The Emergence of British Imperialism on the Coromandel Coast Through
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International Journal of Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Vol.11, No. 3, (2020), pp. 2625–2629 The Emergence Of British Imperialism On The Coromandel Coast Through Defensive Architecture 1Mr .P.Arumugasamy, Ph.D Research Scholar, Department of History, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar-605 602 , 2Dr. Hameed Basha.B, Assistant professor, Department of History, Arignar Anna Government Arts College (Deputed from Annamalai University), Villupuram-605 608, Introduction European countries were fascinated over the spices which prevalent in India and its nearby islands. These regions has been renowned as ‘spice islands’ in south Asia, acted as the lucrative market in 16th and 17th century A.D. Yesteryear, the spice were traded via silk routes (land route) from Asia to Europe. In 1453 A.D, a trading center or hub was captured by the ottoman Turks which shutdown the Europeans trading activities. At the time, Europeans have using the spices for enormously would leads huge demand in Europe. Henceforth, European countries have tried to find a new route to reach India by their ships. On the historic path five Europeans countries, (especially geographically situated in Atlantic Ocean) like Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, British and French, have planned and proceed to identify the shortest route for India. In this battle English descended later while Portuguese, Dutch, and Danish constructed their prominent position there. However, British come almost last to fulfill the spice needs by its country. Once they came to India for trade but they get the great chance to emergence their kingdom in India. Finally, British dominated the entire world by its policies, administrative capabilities, and wise Governors. In the beginning of 20th century Great Britain was consisted roughly 10 million square miles territory and approximately 400 million people to its overseas empire. 1This tremendous achievement may grasp the British by its imperialistic policy, which implemented on colonial approach. On the territorial expansion British founding its empire by erecting trading post, factories, then forts, finally expanding fortified cities. All the move were had been aiming to establish their trading activated in India, with competed other European countries. While made their settlement all over India, especially coastal regions which helpful for trading activities. 1.First Author 2.Corresponding Author On the phenomenon, British established their defensive architectures for production from native rulers or Europeans. Those who have erected the strategic important architecture might be help for survival and development. This study has focused how the defensive architecture helps to emerge the British imperialist policy on Coromandel Coast. Also this study has find out the relationship between the defensive architecture and imperialism on India, especially Coromandel Coast. Imperialism Imperialism and colonialism are often used as interchangeable terms as there is a lot of common ground between them. In modern dialect, the imperialism means to dominate the physical, cultural and intellectual subjects to the other countries. The term ‘imperialism’ etymologically resembles parental term of empire. The empire means to dominate the entire region either one country or more. Perhaps, imperialism might be the enlarge concept of colonialism.2 The ‘word’ imperialism was prominently used 2625 ISSN: 2005-4289 IJDRBC Copyright ⓒ2020 SERSC International Journal of Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Vol.11, No. 3, (2020), pp. 2625–2629 in the starting of the nineteenth century to describe the process by which a state either acquired formal jurisdiction over another people or gained substantial influence over their political, economic, and social affairs. However, the policy of Imperialism may begin in the before the 18th century. From the late 1800s through the early 1900s, Western Europe pursued of policy of imperialism that became known as New Imperialism. While European countries were efforts to find a direct trade route to Asia during the age of old imperialism. From the development and growth of the British Empire occurred over many centuries. It is difficult of be precise about the dates without first defining what is to be included under the category of imperial expansion.3 European nations have established colonies in America, India, South Africa and the East Indies. The way of Empire ‘worked’ also defined imperialism.4 The territories of the British of the British Empire were protected by the world’s largest navy. Its sea-lanes, the arteries of trade, were filled with a vast merchant fleet. As British influence expanded overseas this process continue on a larger scale and the acquisitions of an empire became an important feature of British identify. Britain’s rapid acquisitions of extensive territories in Africa and Asia in the late nineteenth century appeared to be a sudden and radical departure from its preference for informal influence. Perhaps, India might be the important and influential of Britain’s imperial possessions in the world. As such, it does not fall neatly into the categories of the ‘old’ or ‘new’ imperialist. The British East India Company gained control of India during the eighteenth century by its policies and ideologies. As Britain’s first major imperial possession to have a non- European majority, India become the administrative model for British holdings in Africa and other parts of Asia. It would have been impossible to conquer and administer millions of people living in such a vast expanse of territory without the tacit assistance of at least a small segment of the Indian population. Moreover, Britain spread India’s peoples, products, and cultures around the globe, and in much way the resulting overseas empire was almost as Indian as it was British Thus India serves as an excellent model of the impact of imperialism on both non-European peoples and the Births themselves. Penetration of British on India India have consisted with largest coast line which helps to involve the trading activates easier for Europeans. Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese sailor found the easy and shortest route to India triggered the Europeans to complete their wish. India’s wealth and spices attracted the Europeans to made trading actively. A group of merchants from London formed a corporate company called “Governor and Company of merchants of London trading to the East Indies”, simply renowned as East India company (EIC) decided to trade with India, while applying permission to Queen Elizabeth II, and received the royal charter on December 31, 1600 A.D.5 Firstly, they reached India by a ship called ‘Hector’, at Surat, a western coast of India in 1608. Secondly they established their trading activities all over the coast of India gradually. Finally, a company’s ship named ‘Globe’ registered their visit in first time at Coromandel Coast, via Cape Comorin.6 While they crossed Cape Comorin, other Europeans have established their settlements in Coromandel viz., San Thome, Pulicot, Dansborg, and Pondicherry by Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, and French respectively. Coromandel Coast Indian coasts are classified into three major heads like eastern, western and Southern. The western coast called as Arabian Sea, eastern coast renowned as Bay of Bengal, and southern ocean called as Indian Ocean. The western coast’s subdivided into two parts, northern and southern, northern circa and Coromandel respectively. The Coromandel Coast is a term which applied to the eastern Coast of the peninsula of India. The word means ‘the realm of Chora’.Portugues, who enter the Indian coastline firstly, used the name Coromandel by their documents and maps. The East India Company adopted it in their official documents. Their consultation books and diaries were thus inscribed, ‘The Diary and consultation Books of the Agent Governor and council; their proceedings and transactions for the affairs of the 2626 ISSN: 2005-4289 IJDRBC Copyright ⓒ2020 SERSC International Journal of Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Vol.11, No. 3, (2020), pp. 2625–2629 honorable East India company in the agency of the coast of Chormandel and the Bay of Bengal”.7 A circumvent the hegemony of the Mughals and issues of Marathas, British moved to settled southern part of India. Indeed, their choice would be Coromandel Coast, which ruled native Hindu king called Venkatanayaka. An avoiding the interference of the kingdom, and made possibility of the trading British has enthusiastically settled in Coromandel. Coromandel was much famous for its goods like spices, clothes like calicoes and painting muslins.8 In a gradual development of the British have started their trading post, factories and made defensive architecture in and around the Coromandel Coast. However, some of the settlements failed to fulfill their wish. Earlier Aramagon, British have established their settlements northern part of Coromandel. Then they established another settlement in Masulipatam, might be acted as principal factory in the Coromandel Coast on 1639 A.D.9 Defensive Architecture The terms relating to forts and fortifications classifies into several names like fort, fortified city, fortified factory, fortified port, fortress, ramparts and walls, parapet, Marlon, embrasure, Machicolations, gate/gateway, bastions, the citadel, main fort, secondary fort and outpost.10 The defensive architecture primarily called as fort, means which construction specially designed for defense of a particular place against the forces of enemies. Forts