In the year 1600, British established the East India company in India and in 1611, they setup their first industry in Machilipatnam and started their business. They first tried to setup an industry in Surat where captain Hawkins was in charge but he was expelled due to the strong presence of Portuguese.
Due to competition they decided to shift their industry from Machilipatnam. To identify the new place, East India company appointed two agents namely Andrew Cogan and Francis Day, they both made an voyage along Coromandel coast and finally met the local chief(nayak) of Vandavasi, Damarla Venkatapathy Nayak and his brother Ayyappa Nayak. They asked for a sand dump area near the sea to set up their industry, housing and administration network. The acquisition agreement was signed on 22 August 1639, which we celebrate as Madras Day every year.
But how do that place got the name Madras?
British decided to setup their industry in a banana grove owned by a Roman catholic guard from a fishermen community, called Madrasan. Damarla brothers wanted the industrial area to be named after their father Damarla Chennapa Nayak, but to get the land for the british, nayak's agent Thimappa assured Madrasan that the industrial area will be named after his name as Madrasapattanam. British then established a fort and the hamlet around the fort were also called as Madras.
Chennai: a pre-colonial era name
Researchers say there was a Chenna Kesava Perumal temple near the place where the St.George fort was built; British demolished the temple to build the fort and that place was called as Chennapattanam. It is also to be noted that area belonged to Chennapa Nayak, father of Damarla Venkatapathy Nayak and Ayyappa Nayakand hence it is called Chennapattanam.
In 1996, the Government of Tamilnadu officially changed the name of the city from Madras to Chennai, citing Madras was a colonial era name. The name Chennai was derived form Chennapattnam, an area where the St.George fort was built.
Whether it is Madras or Chennai both reflects the essence of this city which gives life and opportunity to many. It was Madras city yesterday and Cosmopolitan Greater Chennai today, but the love and affection from the people, the safety for women and children, communal harmony remains the same and it will remain the same.
Note: There is a delusion that government changed the name from Madras to Chennai because Madras is not a Tamil name, for your information both Madras and Chennai are not Tamil names.
Good article...keep reading...keep writing
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