, during the Seven Years' War, the French took the fort, and there was an inconclusive naval action, the Battle of Cuddalore, off the coast. The fort was later abandoned, in 1760, when the British attacked Pondicherry.

In 1782, during the Second Anglo-Mysore War, the French again took Cuddalore at the time of the American War of Independence and were besieged there in 1783 by the British. During the siege French and British naval forces again clashed off the Cuddalore coast. The siege failed, but the fort was returned to the British in 1795. There were five different naval actions off the coast during this period, all of which were indecisive.

Some Cuddalore streets retain their British names, such as Clive Street, Wellington Street, Sloper Street, Canning Street, Rope Street (Rope Street, Wellington Street, Sloper Street and Canning Street jointly known as Salangukara Village), Lawrence Road and Imperial Road. The Cuddalore Central Prison, opened in 1865, is a historically significant landmark. Subramania Bharati and other political leaders served prison terms there.

Tsunami waves that followed the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake near Sumatra hit India's eastern coast on 26 December 2004 at 8:32 a.m. (IST), resulting in 572 casualties. Several fishing hamlets disappeared, while Silver Beach and the historically significant Cuddalore Port was devastated. Fort St. David survived without damage. On 30 Dec 2011, Cyclone Thane caused widespread damage to crops and buildings.

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