HISTORY
HISTORY
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Through history, Parangipettai has taken many different names. One was 'Portonovo' during the period of Portuguese colonial rule. Other names were 'Muthukrishna puri' when the nayakkars ruled, 'Mohammed banthar' during the era of the Mughal Empire. In Tamil, Parangi refers to Europeans, while Pettai means place. Thus, Parangipettai literally translates to the pettah or abode of the parangisor Europeans in Tamil. The Portuguese were the ones who actually named this place "Porto Novo" ("New Port" in Portuguese) as they set up a port here and made it their trading stronghold.
Muslims living in Parangipettai have a unique ancestry. Tamil is their mother tongue but it has been heavily influenced by Urdu and Arabic. Previously, especially during the Tamil Chola rule of Tamil Nadu, Arab traders used to heavily trade around the Coromandel coast in which Parangipettai is located. Some traders, throughout time decided to settle down here. And hence, Muslims of Parangipettai tend to resemble Arab features. During the Muslim rule of India under the Mughal Empire, Muslims from Hyderabad began settling in Parangipettai. Thus the Islamic culture in Parangipettai was influenced by Urdu and Mughal practices.
A large trace of these people are found in Singapore and Malaysia. In 1801 Sir George Leith, who was then Lieutenant Governor of Penang, Malaysia, appointed a prominent Indian Muslim leader, Cauder Mohudeen, as Captain of the South Indian “Keling” community. He granted a piece of land to build a mosque on the south side of Malabar Street (Chulia Street). Cauder Mohudeen (born c. 1759) was a ship mandoor or foreman from Porto Novo, which the Tamils called Parangipettai.
Battle of Porto Novo
Battle of Porto Novo
Battle of Porto Novo Part of the Second Anglo-Mysore War
Date 1 July 1781
Location Porto Novo
Result Company victory
Belligerents
British East India Company vs Sultanate of Mysore
Commanders and leaders
Strength
>8,000 vs ~40,000
The Battle of Porto Novo was fought here in 1781 during the Second Anglo-Mysore War. The conflict pitted the forces of the Kingdom of Mysore under Karim Khan Sahib, accompanied by his father Hyder Ali, against forces belonging to the British East India Company under Sir Eyre Coote. Though they were outnumbered 5 to 1, the British prevailed.
The town flourished as a sea port with connections to southeast Asia and as an industrial centre during British rule, when iron made here was exported to England. The powerful Nawab of Arcot had his mint at Porto Novo and the gold coins struck in this mint came to be called the Porto Novo Pagoda. Later the English followed the same design when they minted the 'Negapatam' (Nagapatnam) Pagoda; the Dutch minted their coin in the same design at Tuticorin and Colombo mints.
The Battle of Porto Novo was fought on 1 July 1781 between forces of the Kingdom of Mysore and British East India Company in the place called Porto Novo (now known as Parangipettai) on the Indian subcontinent, during the Second Anglo-Mysore War. The British force, numbering more than 8,000 under the command of Sir Eyre Coote defeated a force estimated at 40,000 under the command of Hyder Ali.
The Porto Novo Iron Works was a historic iron and steel plant in southern India founded in 1830 by Josiah Marshall Heath and later 1850s taken over by the East India Company. Iron and steel from the plant were used to construct the railway stations at Madras Central and Egmore stations were also exported to Sheffield.
The Battle of Porto Novo held in Parangipettai is where Hyder Ali prayed with his soldiers before the battle against the British and there is also a place called Kori Garden.
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