Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Reddy, Moola Atchi

Titel

Growth

Ist Teil von

• East India Company and Urban Environment in Colonial South India, 2022, p.17-41

Auflage

1

Ort / Verlag

Routledge

Erscheinungsjahr

2022

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Chapter 2, ‘Growth’, deals with the expansion of Madras (Chennai) city during the second half of the 18th century. Madras got three distinct environmental features that had enlivened and added grandeur to its residents. First, its marina was the second–longest beach in the world. Second was the nice network of coastal rivers, canals, and tanks that filled its plain grounds. Third was the large stretch of the wild jungle that enclosed it on the south–west. Having all these environmental advantages, it evolved during the first century of its existence (1639–1746) into a green, clean, neat, and spacious city endowed with a variety of architecturally adorned buildings. Tall trees were found along the roads, streets, and house compounds; the gardens were surrounded by paddy fields all around the city. The green grandeur followed its prosperity that attracted the French from neighbouring Pondicherry who grabbed Madras in 1746 and held it until 1749 when it was restored to the English in a badly run–down condition. The English had not only successfully restored its old green grandeur but also extended the city, absorbing into it many surrounding villages including mainly Santhome, Choultry Plain, Pudupakam, Egmore, etc. They were fully integrated with the city by the end of the 18th century. The infrastructural network was largely extended and alongside the gardens. This chapter deals with the expansion of Madras city during the second half of the 18th century. Madras got three distinct environmental features that had enlivened and added grandeur to its residents. Traders and merchants left the city en masse, their riches were looted, Black Town was largely demolished, water sources were silted, and greenery turned into wild growth. The degraded environment, neglected waterworks, growth of wild plants on the structures all were vividly depicted in their reports drafted by the environmentally sensitive English EIC servants. Growth of the cities during the 17th and 18th centuries was rapid and so also had been Madras. The local merchants complained that the river had lost its green surroundings with the growth of the residential areas all around. The strategic importance of Madras city is illustrated by its unique location and an environment.