183-473: Nagapattinam district is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India . Nagapattinam district was carved out by bifurcating the erstwhile composite Thanjavur district on 19 October 1991. The town of Nagapattinam is the district headquarters. Until Mayiladuthurai district was created out of it on 24 March 2020, Nagapattinam was the only discontiguous district in Tamil Nadu. Nagapattinam
366-724: A banana leaf , and using clean fingers of the right hand to take the food into the mouth. After the meal, the fingers are washed; the easily degradable banana leaf is discarded or becomes fodder for cattle. Eating on banana leaves is a custom thousands of years old, imparts a unique flavor to the food, and is considered healthy. Idli , dosa , uthappam , pongal , and paniyaram are popular breakfast dishes in Tamil Nadu. Palani Panchamirtham , Ooty varkey , Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai , Manapparai Murukku and Srivilliputhur Palkova are unique foods that have been recognised as Geographical Indications . Tamil Nadu has an independent literary tradition dating back over 2500 years from
549-516: A tank called the kalyani or pushkarni . The gopuram is a monumental tower, usually ornate at the entrance of the temple forms a prominent feature of koils and Hindu temples of the Dravidian style. They are topped by the kalasam , a bulbous stone finial and function as gateways through the walls that surround the temple complex. The gopuram's origins can be traced back to the Pallavas who built
732-418: A Municipal Commissioner, who is the executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of elected members from each ward of the municipality. The legislative body is headed by an elected Chairperson assisted by a Deputy Chairperson. Nagapattinam District was formerly a part of Thanjavur District . The district boundary is shared by Tiruvarur, Karaikal, Tanjore and Cuddalore districts. Its population at
915-449: A Roman Catholic church built during the 17th century. Pilgrimage to the basilica is common during September when people of many faiths, especially Hindus, Muslims and Christians of all denominations visit the basilica. Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu ( / ˌ t æ m ɪ l ˈ n ɑː d uː / ; Tamil: [ˈtamiɻ ˈnaːɽɯ] , abbr. TN ) is the southernmost state of India . The tenth largest Indian state by area and
1098-562: A book of Tamil grammar. The kingdoms had significant diplomatic and trade contacts with other kingdoms to the north and with the Romans . Much of the commerce from the Romans and Han China were facilitated via seaports including Muziris and Korkai with spices being the most prized goods along with pearls and silk . From 300 CE, the region was ruled by the Kalabhras , warriors belonging to
1281-551: A book on ethics by Thiruvalluvar , is amongst the most popular works of Tamil literature. In the early medieval period, Vaishnava and Shaiva literature became prominent following the Bhakti movement in the sixth century CE with hymns composed by the Alvars and the Nayanars . In the following years, Tamil literature again flourished with notable works including Ramavataram , written in
1464-621: A collection of couplets is attributed to the same period. Around the 7th century CE, the Kalabhras were overthrown by the Pandyas and Cholas, who patronised Buddhism and Jainism before the revival of Saivism and Vaishnavism during the Bhakti movement . Though they existed previously, the period saw the rise of the Pallavas in the sixth century CE under Mahendravarman I , who ruled parts of South India with Kanchipuram as their capital. The Pallavas were noted for their patronage of architecture:
1647-629: A confederacy of Deccan sultanates . Later, the Nayaks , who were the military governors in the Vijaynagara Empire, took control of the region amongst whom the Nayaks of Madurai and Nayaks of Thanjavur were the most prominent. They introduced the palayakkararar system and re-constructed some of the well-known temples in Tamil Nadu including the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai. In the 18th century,
1830-406: A gross state domestic product (GSDP) of ₹ 27.22 trillion (US$ 330 billion), making it the second-largest economy amongst the 28 states of India. It has the country's 9th-highest GSDP per capita of ₹ 315,220 (US$ 3,800) and ranks 11th in human development index . Tamil Nadu is also one of the most industrialised states, with the manufacturing sector accounting for nearly one-third of
2013-498: A horrific disaster. The French had done all they could to help the Spanish achieve their essential war aim, and began serious discussions on alternative exit strategies, urging Spain to offer Britain some very large concessions in return for Gibraltar. Although the fortress still remained under siege, there was no serious threat from the French and Spanish forces after Richard Howe had relieved
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#17330850369162196-502: A hospital were built by the Dutch. They also released coins with the name Nagappattinam engraved in Tamil letters. Under an agreement between the first Maratta King Egoji of Thanjavur and the Dutch, Naagappattinam and surrounding villages were handed over to the Dutch on 30 December 1676. In 1690, the capital of Dutch Coromandel moved from Pulicat to Nagapattinam. This town fell into the hands of
2379-454: A key economic role for the town even though fishing is the major occupation. Kayarohanaswami Temple , a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva , is located in Nagapattinam. The temple has been in existence from the 6th century CE and has been revered by the verses of Tevaram , the 7th–8th century Saiva canonical work by Appar , Sambandar and Sundarar . The temple is one of the seven temples of
2562-786: A marine national park and Guindy , an urban national park within Chennai. Tamil Nadu has 18 wildlife sanctuaries . Tamil Nadu is home to one of the largest populations of endangered Bengal tigers and Indian elephants in India. There are five declared elephant sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu as per Project Elephant –Agasthyamalai, Anamalai , Coimbatore , Nilgiris and Srivilliputtur . Tamil Nadu participates in Project Tiger and has five declared tiger reserves –Anamalai, Kalakkad-Mundanthurai , Mudumalai , Sathyamangalam and Megamalai. There are seventeen declared bird sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu. There
2745-513: A number of temples including the Meenakshi Amman Temple at Madurai. In the 13th and 14th centuries, there were repeated attacks from Delhi Sultanate . The Vijayanagara kingdom was founded in 1336 CE . The Vijayanagara empire eventually conquered the entire Tamil country by c. 1370 and ruled for almost two centuries until its defeat in the Battle of Talikota in 1565 by
2928-408: A part of a Tamil meal. Coconut and spices are used extensively in Tamil cuisine. The region has a rich cuisine involving both traditional non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes made of rice, legumes , and lentils with its distinct aroma and flavour achieved by the blending of flavourings and spices. The traditional way of eating a meal involves being seated on the floor, having the food served on
3111-594: A peace agreement in 1784 , Nagapattinam was formally ceded to the British. 277 villages, with Nagore as the headquarters, were handed over to the East India Company . From 1799 to 1845 CE Nagapttinam was the headquarters of Tanjore district. Nagapattinam and Nagore were incorporated as a single municipality in 1866 CE. The town remained one of the chief ports to the Madras Presidency . The port suffered decline after
3294-827: A port named São Tomé near present-day Mylapore in Madras. In 1609, the Dutch established a settlement in Pulicat and the Danes had their establishment in Tharangambadi . On 20 August 1639, Francis Day of the British East India Company met with the Vijayanager emperor Peda Venkata Raya and obtained a grant for land on the Coromandel coast for their trading activities. A year later,
3477-504: A precedent that successful Parliamentary votes of " no confidence " would automatically force a Prime Minister to resign). The king's choice as replacement, Lord Shelburne (who, though an old friend of Benjamin Franklin , had initially stated in February that he "would never consent, under any possible given circumstances, to acknowledge the independency of America") refused the post, leading to
3660-557: A precondition for negotiation, as they were aware that the French government was nearly bankrupt, and that the British reinforcements sent to the West Indies might well reverse the situation there at any moment (the fleet was commanded by Admiral Rodney , who had returned to England from the Caribbean on sick-leave just before the French fleet there sailed north to blockade Yorktown; he also faced numerous expensive lawsuits over his looting of
3843-584: A region of low seismic hazard with the exception of the western border areas that lie in a low to moderate hazard zone; as per the 2002 Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) map, Tamil Nadu falls in Zones II and III. The volcanic basalt beds of the Deccan plateau were laid down in the massive Deccan Traps eruption, which occurred towards the end of the Cretaceous period, between 67 and 66 million years ago. Layer after layer
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#17330850369164026-594: A rudimentary script dated to 5th century BCE. Potsherds uncovered from Keeladi indicate a script which might be a transition between the Indus Valley script and Tamil Brahmi script used later. The Sangam period lasted for about eight centuries, from 500 BCE to 300 CE with the main source of history during the period coming from the Sangam literature. Ancient Tamilakam was ruled by a triumvirate of monarchical states, Cheras , Cholas and Pandyas . The Cheras controlled
4209-404: A significant expatriate population. As of 2011 , the state had 3.49 million immigrants. Distribution of languages in Tamil Nadu (2011) Tamil is the official language of Tamil Nadu, while English serves as the additional official language. Tamil is one of the oldest languages and was the first to be recognized as a classical language of India . As per the 2011 census, Tamil is spoken as
4392-591: A term of three years and consisted of 132 Members of which 34 were nominated by the Governor and the rest were elected. The Government of India Act 1935 established a bicameral legislature with the creation of a new legislative council with 54 to 56 members in July 1937. The first legislature of Madras state under the Constitution of India was constituted on 1 March 1952 after the 1952 elections . The number of seats post
4575-633: A third seemingly at the mercy of the French Navy ), and of the Mediterranean base on Menorca in February. The opposition in Parliament then began tabling motions alleging that Great Britain had no confidence in its government; the first of these was rejected by just 10 votes, another a week later by 9 votes. Hours before yet another such vote was due, on 20 March, the government leader, Lord North , persuaded King George III to accept his resignation (this set
4758-400: A total of 671,994 workers, comprising 54,329 cultivators, 216,353 main agricultural labourers, 7,925 in household industries, 207,721 other workers, 185,666 marginal workers, 13,153 marginal cultivators, 128,704 marginal agricultural labourers, 3,630 marginal workers in household industries and 40,179 other marginal workers. The birth rate on a scale of one thousand in rural areas of the district
4941-627: A type of silk sari made in the Kanchipuram region in Tamil Nadu and these saris are worn as bridal and special occasion saris by most women in South India. It has been recognized as a Geographical indication by the Government of India in 2005–2006. Kovai Cora is a type of cotton sari made in the Coimbatore. Rice is the diet staple and is served with sambar , rasam , and poriyal as
5124-580: A vote that the independence of the United States should be accepted without preconditions, but in the light of Rodney's victory and the consequent French weakness, this was rejected (though the news that a combined Spanish and American fleet had forced the surrender to Spain of the Bahamas arrived in Britain at about this time). On 1 July, Lord Rockingham, the figurehead leader of the government, died, so Shelburne
5307-577: A western border; the existing area of the thirteen States was already about as large as France and Spain combined, and the proposed border would double that. In particular, Spain's territories in Louisiana and the newly reconquered West Florida would be severely threatened if the American trend of economic growth based on expanded land holdings continued. The situation of the American Indians in these lands
5490-406: Is 19.9, urban is 17.8 and the combined birth rate is 18.85. The death rate on a scale of one thousand in rural areas of the district is 8.2, urban is 6.7 and the combined rate is 7.45. Tamil is the predominant language, spoken by 99.56% of the population. There are a total of 891 elementary schools, 185 middle schools, 83 high schools and 79 higher secondary schools in the district. The Collector
5673-419: Is a 14-day event celebrated for the annual urs (anniversary) of the saint Hajrath Shahul Hamid (1490–1579 CE), for whom the minaret was built. The festival is celebrated in commemoration of the anniversary of the saint's death, and pilgrims from various religions participate in the rituals and rites. The festival is also seen as a sacred exchange between Hindus and Muslims expressing solidarity of mixed faith in
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5856-552: Is a classical dance form that originated in Tamil Nadu and is one of the oldest dances of India. Other regional folk dances include Karakattam , Kavadi , Koodiyattam , Oyilattam , Paraiattam and Puravaiattam . The dance, clothing, and sculptures of Tamil Nadu exemplify the beauty of the body and motherhood. Koothu is an ancient folk art, where artists tell stories from the epics accompanied by dance and music. The ancient Tamil country had its own system of music called Tamil Pannisai described by Sangam literature such as
6039-453: Is a group of Maddalams and other similar percussion instruments from the ancient Tamilakam which are played during events. The traditional music of Tamil Nadu is known as Carnatic music , which includes rhythmic and structured music by composers such as Muthuswami Dikshitar . Gaana , a combination of various folk musics, is sung mainly in the working-class area of North Chennai. Treaty of Paris (1784) The Peace of Paris of 1783
6222-752: Is at Kanyakumari where the Indian Ocean meets the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats run south along the western boundary with the highest peak at Doddabetta (2,636 m (8,648 ft)) in the Nilgiri Hills . The Eastern Ghats run parallel to the Bay of Bengal along the eastern coast and the strip of land between them forms the Coromandel region. They are a discontinuous range of mountains intersected by Kaveri river . Both mountain ranges meet at
6405-541: Is bound by the Indian states of Kerala , Karnataka , and Andhra Pradesh , and the union territory of Puducherry . It shares an international maritime border with the Northern Province of Sri Lanka at Pamban Island . The Palk Strait and the chain of low sandbars and islands known as Rama's Bridge separate the region from Sri Lanka , which lies off the southeastern coast. The southernmost tip of mainland India
6588-464: Is derived from Nagar , referring to people, and pattinam referring to town. In Tamil Pattinam and paakkam depicts coastal towns. The town was also called Cholakula Vallipattinam during the Chola period, when it was one of the important ports. Ptolemy refers to Nagapattinam as Nikam and mentions it as one of the most important trade centres of the ancient Tamil country . This view is doubtful as there
6771-507: Is found in western Tamil Nadu and parts of the southern coast. Alluvial soil is found in the fertile Kaveri delta region, with laterite soil found in pockets, and saline soil across the coast where the evaporation is high. The region has a tropical climate and depends on monsoons for rainfall. Tamil Nadu is divided into seven agro-climatic zones: northeast, northwest, west, southern, high rainfall, high altitude hilly, and Kaveri delta. A tropical wet and dry climate prevails over most of
6954-565: Is no contemporary evidence to prove the existence of the town as a metropolis in the name of "Nikama" or "Nikam". Nagapattinam was referred to by early writers and the Portuguese as "the city of Coromandel ". The place is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham as Nagai in the 5th to 9th century CE Vaishnava canon, by Alvars . It is considered one of the important temples visited by Thirumangai Alvar. Appar and Tirugnanasambandar ,
7137-560: Is not suitable for agriculture. The southwest monsoon from June to September accounts for most of the rainfall in the region. The Arabian Sea branch of the southwest monsoon hits the Western Ghats from Kerala and moves northward along the Konkan coast , with precipitation on the western region of the state. The lofty Western Ghats prevent the winds from reaching the Deccan Plateau; hence,
7320-1402: Is one conservation reserve at Tiruvidaimarudur in Thanjavur district . There are two zoos recognised by the Central Zoo Authority of India namely Arignar Anna Zoological Park and Madras Crocodile Bank Trust , both located in Chennai . The state has other smaller zoos run by local administrative bodies such as Coimbatore Zoo in Coimbatore , Amirthi Zoological Park in Vellore , Kurumpampatti Wildlife Park in Salem , Yercaud Deer Park in Yercaud , Mukkombu Deer Park in Tiruchirapalli and Ooty Deer Park in Nilgiris . There are five crocodile farms located at Amaravati in Coimbatore district , Hogenakkal in Dharmapuri district , Kurumbapatti in Salem district , Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in Chennai and Sathanur in Tiruvannamalai district . Threatened and endangered species found in
7503-451: Is one of the most urbanized states in the country with more than 48.4 per cent of the population living in urban areas. As per the 2011 census, the sex ratio was 996 females per 1000 males, higher than the national average of 943. The sex ratio at birth was recorded as 954 during the fourth National Family Health Survey (NFHS) in 2015–16 which reduced further to 878 in the fifth NFHS in 2019–21, ranking third worst amongst states. As per
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7686-516: Is responsible for maintaining law and order in the state. As of 2023 , it consists of more than 132,000 police personnel, headed by a Director General of Police . Women form 17.6% of the police force and specifically handle violence against women through 222 special all-women police stations. As of 2023 , the state has 1854 police stations, the highest in the country, including 47 railway and 243 traffic police stations. The traffic police under different district administrations are responsible for
7869-508: Is the administrative head of each district and is the principle representative of the government for the district. The Collector's main responsibilities include revenue administration, Executive Magistracy, maintaining law and order, licensing and regulatory functions, disaster management, civil supplies, public distribution, social welfare, excise, transport, mining, labour laws, elections, legal affairs, census, general administration, treasury management and co-ordination with various departments of
8052-420: Is the distinct style of rock architecture in Tamil Nadu. In Dravidian architecture, the temples consisted of porches or mantapas preceding the door leading to the sanctum, gate-pyramids or gopurams in quadrangular enclosures that surround the temple, and pillared halls used for many purposes. These features are the invariable accompaniments of these temples. Besides these, a South Indian temple usually has
8235-856: Is the tenth-largest state in India. Located on the south-eastern coast of the Indian peninsula , Tamil Nadu is straddled by the Western Ghats and Deccan Plateau in the west, the Eastern Ghats in the north, the Eastern Coastal Plains lining the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait to the south-east, and the Laccadive Sea at the southern cape of the peninsula. Politically, Tamil Nadu
8418-579: Is typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff, as according to Indian philosophy, the navel is considered as the source of life and creativity. Ancient Tamil poetry such as the Cilappadhikaram , describes women in exquisite drapery or sari. Women wear colourful silk saris on special occasions such as marriages. The men wear a dhoti , a 4.5 metres (15 ft) long, white rectangular piece of non-stitched cloth often bordered in brightly coloured stripes. It
8601-400: Is usually wrapped around the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist. A colourful lungi with typical batik patterns is the most common form of male attire in the countryside. People in urban areas generally wear tailored clothing, and western dress is popular. Western-style school uniforms are worn by both boys and girls in schools, even in rural areas. The Kanchipuram silk sari is
8784-693: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) indicate a continuous history from more than 3,800 years ago. Neolithic celts with the Indus script dated between 1500 and 2000 BCE indicate the use of the Harappan language . Excavations at Keezhadi have revealed a large urban settlement, with the earliest artefact dated to 580 BCE, during the time of urbanization in the Indo-Gangetic plain . Further epigraphical inscriptions found at Adichanallur use Tamil Brahmi ,
8967-479: The Bay of Bengal and on the south by the Palk Strait . On the coast between Tharamgambadi and Nagapattinam lies the small district of Karaikal , an enclave belonging administratively to the Puducherry Union Territory . This is the only district in Tamil Nadu to be formed out of two disjoint regions. The district headquarters, Nagapattinam, is located in the southern part which is less populated than
9150-719: The Comte de Vergennes intervened in this discussion on the British side, but the result was a messy compromise, in which Congress was instructed merely to urge the State governments to make reparations to the Loyalists. In the Caribbean at this time, the British were not using their fleet to recapture islands which would then have to be defended, but concentrating on holding the few that remained. The same principle applied everywhere, and in September 1782,
9333-424: The Constitution of 1787 ). The French too played their diplomatic cards with some skill. While preparing to aid the Spanish forces in a massive assault on the fortress at Gibraltar, they stalled for time by insisting on American independence as a precondition for negotiation. They also sent a secret envoy to speak directly with Shelburne in England, for there were some matters on which they were seriously opposed to
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#17330850369169516-434: The Dravidian languages and preserves many features of Proto-Dravidian , though modern-day spoken Tamil in Tamil Nadu freely uses loanwords from other languages such as Sanskrit and English. Korean , Japanese , French , Mandarin Chinese , German and Spanish are spoken by foreign expatriates in the state. The LGBT rights in Tamil Nadu are among the most progressive in India . In 2008, Tamil Nadu set up
9699-418: The Dutch Republic (otherwise known as the United Provinces of the Netherlands, its 200-year-old federal government structure being a model from which the United States would learn) to recognise John Adams as the ambassador of an independent country. This led swiftly to the offer of a much-needed loan from the Netherlands, following which Adams went to Paris to join the impending peace negotiations. On 18 May,
9882-449: The Independence of India in 1947, the Madras Presidency became Madras state , comprising present-day Tamil Nadu and parts of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka and Kerala . Andhra state was split from the state in 1953 and the state was further re-organized when states were redrawn linguistically in 1956 into the current shape. On 14 January 1969, Madras state was renamed Tamil Nadu, meaning "Tamil country". In 1965, agitations against
10065-425: The Indian Ocean . Rajaraja brought in administrative reforms including the reorganisation of Tamil country into individual administrative units. Under his son Rajendra Chola I , the Chola empire reached its zenith and stretched as far as Bengal in the north and across the Indian Ocean. The Cholas built many temples in the Dravidian style with the most notable being the Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, one of
10248-415: The Indian Parliament . The Madras High Court was established on 26 June 1862 and is the highest judicial authority of the state with control over all the civil and criminal courts in the state. It is headed by a Chief Justice and has a bench at Madurai since 2004. The Tamil Nadu Police , established as Madras state police in 1859, operates under the Home ministry of the Government of Tamil Nadu and
10431-401: The Madras State of the Republic of India and was further re-organized when states were redrawn linguistically in 1956 into its current shape. The state was renamed as Tamil Nadu, meaning "Tamil Country", in 1969. Hence, culture , cuisine and architecture have seen multiple influences over the years and have developed diversely. As of December 2023 , Tamil Nadu had an economy with
10614-407: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Nagapattinam one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640 ). It is one of the six districts in Tamil Nadu currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). According to the 2011 census , Nagapattinam district had a population of 698,094 with a sex-ratio of 1,025 females for every 1,000 males, much above
10797-445: The Mughal empire administered the region through the Nawab of the Carnatic with his seat at Arcot , who defeated the Madurai Nayaks. The Marathas attacked several times and defeated the Nawab after the Siege of Trichinopoly (1751–1752) . This led to a short-lived Thanjavur Maratha kingdom . Europeans started to establish trade centres from the 16th century along the eastern coast. The Portuguese arrived in 1522 and built
10980-417: The Nilgiri mountains which run in a crescent approximately along the borders of Tamil Nadu with northern Kerala and Karnataka, extending to the relatively low-lying hills of the Eastern Ghats on the western portion of the Tamil Nadu–Andhra Pradesh border. The Deccan plateau is the elevated region bound by the mountain ranges and the plateau slopes gently from west to east resulting in major rivers arising in
11163-750: The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in the Nilgiri Hills , the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in the Agastya Mala - Cardamom Hills and Gulf of Mannar coral reefs. The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve covers an area of 10,500 km (4,100 sq mi) of ocean, islands and the adjoining coastline including coral reefs , salt marshes and mangroves. It is home to endangered aquatic species, including dolphins , dugongs , whales and sea cucumbers . Bird sanctuaries, including Thattekad , Kadalundi , Vedanthangal , Ranganathittu , Kumarakom , Neelapattu , and Pulicat , are home to numerous migratory and local birds. Protected areas cover an area of 3,305 km (1,276 sq mi), constituting 2.54% of
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#173308503691611346-417: The Northern Province of Sri Lanka at Pamban Island . Archaeological evidence points to Tamil Nadu being inhabited for more than 400 millennia, first by hominids and then by modern humans . The state has more than 5,500 years of continuous cultural history. Historically , the Tamilakam region was inhabited by Tamil-speaking Dravidian people , who were ruled by several regimes over centuries such as
11529-433: The Ryotwari system resulted in two severe famines in the Madras Presidency, the Great Famine of 1876–78 and the Indian famine of 1896–97 which killed millions and the migration of many Tamils as bonded laborers to other British countries eventually forming the present Tamil diaspora . The Indian Independence movement gathered momentum in the early 20th century with the formation of the Indian National Congress , which
11712-413: The Sangam era triumvirate of the Cheras , Cholas and Pandyas , the Pallavas (3rd–9th century CE), and the later Vijayanagara Empire (14th–17th century CE). European colonization began with establishing trade ports in the 17th century, with the British controlling much of the state as a part of the Madras Presidency for two centuries. After the Indian Independence in 1947, the region became
11895-463: The Silappatikaram . A Pallava inscription dated to the 7th century CE has one of the earliest surviving examples of Indian music in notation. There are many traditional instruments from the region dating back to the Sangam period such as parai , tharai , yazh and murasu . Nadaswaram , a reed instrument that is often accompanied by the thavil , a type of drum instrument , are the major musical instruments used in temples and weddings. Melam
12078-422: The Tirumangai Alvar , one of the 12 poet saints called Alwars of the 6th–9th century. The other prominent Hindu temples in the district are Sikkal Singaravelan Temple at Sikkal , Vedaranyeswarar Temple at Vedaranyam , Ettukudi Murugan Temple and Koothanur Maha Saraswathi Temple . Nagore Durgha , a 16th-century minaret located in Nagore , is an important pilgrimage centre of the town. The Kanduri festival
12261-409: The Treaties of Versailles (1783). The previous day, a preliminary treaty had been signed with representatives of the States General of the Dutch Republic , but the final treaty which ended the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War was not signed until 20 May 1784; for convenience, however, it is included in the summaries below. The treaty dictated that the British would lose their Thirteen Colonies and marked
12444-536: The University of Madras , is the first among the dictionaries published in any Indian language. The 19th century gave rise to the Tamil Renaissance and writings and poems by authors such as Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai , U.V. Swaminatha Iyer , Ramalinga Swamigal , Maraimalai Adigal , and Bharathidasan . During the Indian Independence Movement , many Tamil poets and writers sought to provoke national spirit, social equity and secularist thoughts, notably Subramania Bharati and Bharathidasan. Dravidian architecture
12627-442: The Vellalar community, who were once feudatories of the three ancient Tamil kingdoms. The Kalabhra era is referred to as the "dark period" of Tamil history, and information about it is generally inferred from any mentions in the literature and inscriptions that are dated many centuries after their era ended. The twin Tamil epics Silappatikaram and Manimekalai were written during the era. Tamil classic Tirukkural by Valluvar ,
12810-462: The Vellar estuary in the north and Coleroon estuary in the south with mangrove forests. The Pichavaram mangrove forests is one of the largest mangrove forests in India covering 45 km (17 sq mi) and supports the existence of rare varieties of economically important shells, fishes and migrant birds. The state has five National Parks covering 307.84 km (118.86 sq mi)– Anamalai , Mudumalai, Mukurthi , Gulf of Mannar ,
12993-405: The chief minister who has the de facto executive authority. The Indian Councils Act 1861 established the Madras Presidency legislative council with four to eight members but was a mere advisory body to the governor of the presidency. The strength was increased to twenty in 1892 and fifty in 1909 . Madras legislative council was set-up in 1921 by the Government of India Act 1919 with
13176-434: The imposition of Hindi and in support of continuing English as a medium of communication arose which eventually led to English being retained as an official language of India alongside Hindi. After independence, the economy of Tamil Nadu conformed to a socialist framework, with strict governmental control over private sector participation, foreign trade , and foreign direct investment . After experiencing fluctuations in
13359-475: The poverty line as per the Multidimensional Poverty Index , one of the lowest rates amongst Indian states. The capital of Chennai is the most populous urban agglomeration in the state with more than 8.6 million residents, followed by Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli and Tiruppur , respectively. The state is home to a diverse population of ethno-religious communities. According to
13542-468: The sixth largest by population , Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people , who speak the Tamil language —the state's official language and one of the longest surviving classical languages of the world. The capital and largest city is Chennai . Located on the south-eastern coast of the Indian peninsula , Tamil Nadu is straddled by the Western Ghats and Deccan Plateau in the west, the Eastern Ghats in
13725-490: The 12th century CE by Kambar . After a lull in the intermediate years due to various invasions and instability, the Tamil literature recovered in the 14th century CE, with the notable work being Tiruppukal by Arunagirinathar . In 1578, the Portuguese published a Tamil book in old Tamil script named Thambiraan Vanakkam , thus making Tamil the first Indian language to be printed and published. Tamil Lexicon , published by
13908-530: The 1780s, and some historians link those disasters to the coming of the French Revolution . The Spanish regained Menorca , West Florida and East Florida from Britain, but not Gibraltar . The Dutch did not gain anything of significant value at the end of the war. News of the surrender of Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown reached Britain late in November 1781, shortly before Parliament
14091-471: The 18th century, the British had conquered most of the region and established the Madras Presidency with Madras as the capital. After the defeat of Mysore in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799 and the British victory in the second Polygar war in 1801, the British consolidated most of southern India into what was later known as the Madras Presidency . On 10 July 1806, the Vellore mutiny , which
14274-407: The 2001 Census was nearly 1.5 million. The district has seven taluks , eleven administrative blocks, eight town panchayats, and four municipalities. Five of the talukas are coastal, and all are named after their main towns, which are their administrative centres. From north to south, they are Nagapattinam , Kilvelur , Thirukkuvalai (non-coastal), and Vedaranyam . It is bordered on the east by
14457-440: The 2011 census, Hinduism is followed by 87.6% of the population. Christians form the largest religious minority in the state with 6.1% of the population; Muslims form 5.9% of the population. Tamils form a majority of the population with minorities including Telugus , Marwaris , Gujaratis , Parsis , Sindhis , Odias , Kannadigas , Anglo-Indians , Bengalis , Punjabis , and Malayalees . The state also has
14640-432: The 2011 census, Literacy rate was 80.1%, higher than the national average of 73%. The literacy rate was estimated to be 82.9% as per the 2017 National Statistical Commission (NSC) survey. As of 2011 , there were about 23.17 million households with 7.42 million children under the age of six. A total of 14.4 million (20%) belonged to Scheduled Castes (SC) and 0.8 million (1.1%) to Scheduled tribes (ST). As of 2017 ,
14823-712: The 3rd century BCE. The available literature from the Sangam period was categorised and compiled into two categories based roughly on chronology: the Patiṉeṇmēlkaṇakku consisting of Eṭṭuttokai and the Pattupattu , and the Patiṉeṇkīḻkaṇakku . The existent Tamil grammar is largely based on the 13th-century grammar book Naṉṉūl based on the Tolkāppiyam. Tamil grammar consists of five parts, namely eḻuttu , sol , poruḷ , yāppu , aṇi . Tirukkural ,
15006-571: The 7th-century saint poets refer to the city as Nagai in their verses in Tevaram . The town was originally called "Nagai"; the word Pattinam was attached during the Chola era when the town emerged as an important port. Nagapattinam district was an important region of the Chola kingdom . There are urn burials in and around the city from the Sangam period indicating some level of human habitation. The neighbouring port, Kaveripoompattinam (modern day Poompuhar),
15189-426: The 8,009 casualties in the state, predominantly from the fishing community who resided close to the seashore. The damage impacted the fishing industry, as most of the boats were damaged by the inundation. The immediate aftermath created a lull in tourism. The district shares borders with Tiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu and Karaikal district of the union territory Puducherry . The district of Nagapattinam lies on
15372-545: The American Indian lands west of the Appalachians . Meanwhile, the American case was strengthened by the charters of the earliest colonies, which specified, in deliberate disregard of the claims of other nations, that they could expand from the east coast of America to the west coast. Franklin became ill with gout towards the end of summer, but when John Jay learned in September of the secret French mission to England, and
15555-580: The Americans and Bernardo de Gálvez , Spanish governor of Louisiana, one of the most successful leaders in the war. Spain's economy depended almost entirely on its colonial empire in the Americas, and a successful revolt by subjects of another colonial empire could set a ruinous example. In fact, there had been a series of three rebellions by native South Americans against Spain between 1777 and 1781, led by Tomás Katari , Túpac Amaru II , and Julian Apasa (who adopted
15738-402: The Americans received word that this had been done. This was one of the best-timed British moves of the whole war. From 20 September, reports of the great French and Spanish assault on Gibraltar began to reach Paris; all were negative, and by 27 September it was clear that the operation, involving more troops than had ever been in service at one time on the entire North American continent, had been
15921-488: The Americans. The most notable of these was the rich Newfoundland fishery , one of the main factors which had drawn the French across the Atlantic over 250 years earlier, and which they had managed to retain as a concession when the British took Canada in 1763. As British colonists, the Americans had rights to fish in these waters, but as the United States they would have no legal right to fish there unless it could be written into
16104-400: The Bahamas (so tens of thousands of refugees who had fled to East Florida from the United States had to move again). Both East Florida and part of West Florida had been Spanish possessions before 1763, so the 1783 treaty did not specify boundaries, allowing the Spanish to claim that the 1763 boundaries still applied (the remainder of West Florida had been part of French Louisiana before 1763, and
16287-421: The Bahamas and Menorca, and they were still maintaining an increasingly futile siege of Gibraltar. An attempt to exchange Puerto Rico for Gibraltar collapsed, probably because it would have brought too much competition for Jamaican products into the protected British market. In the preliminary treaties signed with France and Spain on 20 January 1783, France and Britain therefore returned to each other nearly all
16470-566: The British era followed the style. By the early 20th century, art deco made its entry in the urban landscape. After Indian Independence, Tamil architecture witnessed a rise in Modernism with the transition from lime-and-brick construction to concrete columns. Tamil Nadu is a major centre for music, art and dance in India. Chennai is called the cultural capital of South India. In the Sangam era, art forms were classified into: iyal (poetry), isai (music) and nadakam (drama). Bharatanatyam
16653-435: The British fleet, without seriously engaging for battle, lured them away . News that Gibraltar was fully resupplied, with no problems for the convoy, reached London on 7 November, and probably reached Paris about the same time. The objections of Spain ceased to be of any relevance, and the French accepted the preliminary peace treaty between Great Britain and the United States, on 30 November, with protests but no action. Over
16836-539: The British in 1781 after the two naval battles between British and French fleets were fought off the coast of Negapatam, as it was then known: the first in 1758 as part of the Seven Years' War and the second in 1782 as part of the American Revolutionary War . The town was taken by the British from the Dutch in 1781 (who had been formally brought into the war in 1780). When the Dutch and British reached
17019-628: The British were busy trying to stabilise their second new government of the year, Franklin neutralised what could have been France's biggest weapon against the United States—the vagueness of the repayment terms for the loans the French had been making to the Americans every few months since 1778. These totalled 18,000,000 livres (equivalent to over 2.5 million Spanish dollars —the preferred hard currency in America) plus an additional 10,000,000 livres (nearly 1.5 million dollars) which had been borrowed from
17202-551: The British, and only French military action had saved them from losing virtually all their colonies. They could exercise no leverage over Britain, Spain, France, or the United States in the peace negotiations, and did not make a preliminary treaty until 2 September 1783, the day before the other three treaties were formalised. Britain agreed to return nearly all Dutch possessions captured in the East Indies (the most important of which, Trincomalee on Ceylon , had already been retaken by
17385-470: The Caribbean island of St. Eustatius —in short, a glorious victory was his only option). The British negotiator sent to Paris was Richard Oswald , an old slave-trading partner of Henry Laurens, who had been one of his visitors in the Tower of London . His first talks with Franklin led to a proposal that Britain should hand over Canada to the Americans. On 23 April, Lord Shelburne, without specifically referring to
17568-407: The Dutch by King Louis XVI of France on America's behalf in 1781 when no international lender would loan anything directly to the Americans. By a contract dated 16 July 1782, America was to pay this money back on very favourable terms, with no payments due at all until three years after peace was finalised (a stipulation which would lead fairly directly to the next great milestone in American history,
17751-604: The French anyway) but kept Negapatnam on the Indian coast. In a major concession Britain also secured free trade rights in parts of the Dutch East Indies. The terms of the peace, particularly the proposed treaty with the United States, caused a political storm in Britain. The concession of the Northwest Territory and the Newfoundland fisheries, and especially the apparent abandonment of Loyalists by an Article which
17934-422: The French position on the fisheries, he sent a message to Shelburne himself, explaining in some detail why he should avoid being influenced too much by the French and Spanish. At the same time Richard Oswald was asking if the terms of his commission to negotiate with the Americans could be slightly reworded to acknowledge that the 13 so-called colonies referred to themselves as "United States", and about 24 September,
18117-543: The French. Therefore, the decision was made to build on the "no offensive war" policy and begin peace talks with the Americans. Three factors made this the logical approach: first, the stated aim of the 1778 Treaty of Alliance between the United States and France was specifically to maintain the independence of the United States. Second, for well over a year, informal discussions had been held with Henry Laurens , an American envoy captured on his way to Amsterdam. On 31 December 1781 Laurens had been released on parole, and now he
18300-528: The Royal Navy had sent a large supply convoy to Gibraltar on the assumption that by the time it arrived, either the fortress would have been conquered, or the great assault would have been repelled and the siege weakened. The convoy was protected by 33 of the Navy's biggest ships, and on 10 October, as hoped, unloading of supplies at Gibraltar began. A large combined French and Spanish fleet hovered nearby, so on 20 October
18483-498: The Sangam era. Early Tamil literature was composed in three successive poetic assemblies known as the Tamil Sangams , the earliest of which, according to legend, were held on a now vanished continent far to the south of India. This includes the oldest grammatical treatise, Tolkappiyam , and the epics Cilappatikaram and Manimekalai . The earliest epigraphic records found on rock edicts and hero stones date from around
18666-583: The Tamil country was divided between the Pallavas and the Pandyas. The Pallavas were finally defeated by Chola prince Aditya I in the 9th century CE. The Cholas became the dominant kingdom in the 9th century under Vijayalaya Chola , who established Thanjavur as Chola's new capital with further expansions by subsequent rulers. In the 11th century CE, Rajaraja I expanded the Chola empire with conquests of entire Southern India and parts of present-day Sri Lanka and Maldives , and increased Chola influence across
18849-515: The Thyagaraja cult, classified as Saptha Vidangam , where the deity Thyagaraja is believed to portray different dance styles. The temple is also known for the shrine of Neelayadakshi, the consort of Kayarohanaswami. Soundararajaperumal Temple is a Hindu temple in Nagapattinam dedicated to Vishnu . It is one of the Divya Desams , the 108 temples of Vishnu revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham by
19032-454: The Transgender welfare board and was the first to introduce a transgender welfare policy, wherein transgender people can avail free sex reassignment surgery in government hospitals. Chennai Rainbow Pride has been held in Chennai annually since 2009. In 2021, Tamil Nadu became the first Indian state to ban conversion therapy and forced sex-selective surgeries on intersex infants , following
19215-504: The Western Ghats and flowing east into the Bay of Bengal. The coastline of Tamil Nadu is 1,076 km (669 mi) long, and is the second longest state coastline in the country after Gujarat . There are coral reefs located in the Gulf of Mannar and Lakshadweep islands. Tamil Nadu's coastline was permanently altered by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. Tamil Nadu falls mostly in
19398-889: The Western Ghats while tropical dry forests and scrub lands are common in the interior. The southern Western Ghats have rain forests located at high altitudes called the South Western Ghats montane rain forests . The Western Ghats eco-region is one of the eight hottest biodiversity hotspots in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site . There are about 2,000 species of wildlife that are native to Tamil Nadu, 5640 species of angiosperms (including 1,559 species of medicinal plants , 533 endemic species, 260 species of wild relatives of cultivated plants, 230 red-listed species), 64 species of gymnosperms (including four indigenous species and 60 introduced species) and 184 species of pteridophytes apart from bryophytes , lichen , fungi , algae , and bacteria . Common plant species include
19581-542: The borders of Tamilakam as Tirumala and Kanniyakumari . The name Tamilakam is used in other Sangam era literature such as Puṟanāṉūṟu , Patiṟṟuppattu , Cilappatikaram , and Manimekalai . Cilappatikaram (5th to 6th century CE) and Ramavataram (12th century CE) mention the name Tamil Nadu to denote the region. Archaeological evidence points to the region being inhabited by hominids more than 400 millennia ago. Artifacts recovered in Adichanallur by
19764-598: The chief minister of the Madras Presidency. In 1944, Periyar transformed the Justice party into a social organisation, renaming the party Dravidar Kazhagam , and withdrew from electoral politics. After independence, the Indian National Congress dominated the political scene in Tamil Nadu in the 1950s and 1960s under the leadership of K. Kamaraj , who led the party after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru and ensured
19947-614: The company built Fort St. George , the first major English settlement in India, which became the nucleus of the British Raj in the region. By 1693, the French established trading posts at Pondichéry . In September 1746, the French captured Madras during the Battle of Madras . The British regained control of Madras in 1749 through the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle and resisted a French siege attempt in 1759. The British and French competed to expand
20130-420: The decades immediately after Indian independence, the economy of Tamil Nadu consistently exceeded national average growth rates from the 1970s, due to reform-oriented economic policies. In the 2000s, the state has become one of the most urbanized states in the country with a higher Human Development Index compared to national average. Tamil Nadu covers an area of 130,058 km (50,216 sq mi) and
20313-571: The decision to keep full independence as a point for negotiation was vindicated by the arrival in Europe of news that, over a month previously, Admiral George Rodney had gained a significant naval victory over the French in the Caribbean saving Jamaica from a Franco-Spanish invasion. It was also learned that the French Admiral Comte de Grasse had been captured during the battle. This was what both Rodney and Britain so desperately needed so Grenville
20496-603: The directions of the Madras High ;Court. In 2019, the Madras High Court ruled that the term "bride" under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 includes trans-women, thereby legalizing marriage between a man and a transgender woman. Tamil women traditionally wear a sari , a garment that consists of a drape varying from 5 to 9 yards (4.6 to 8.2 m) in length and 2 to 4 feet (0.61 to 1.22 m) in breadth that
20679-546: The district is carried out by Panchayat Unions (or Town Panchayats) in rural areas. These panchayat unions have a set of panchayat villages under them. In urban areas, the governance is done by municipal corporations, municipalities or town panchayats based on the size of the town; each of these has a set of wards. The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: general administration/personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, Town Planning, and Information Technology (IT). The municipalities are administered by
20862-576: The early phase of the war, and the Colonial Secretary, Lord Germain , was replaced by the hawkish Welbore Ellis . The inquiry into Navy administration was followed by a parliamentary vote on 20 February in which the First Lord of the Admiralty , Lord Sandwich , narrowly escaped dismissal. The following week, Parliament voted for a guarantee of the "no offensive war" claim made the previous autumn, on
21045-484: The end of the First British Empire . The United States gained more than it expected, thanks to the award of western territory. France got its revenge over Britain after its defeat in the Seven Years' War and gained Tobago and Senegal but ended up financially exhausted. It was already in financial trouble and its borrowing to pay for the war used up all its credit and created the financial disasters that marked
21228-437: The first Indian Governor General of India post independence, was from Tamil Nadu. The state has produced three Indian presidents, namely, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan , R. Venkataraman , and APJ Abdul Kalam . As per the 2011 census , Tamil Nadu had a population of 72.1 million and is the seventh most populous state in India. The population is projected to be 76.8 million in 2023 and to grow to 78 million by 2036. Tamil Nadu
21411-532: The first language by 88.4% of the state's population, followed by Telugu (5.87%), Kannada (1.78%), Urdu (1.75%), Malayalam (1.01%) and other languages (1.24%) Various varieties of Tamil are spoken across regions such as Madras Bashai in northern Tamil Nadu, Kongu Tamil in Western Tamil Nadu , Madurai Tamil around Madurai and Nellai Tamil in South-eastern Tamil Nadu. It is part of
21594-537: The first series of Polygar wars. The Maruthu brothers along with Oomaithurai , the brother of Kattabomman, formed a coalition with Dheeran Chinnamalai and Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja , which fought the British in the Second Polygar War. In the later 18th century, the Mysore kingdom captured parts of the region and engaged in constant fighting with the British which culminated in the four Anglo-Mysore Wars . By
21777-509: The forces of King George III, whom they viewed as their legal ruler. Possessions these people could not take with them had quickly been confiscated and sold off. It was equally clear that those who had stayed in America and fought for him whom they viewed as their legitimate sovereign would be even more heavily penalised unless safeguards could be built into the treaty. Franklin countered this argument by suggesting that reparations could be demanded for
21960-410: The foremost temples of the era built by Rajaraja, and Gangaikonda Cholapuram , built by Rajendra. The Pandyas again reigned supreme early in the 13th century under Maravarman Sundara I . They ruled from their capital of Madurai and expanded trade links with other maritime empires. During the 13th century, Marco Polo mentioned the Pandyas as the richest empire in existence. The Pandyas also built
22143-487: The formation of a strange new government team , nominally led by Lord Rockingham , whom the King hated, with Shelburne and Charles James Fox , who hated each other, as Secretaries of State . Rockingham's team recognised that their priority was to get Britain out of its four linked wars, and that time might be short—within days of his appointment, news came from the West Indies that three more British islands had been captured by
22326-550: The geographic area and 15% of the 22,643 km (8,743 sq mi) recorded forest area of the state. Mudumalai National Park was established in 1940 and was the first modern wildlife sanctuary in South India. The protected areas are administered by the Ministry of Environment and Forests of the government of India and the Tamil Nadu Forest Department . Pichavaram consists of a number of islands interspersing
22509-506: The grounds that increased military commitment to America would, among other things, be "the means of weakening the efforts of this country against her European enemies". On 27 February 1782, the House voted against further war in America, by 19 votes. At the beginning of March, news arrived which absolutely confirmed the wisdom of this position – the loss of two more West Indian islands in January (with
22692-570: The group of monuments in Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram . The Cholas later expanded the same and by the Pandya rule in twelfth century, these gateways became a dominant feature of a temple's outer appearance. The state emblem also features the Lion Capital of Ashoka with an image of a Gopuram on the background. Vimanam are similar structures built over the garbhagriha or inner sanctum of
22875-427: The inclusion of Tranquebar and Tuticorin . The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra , Indonesia, triggering a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean. Nagapattinam was one of the regions severely affected in Tamil Nadu, accounting for 6,064 of
23058-408: The individual States would inevitably ignore, were condemned in Parliament. The last point was the easiest solved—British tax revenue saved by not continuing the war would be used to compensate Loyalists. Nevertheless, on 17 February 1783 and again on 21 February, motions against the treaty were successful in Parliament, so on 24 February Lord Shelburne resigned, and for five weeks the British government
23241-434: The inland peninsular region except for a semi-arid rain shadow east of the Western Ghats. Winter and early summer are long dry periods with temperatures averaging above 18 °C (64 °F); summer is exceedingly hot with temperatures in low-lying areas exceeding 50 °C (122 °F); and the rainy season lasts from June to September, with annual rainfall averaging between 750 and 1,500 mm (30 and 59 in) across
23424-432: The land wars (which involved the French only as supporters to local rulers) and in naval battles; the British still appeared to hold all the French territory there that they had captured in 1778–79, while the French held no British territory. In the West Indies, on the other hand, the French still held all the territory they had captured, while the British held only one French island, St. Lucia . The Spanish held West Florida,
23607-464: The leeward region (the region deprived of winds) receives very little rainfall. The Bay of Bengal branch of the southwest monsoon heads toward northeast India, picking up moisture from the Bay of Bengal. The Coramandel coast does not receive much rainfall from the southwest monsoon, due to the shape of the land. Northern Tamil Nadu receives most of its rains from the northeast monsoon . The northeast monsoon takes place from November to early March, when
23790-570: The massive gopuram , ornate towers at the entrance of temples, originated with the Pallava architecture . They built the group of rock-cut monuments in Mahabalipuram and temples in Kanchipuram . Throughout their reign, the Pallavas remained in constant conflict with the Cholas and Pandyas. The Pandyas were revived by Kadungon towards the end of the 6th century CE and with the Cholas in obscurity in Uraiyur ,
23973-531: The massive destruction of American property by British forces, which had been a very deliberate policy in the later stages of the war, and for the "kidnap" of tens of thousands of valuable slaves (who had roughly the same consideration in these negotiations as the American Indians); besides which, the confiscations of Loyalist property had been made by individual State governments, not the Congress. French negotiator
24156-587: The name Túpac Katari )—all had been crushed with utter ruthlessness. With such considerations in mind, Spain continually thwarted John Jay's attempts to establish diplomatic relations during his long assignments in Madrid , and was the last participant in the American Revolutionary War to acknowledge the independence of the United States, a fortnight after the preliminary peace treaty with Britain, on 3 February 1783. The Dutch had never captured anything from
24339-422: The national average of 929. 26.94% of the population lived in urban areas. A total of 165,245 were under the age of six, constituting 84,335 males and 80,910 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 30.51% and 0.23% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the district was 75.04%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The district had a total of 413,837 households. There were
24522-464: The national parties usually aligning as junior partners to the major Dravidian parties, AIADMK and DMK. M. Karunanidhi became the leader of the DMK after Annadurai and J. Jayalalithaa succeeded as the leader of AIADMK after M. G. Ramachandran. Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa dominated the state politics from the 1980s to early 2010s, serving as chief ministers combined for over 32 years. C. Rajagopalachari,
24705-512: The next few weeks, serious negotiations began between Britain, France and Spain (for which Britain's chief negotiator was Alleyne FitzHerbert , and Spain's the Count of Aranda ). Although a French naval expedition had destroyed British trading posts in Hudson Bay during the summer, no territory had actually been captured. From time to time, news would arrive from India of continuing stalemate, both in
24888-461: The north, the Eastern Coastal Plains lining the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait to the south-east, the Laccadive Sea at the southern cape of the peninsula, with the river Kaveri bisecting the state. Politically, Tamil Nadu is bound by the Indian states of Kerala , Karnataka , and Andhra Pradesh , and encloses a part of the union territory of Puducherry . It shares an international maritime border with
25071-485: The northern one. The district has two Lok Sabha constituencies, namely Nagapattinam Lok Sabha constituency . The current Member of Parliament from the Nagapattinam constituency is M. Selvarasu from the CPI. There are a total of three legislative assembly constituencies in the district, namely, Kilvelur , Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam . Out of these Kilvelu constituencies is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC). Tourism plays
25254-491: The peace talks by separating the issues of personal debts and war reparations. The latter were a particular problem for the British, because as early as 1775 Loyalists in some parts of the then-colonies had been forced into exile by local statutes imposing an "Army Test"—nearly all males of suitable age had to join the local militia, which, as had become clear in the first battles of the Revolution, would be expected to fight against
25437-516: The peace treaty. For Britain, the logical course would be to make France give its rights to the Americans. The Americans also wanted fishing rights in the Gulf of Mexico, to which again they had previously been entitled thanks to the British colonies in Florida (now controlled by Spain). The French and Spanish negotiators were also concerned about the American insistence on the Mississippi River as
25620-572: The place in October . In Paris, the British and American negotiators left the French and Spanish to argue between themselves, but John Adams was also still negotiating actively with the Dutch Republic, and on 8 October, the United Provinces and the United States signed a full treaty of amity and commerce. By this time the American envoys were aware of the letter to George Washington, so independence
25803-696: The re-organization in 1956 was 206, which was further increased to 234 in 1962. In 1986, the state moved to a unicameral legislature with the abolition of the Legislative Council by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council (Abolition) act, 1986. The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is housed in the Fort St. George in Chennai. The state elects 39 members to the Lok Sabha and 18 to the Rajya Sabha of
25986-409: The region include the grizzled giant squirrel , grey slender loris , sloth bear , Nilgiri tahr , Nilgiri langur , lion-tailed macaque , and the Indian leopard . Chennai is the capital of the state and houses the state executive , legislative and head of judiciary . The administration of the state government functions through various secretariat departments. There are 43 departments of
26169-488: The region. It is believed that 60 percent of the shrines were built by Hindus and historically the minaret has many domestic and international visitors. There are three other prominent mosques; one near Nagai Pudhur Road, one near the new bus stand and another at Moolakadai Street. Velankanni is a pilgrimage centre located 10 km (6.2 mi) from Nagapattinam. The town is known for the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health ,
26352-685: The region. Once the dry northeast monsoon begins in September, most precipitation in India falls in Tamil Nadu, leaving other states comparatively dry. A hot semi-arid climate predominates in the land east of the Western Ghats which includes inland south and south central parts of the state and gets between 400 and 750 millimetres (15.7 and 29.5 in) of rainfall annually, with hot summers and dry winters with temperatures around 20–24 °C (68–75 °F). The months between March and May are hot and dry, with mean monthly temperatures hovering around 32 °C (90 °F), with 320 millimetres (13 in) precipitation. Without artificial irrigation, this region
26535-479: The rest of Louisiana had then been handed over to Spain). The opportunity was taken to resolve long-standing disputes about logwood cutting in Central America. The British, however, continued to hold Gibraltar after the siege was abandoned. Although France was an ally of both the United States and Spain, Spain was not an ally of the United States, though an informal alliance had existed since at least 1776 between
26718-678: The selection of Prime Ministers Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi . C. N. Annadurai , a follower of Periyar, formed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in 1949. The Anti-Hindi agitations of Tamil Nadu led to the rise of Dravidian parties that formed Tamil Nadu's first government, in 1967 . In 1972, a split in the DMK resulted in the formation of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) led by M. G. Ramachandran . Dravidian parties continue to dominate Tamil Nadu electoral politics with
26901-434: The shores of the Bay of Bengal between latitude 10.7906N and Longitude 79.8428E an area of 1,397 square kilometres (539 sq mi). The District capital, Nagapattinam lies on the eastern coast, 350 kilometers down south of the State capital Chennai and of Tiruchirappalli . It has an average elevation of 9 metres (30 ft) above the mean sea level. The district has a coastline of 187 kilometres (116 mi). In 2006
27084-444: The state and central governments. The Collector is also the head of various committees formed at the district level for the various central and state government schemes. There are 32 districts in Tamil Nadu, each divided for revenue administration purposes into revenue divisions , which are further divided into Talukas . Each of these Talukas has a list of revenue villages and is headed by a Tahsildar. Developmental administration of
27267-826: The state and the departments have further sub-divisions which may govern various undertakings and boards. The state is divided into 38 districts , each of which is administered by a District Collector , who is an officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) appointed to the district by the Government of Tamil Nadu. For revenue administration, the districts are further subdivided into 87 revenue divisions administered by Revenue Divisional Officers (RDO) which comprise 310 taluks administered by Tahsildars . The taluks are divided into 1349 revenue blocks called Firkas which consist of 17,680 revenue villages. The local administration consists of 15 municipal corporations , 121 municipalities and 528 town panchayats in
27450-484: The state had the lowest fertility rate in India with 1.6 children born for each woman, lower than required for sustaining the population. As of 2021 , the Human Development Index (HDI) for Tamil Nadu was 0.686, higher than that of India (0.633) but ranked medium. As of 2019 , the life expectancy at birth was 74 years, one of the highest amongst Indian states. As of 2023, 2.2% of the people live below
27633-510: The state tree: palmyra palm , eucalyptus , rubber, cinchona , clumping bamboos ( Bambusa arundinacea ), common teak , Anogeissus latifolia , Indian laurel , grewia , and blooming trees like Indian laburnum , ardisia , and solanaceae . Rare and unique plant life includes Combretum ovalifolium , ebony ( Diospyros nilagrica ), Habenaria rariflora (orchid), Alsophila , Impatiens elegans , Ranunculus reniformis , and royal fern . Important ecological regions of Tamil Nadu are
27816-557: The state's GDP. With its diverse culture and architecture, long coastline, forests and mountains, Tamil Nadu is home to a number of ancient relics, historic buildings, religious sites, beaches , hill stations , forts , waterfalls and four World Heritage Sites . The state's tourism industry is the largest among the Indian states. The state has three biosphere reserves , mangrove forests, five National Parks , 18 wildlife sanctuaries and 17 bird sanctuaries . The Tamil film industry , nicknamed as Kollywood, plays an influential role in
27999-449: The state's popular culture. The name is derived from Tamil language with nadu meaning "land" and Tamil Nadu meaning "the land of Tamils". The origin and precise etymology of the word Tamil is unclear with multiple theories attested to it. In the ancient Sangam literature , Tamilakam refers to the area of present-day Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh . Tolkāppiyam (2nd to 1st century BCE) indicates
28182-405: The surface high-pressure system is strongest. The North Indian Ocean tropical cyclones occur throughout the year in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, bringing devastating winds and heavy rainfall. The annual rainfall of the state is about 945 mm (37.2 in) of which 48 per cent is through the northeast monsoon, and 52 per cent through the southwest monsoon. The state has only 3% of
28365-521: The temple but are usually smaller than the gopurams in the Dravidian architecture with a few exceptions including the Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur . The Mugal influence in medieval times and the British influence later gave rise to a blend of Hindu , Islamic and Gothic revival styles, resulting in the distinct Indo-Saracenic architecture. Several buildings and institutions built during
28548-485: The terms of that proposal, which he kept a secret from nearly all his colleagues, replied with an offer to accept full American independence, but on the existing borders. A second British envoy, Thomas Grenville (unaware of the Canada suggestion), was now sent to begin talks with the French government, based on this proposal. He indicated that the French could help to secure American independence, their avowed reason for entering
28731-627: The territories they had taken from each other since 1778, except for Tobago , which the French had captured in 1781 and were allowed to keep. France also gained some territory around the Senegal River in Africa which it had lost to Britain in 1763. The whole arrangement for fishing around the Newfoundland coast had to be renegotiated because of the rights awarded to the Americans. The Spanish did much better. They did not have to hand back West Florida or Menorca, and were also given East Florida in exchange for
28914-477: The town and established a commercial centre in 1554 CE. The Portuguese also conducted missionary enterprise in the town. In 1658, the Dutch established an agreement with King Vijaya Nayakkar of Thanjavur on 5 January 1662. Ten villages were transferred from the Portuguese to the Dutch – Nagappattinam Port, Puthur, Muttam, Poruvalancheri, Anthanappettai, Karureppankadu, AzhingiMangalam, Sangamangalam, Thiruthinamangalam, Manjakollai, Nariyankudi. Ten Christian churches and
29097-761: The trade which led to Battle of Wandiwash in 1760 as part of the Seven Years' War . The Nawabs of the Carnatic surrendered much of their territory to the British East India Company in the north and bestowed tax revenue collection rights in the South, which led to constant conflicts with the Palaiyakkarars known as the Polygar Wars . Puli Thevar was one of the earliest opponents, joined later by Rani Velu Nachiyar of Sivagangai and Kattabomman of Panchalakurichi in
29280-435: The traffic management in the respective regions. The state is consistently ranked as one of the safest for women with a crime rate of 22 per 100,000 in 2018. Elections in India are conducted by the Election Commission of India , an independent body established in 1950. Politics in Tamil Nadu was dominated by national parties till the 1960s. Regional parties have ruled ever since. The Justice Party and Swaraj Party were
29463-668: The treaty as agreed by Richard Oswald the previous November was formally signed, and at Versailles the separate treaties with France and Spain were also formalized. Based on preliminary articles made 30 November 1782, and approved by the Congress of the Confederation on 15 April 1783, this treaty was signed on 3 September 1783, and ratified by Congress on 14 January 1784, formally ending the American Revolutionary War . Preliminary articles had been signed 20 January 1783, at Versailles Signed at Versailles, 3 September 1783, by George Montagu, 4th Duke of Manchester and Charles Gravier, Comte de Vergennes . Supplementary notes indicate that
29646-412: The two major parties in the erstwhile Madras Presidency. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Self-Respect Movement , spearheaded by Theagaroya Chetty and E. V. Ramaswamy (commonly known as Periyar), emerged in the Madras Presidency and led to the formation of the Justice party. The Justice Party eventually lost the 1937 elections to the Indian National Congress and Chakravarti Rajagopalachari became
29829-426: The urban areas, and 385 panchayat unions and 12,618 village panchayats , administered by Village Administrative Officers (VAO). Greater Chennai Corporation , established in 1688, is the second oldest in the world and Tamil Nadu was the first state to establish town panchayats as a new administrative unit. In accordance with the Constitution of India , the governor is a state's de jure head and appoints
30012-421: The war back in 1778, by offering to return the British possessions they had captured in the West Indies, but the French rejected this, and separated their own peace demands from America's. That did indeed violate the spirit of their 1778 treaty of alliance with America, and fundamentally affected the future of the negotiations. Another factor which gave added power to the Americans was the decision on 19 April of
30195-434: The water resources nationally and is entirely dependent on rains for recharging its water resources. Monsoon failures lead to acute water scarcity and severe drought . Forests occupy an area of 22,643 km (8,743 sq mi) constituting 17.4% of the geographic area. There is a wide diversity of plants and animals in Tamil Nadu, resulting from its varied climates and geography. Deciduous forests are found along
30378-424: The western part of Tamilkam, the Pandyas controlled the south, and the Cholas had their base in the Kaveri delta. The kings called Vendhar ruled over several tribes of Velala (peasants), headed by the Velir chiefs. The rulers patronized multiple religions including vedic religion , Buddhism and Jainism and sponsored some of the earliest Tamil literature with the oldest surviving work being Tolkāppiyam ,
30561-443: Was based on an idea propagated by the members of the Theosophical Society movement after a Theosophical convention held in Madras in December 1884. Tamil Nadu was the base of various contributors to the Independence movement including V. O. Chidambaram Pillai , Subramaniya Siva and Bharatiyar . The Tamils formed a significant percentage of the members of the Indian National Army (INA), founded by Subhas Chandra Bose . After
30744-426: Was built under Chinese influence by the Pallava king and town was frequented by Buddhist travellers. In the 11th century CE, Chudamani Vihara , a Buddhist monastery was built by Javanese king Sri Vijaya Soolamanivarman with the patronage of Raja Raja Chola . Nagapattinam was the prominent port of Cholas for trade and conquering gateway to the east. In the early 16th century the Portuguese made commercial contacts with
30927-423: Was due to debate the military spending estimates for the following year. The hastily revised plan was that forces in America were to be retained at their existing level, but the policy of "offensive" war and long campaigns away from well-supplied strongholds (which had also led to the Saratoga defeat four years earlier) was to be abandoned in favour of a new approach, details of which had to remain secret. The budget
31110-633: Was forced to take over, which led to the resignation of Fox and a massive split in the anti-war Whig party in Parliament. Regardless of this, the remainder of the negotiations would be carried out under Shelburne's devious leadership. For example, he took advantage of the great delay in trans-Atlantic communication to send a letter to George Washington stating that Britain was accepting American independence without preconditions, while not authorising Richard Oswald to make any such promise when he returned to Paris to negotiate with Franklin and his colleagues ( John Jay had by this time returned from Spain). While
31293-411: Was formed by the volcanic activity that lasted many years and when the volcanoes became extinct, they left a region of highlands with typically vast stretches of flat areas on top like a table. The predominant soils of Tamil Nadu are red loam , laterite , black , alluvial and saline . Red soil, with a higher iron content, occupies a larger portion of the state and all the inland districts. Black soil
31476-424: Was learned that French forces had begun capturing small British-held islands in the West Indies even without the help of the new fleet (which had been driven back to France by storms), so a large British fleet was sent westwards as soon as possible. Also in that month, the government appointed a new commander for the American forces, Lieutenant General Guy Carleton who had defeated the American invasion of Canada in
31659-403: Was likely that they would have to negotiate with Britain to exchange it for some other territory, perhaps some of the captured West Indian islands. For Britain that would be a tough decision—although the West Indies produced vast profits, holding Gibraltar allowed unhindered sea trade with all the Mediterranean countries. The British government decided to resist accepting American independence as
31842-404: Was noted, but for practical purposes ignored because they could not significantly defend themselves. In their opposition to this expansion, ironically, the French and Spanish governments were effectively supporting the British on one of the points which had begun the move towards revolution in the 1760s—the use of military forces (paid for by taxes) to maintain a clear border between the colonies and
32025-458: Was offered the chance to help begin negotiations. Third, on hearing of Lord North's resignation, Benjamin Franklin immediately wrote from Paris, making it clear that the Americans were ready to begin talking. However, Laurens, Franklin, and John Adams (then representing America in the Dutch Republic ) all made it clear to the British that America could not, under the 1778 alliance treaty, make peace without French agreement. What none of them knew
32208-417: Was passed by a large majority, but a few days later news was received that the British fleet in the Bay of Biscay had been able to capture only a fraction of a very large French fleet, carrying troops for invasions of British colonies around the world. Parliament immediately ordered an inquiry into the administration of the Royal Navy , to be held after the Christmas recess. At the beginning of January, it
32391-408: Was sent back to France to negotiate with both the Americans and the French, but found himself making little progress with either—only when Oswald told him about the Canada proposal did he begin to understand why, and he wrote an indignant letter to Charles Fox, who was no happier about what his hated rival Shelburne was doing. Having exposed the trickery to his colleagues, at the end of June Fox proposed
32574-491: Was taken as a done deal, and discussions concentrated on the details. Remarkably, Britain accepted the American demand that the boundary with Canada should revert to its state after the Seven Years' War in 1763, not the revision of the Quebec Act in 1774. The difference between the two was the whole area east of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio River —the Northwest Territory , from which five-and-a-half new States would later emerge. John Adams can claim credit for smoothing
32757-422: Was that France, under its completely separate treaty of alliance with Spain , could not make peace without Spanish agreement; indeed, not without a guarantee that the British stronghold of Gibraltar , commanding the narrow entrance to the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean , would be handed over to Spain. Spanish and French forces had been besieging Gibraltar for nearly three years without success, so it
32940-459: Was the capital of the Chola kingdom of the Sangam Age, referred to widely in Tamil scriptures like Paṭṭiṉappālai . The early works of Tevaram by the 7th-century poets Appar and Sambandar mention that the town had fortified walls, busy roads, buildings and a busy port. The inscriptions from the Kayarohanswami temple indicate the construction was initiated during the reign of the Pallava king, Narasimha Pallava II (691 – 729 CE). A Buddhist pagoda
33123-429: Was the first instance of a large-scale mutiny by Indian sepoys against the British East India Company, took place in Vellore Fort . After the Indian Rebellion of 1857 , the British Parliament passed the Government of India Act 1858 , which transferred the governance of India from the East India Company to the British crown, forming the British Raj . Failure of the summer monsoons and administrative shortcomings of
33306-408: Was the set of treaties that ended the American Revolutionary War . On 3 September 1783, representatives of King George III of Great Britain signed a treaty in Paris with representatives of the United States of America—commonly known as the Treaty of Paris (1783) —and two treaties at Versailles with representatives of King Louis XVI of France and King Charles III of Spain —commonly known as
33489-586: Was without a leader. Finally, a solution similar to the previous year's choice of Lord Rockingham was found. The new government was to be led, nominally, by the Duke of Portland , while the two Secretaries of State were to be Charles Fox and, remarkably, Lord North. Richard Oswald was replaced by a new negotiator, David Hartley , but the Americans refused to allow any modifications to the treaty—partly because they would have to be approved by Congress, which, with two Atlantic crossings, would take several months. Therefore, on 3 September 1783, at Hartley's hotel in Paris,
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