Chennai turns 369 today (August, 22, 2008). What started as Madras, based on a grant to establish a trading post spread over three sq km of beach sand given by the rulers of the Vijayanagar empire to two Britons - Francis Day and Andrew Cogan, has today become the 34th largest city in the world.
Historian, journalist and author of several books on Chennai S Muthiah, who continues to fondly call it Madras, believes Chennai is the first modern port city and is, in fact, the first city of modern India. Until 1780 or thereabouts, Chennai was an important trading post for the British empire.
The English started their commercial sojourn in India from Surat in Gujarat. For want of more business, they moved down to Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh where again they did not find enough business to hold them for long.
Finally, they landed in Chennai to settle and start their long commercial and imperial journey in India.
The first signs of industrial activity started with the formation of Parry & Co that later went into manufacture of finished leather goods supplied mainly to the British and American soldiers. Cotton textile was, however, the oldest manufactured good from this part of the world to be sold all over Europe.
Text: S Kalyana Ramanathan
Image: Chennai Muffusil Bus Terminal is the largest bus station in South Asia
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