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The natural beauty and the large number of flamingos spotted at the Pulicat Lake are sure factors that attract several tourists to this sea shore town, which is around 60 km north of Chennai. But there is more to this place along the Coromandel Coast. The history attached to Pulicat even unravels events that led the British to purchase a piece of land in the village of Chennapattanam and later build Fort St George around which the town developed.The history of Pulicat can be traced back to the 16th century, when the Portuguese arrived there only four years after Vasco da Gama landed in Calicut on May 20, 1498. Xavier Benedict, a chronicler from Chennai, explains, “Pulicat is known for both its natural and architectural heritage. In fact, the natural harbour at Pulicat drew the attention of many Euro pean traders and the Portuguese were the first ones to arrive in 1502.“
According to records, the Dutch explored Pulicat in the early 17th century to strike trading relations with the Muslims there. Later, they established a factory and began trading mainly in textiles and diamonds.
The Portuguese, who were already there, felt threatened with the domination of Dutch and started attacking them.Says Xavier, “Therefore, to protect themselves from the threatening Portuguese, the Dutch built the Fort Geldria in 1613.The fort was named after a place in Netherlands called Gelderland. And Pulicat became the Dutch government's headquarters of the Coromandel Coast by 1616. The trade flourished to such an extent that Pulicat came to be known as the land of diamonds.“
Talking further about the trading establishments, Xavier adds that for Pulicat to remain as the major trading centre, it was important to have good boat-building facilities and the presence of the Muslim trad ing community , who were also boat builders helped the Dutch. “Apart from textile trading, the Dutch managed to procure Saltpetre, which is used to make gunpowder. And the Dutch built the first gunpowder factory in India in Pulicat.“
Xavier adds, “The first European coins were made by the Dutch when they opened a minting factory to support their flourishing trade. The original Pulicat pattern, which later on came to be known as Palayakat Lungies in this region, was one of the materials locally produced in Pulicat then.“
Meanwhile, the English continued to make attempts to establish their supremacy in the region, but the Dutch managed to keep them at bay. “So, the British moved to Chennapattanam and built Fort St George.
However, the destruction that took place in Pulicat during fourth Anglo-Dutch war in 1781 AD and the second AngloMysore war reduced Duth power. Finally, in 1825, the town was taken over by the British through a treaty . In the meantime, Madras gained prominence and Pulicat simply became a small fishing village, which was occasionally used by the Brits as recreational place for fishing,“ says Xavier.
The old and the new cemeteries, Fort Geldria and the St Anthony's shrine built in the 1540s still stand as a testimony to the pres ence of Portuguese and the Dutch in Pulicat.
According to records, the Dutch explored Pulicat in the early 17th century to strike trading relations with the Muslims there. Later, they established a factory and began trading mainly in textiles and diamonds.
The Portuguese, who were already there, felt threatened with the domination of Dutch and started attacking them.Says Xavier, “Therefore, to protect themselves from the threatening Portuguese, the Dutch built the Fort Geldria in 1613.The fort was named after a place in Netherlands called Gelderland. And Pulicat became the Dutch government's headquarters of the Coromandel Coast by 1616. The trade flourished to such an extent that Pulicat came to be known as the land of diamonds.“
Talking further about the trading establishments, Xavier adds that for Pulicat to remain as the major trading centre, it was important to have good boat-building facilities and the presence of the Muslim trad ing community , who were also boat builders helped the Dutch. “Apart from textile trading, the Dutch managed to procure Saltpetre, which is used to make gunpowder. And the Dutch built the first gunpowder factory in India in Pulicat.“
Xavier adds, “The first European coins were made by the Dutch when they opened a minting factory to support their flourishing trade. The original Pulicat pattern, which later on came to be known as Palayakat Lungies in this region, was one of the materials locally produced in Pulicat then.“
Meanwhile, the English continued to make attempts to establish their supremacy in the region, but the Dutch managed to keep them at bay. “So, the British moved to Chennapattanam and built Fort St George.
However, the destruction that took place in Pulicat during fourth Anglo-Dutch war in 1781 AD and the second AngloMysore war reduced Duth power. Finally, in 1825, the town was taken over by the British through a treaty . In the meantime, Madras gained prominence and Pulicat simply became a small fishing village, which was occasionally used by the Brits as recreational place for fishing,“ says Xavier.
The old and the new cemeteries, Fort Geldria and the St Anthony's shrine built in the 1540s still stand as a testimony to the pres ence of Portuguese and the Dutch in Pulicat.
Aug 19 2014 : The Times of India (Chennai)
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