Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-3 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in

Evolution Of Roadways In

Dr.K.Neela Pushpam Asst.Prof Of History, Sfr College For Women,Sivakasi.

Abstract: The most obvious feature of modern The ancient period revealed the civilization that may be considered as an index of a development of roadways in Tamil Nadu during the country’s prosperity is its system. That is period of Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas. promote civilization of a country.1 Quick and Sangam Age easy communication between communities, states During the Sangam period, the main trade and nations is one of the greatest forces in modern routes, such those going over the , civilization.The first evidence of road development went through thick forests. It was the duty of the in the Indian subcontinent can be traced back to state to protect the merchant caravans on these approximately 4000BC from the ancient cities of trade routes from robbers and wild life. Main roads, Harappa and Mohenjodaro of the Indus Valley known as Peruvali, were built that connected the Civilization. National Highways wing exercises distant parts of the country. These roads were as central government funds from Ministry of Road important to the army as they were to the Transport and Highways for improvement works. merchants. Out of 25 National Highways in Tamil Nadu, 12 The Sangam literature Silapathikaram NH’s runs inside the Tamil Nadu. Today has spoke about the existence of road between Uraiyur a road network of over 3.314 million kilometres of (Trichy) and . This road linked Trichy, roadway, making it the third largest road network Pudukottai, Thirumayam, Tirupathur and Madurai. in the world. The history of roadways of Tamil Lingaapuran, a Lankan Chieftain who waged war Nadu can be discussed under three headings as against Kulasekara Pandyan in 1170 A.D. used this ancient period, transition period and modern road for transport. Sundara Pandyan conquered period. Chola country through this road only.The inscriptions of this Pandyan are seen in this KEYWORDS: National Highways,vadis, peruvali , , particularly in Velankudi and Mangammal Salai , The Surplus Pagoda Funds, Ponamaravathi. Malik Kafur who robbed off Postal Communication, Indian Road Congress Madurai in 1311 reached Madurai through this road (IRC) and Nagpur Plan. from Trichy. Through todays’ Kasi- th highway he reached Rameswaram.The 14 century INTRODUCTION: Muslim scholar Amir Kusuru also mentioned about this road. Tamil Nadu (then ), Pallava Period one of the most urbanised states of the country also The travelogue of Hiuen-Tsang, a Chinese had a long history towards the development of traveller who paid visit to India during the first part th roads. From Sangam age to Colonial period, the of the 7 century B.C., when Harsha in the north roads of Tamil Nadu had travelled a long distance and Pallavas in the south were reigning, leaves a to enhance the socio economic status of the people. vivid account of the ancient highways in South The reveals that road India. As accounted by him, the major routes of building was given importance during the period of these periods were almost the same as they were Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas and later by the Nayaks. during the earlier centuries. The major routes when Significant progress has been made during the formed underwent little change with the passage of reign of Rani Mangamma. The history of time. From Hiuen Tsang’s account it is evident roadways of Tamil Nadu can be discussed under that the roads during that time were maintained in three headings as ancient period, transition period good condition and were safe. Pilgrims were able and modern period. to move about freely all over the country. Chola Period ANCIENT PERIOD Cholas who are the great builders of temples are also the excellent road makers. The Cholas from 10th to 14th century extended many roads to improve trade and commerce of the

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Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-3 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in country. Roads are mentioned in several they diverted their abundant treasures for erecting inscriptions of the Chola period from all parts of temples and mahals. The Queen then decided that the country. To maintain these roads, great and roads with trees, where passers-by can rest small, in good repair were part of the duty of local in the shade during the fierce heat of the day may authorities and the villagers were often expected to be an atonemnet for the misdeed. These roads were give freely the labour (vetti, amanji) required for it. lined by trees on either side. Many miles of such Two classes of roads may be distinguished avenues or salais are still extent in southern - vadis and peruvali; the vadis were only slightly districts of Tamil Nadu and they go by the name better than and apparently not suited to Mangammal Salai. wheeled . One such vadi in Uttarmerur was But the roads constructed by Mangammal washed away by the floods and the path became in Madurai and Districts were good unfit for use even by cattle; in remaking the path, enough for wheeled traffic and that they were being the sabha decided to widen it and purchased the constantly used by country bullock carts for adjoining lands from the ryots to whom they conveying merchandize from place to place. belonged. The better class of roads is called Mangammal salai are still seen in some peruvali, the great road, in the inscriptions. districts of the State. There is one such salai which Pandyas Period occasionally breaks connecting Tirunelveli with In Fahien’s (a Chinese traveller) account, Srivilliputtur. Another salai runs along the side of mention has been made about the roads in the modern road from Cheranmahadevi to Kalakad district. This account which was (the ancient counterpart of the present National made in 1845, may be the earliest mention of the Highways) and then from Alwarkuruchi to roads in the district. Fahien’s records provide even Sivasailam; the old route from Tirunelveli through the minutest details of the route and locations of the Vaippar to Rameshwaram was one such salai. places he visited. Albeit he did not pay any visit to Poligars Period , he has made reference to The Poligars who ruled the southern districts of Kancheepuram, which was then the capital of Tamil Nadu under the auspices of the Nayaks who Tondaimandalam and stated that it was well linked were under the authority of the Nawabs (1529- by roads to the north as far as Prathisthana, the 1802) did not spend any money on public works, capital town of Satavahana Empire. not to mention roads. It was a continuous period of Thus in the ancient period, Tamil Nadu strife; strife among themselves and strife against had good communication facilities, especially road the paramount. networks were fit for carts and animal transport. Tipu Sultan The pilgrims and merchants were the major Tipu Sultan was considered to be a passengers of the ancient period. These good roads pioneer in the construction of roads. The primary only paved the way for the entry of British into purpose of the roads connecting Madras to Calcutta India as traders. in the north and the kingdom of Travancore in the south was to serve as lines of communication TRANSITION PERIOD during wars. The best known road ran through the wild With the decline of the ancient kings, the broken country on the left bank of the Cauvery to Tamil territories were parcelled out among several the west of and Dharmapuri taluks. The petty kings such as the Nayaks of Madurai and route lay from Denkanikottai via Anchetti and and Poligars who declared themselves Geratti to Pennagaram, thence via Morasarahalli independent. This period was termed as transition and Donnakuttahalli to the Toppur River. period as this was a period of political, economic Thus in the transition period, the good and social instability which enabled the British to roads of the ancient period got degraded because of take full advantage. Because of political the non-maintenance of existing roads by the instability, there was no promotion in the Nayaks and Poligars except by one or two. development of roads during Nayaks and Poligars period. MODERN PERIOD Nayaks Period With the arrival of the East India Existence of good roads during the early Company at Madras in 1639, a new chapter was days, very particularly before the advent of the opened in the and very soon, English was rare. The Nayaks who ruled over the most of South India came under the hegemony of southern part of Tamil Nadu for quite a number of the British. During the next two centuries, the East years neither spent their money nor applied their India Company gradually extended its influence mind on the need for road construction, despite and obtained possession of the entire area from Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 261

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-3 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in

Cape Comorin to the Northern circars, the Danish latter being paid for by government and the former station of Tranquebar, the French settlements at from the surplus temples funds of Tinnevelly. Pondicherry and the territories of the five native Tanjore contained several large and States all of which together came to be called celebrated temples richly endowed by the former Madras Presidency with its capital city at Madras. Hindu rulers of the province. As all the Hindu The area of the then Madras Presidency was temples situated in the Presidency of Madras were 1,41,705 sq. miles. not in possession of such handsome endowments as From the stand point of the development those in Tanjore and Tinnevelly; it was not possible of roadways, the period of British India (modern to improve the communications of the Presidency period) can be divided into two : (1) Early period with the help of this so called surplus Pagoda or the transition period and (2) the era of transport funds. revolution. Postal Communication The Early Period (1800 – 1857) Thus road construction for the purpose of As already stated, the conditions of roads ordinary communication and commercial growth during the rule of the Company continued to did not receive proper attention from the Britishers deteriorate. There was a general lack of interest in until 1845. But roads became an essential thing, road development and whichever roads existed, when postal communication was under progress. they remained badly neglected. But as a measure At first the repairing work of the road from to consolidate their gains and to enlarge their Calcutta to Delhi was taken up at an estimated cost activity, the Company took interest in the of Rs.1.5 million. Similarly Calcutta and Bombay development of the roads of the Presidency were also connected by a good road. The between 1800 – 1850. between Bombay and Agra was completed around By the end of the first fifty years of the 19th the same time. century, wheeled carriage were profitably run in a Formation of the Road Department large area of the Presidency even though many The construction and maintenance of roads in places were lacking the advantages of roads leading the early days of the East India Company was to distant markets. Extensive use of common carts attended to by three different agencies, the or bullock bandy for the traffic between the inland Maramath Department of the Board of Revenue, districts and the coast was proof of the improved the Trunk Road Department and the Engineering conditions of many hundreds of miles sent roads in Department of the Military Board. The the Presidency. Engineering Department looked after the roads and But the only road which was then said to be in in Madras city and in all the cantonments; fair order was the road from via the Trunk Road Department looked after all trunk Melur and Madurai to Tirumangalam and roads; while the Maramath Department looked Tirunelveli, and, even the important road from after all other roads. These three Departments Dindigul to Madurai was stated to be “for the most shared the work of improving and maintaining the part in a very ruinous state”. communications of the Presidency until 1845. The Surplus Pagoda Funds Next year, roads between Tiruvallur and Another important measure adopted by the Ennore and Chunambet and Tindivanam were Government in 1845 in connection with the constructed.In addition to these, the cross road improvement of the roads was the allotment of a from Chengalpattu to Kancheepuram, road from large part of the accumulated surplus Pagoda funds Kancheepuram to the Western Highway, road from to road development. While the Hindu temples to and cross road from were under the official management of the Southern Trunk Road to Pallavaram post office, the Collectors, the affairs of those institutions being Major Trunk Road from Madras to Tiruchirappalli economically administered by the British revenue passing through Pallavaram and Chengalpattu were officers, a large surplus accrued annually and was constructed during this period. placed at the disposal of the Pagoda concerned. Thereby the following four trunk roads were The balance was given up for local placed permanently under Captain Best: improvements, including laying of roads, one lakh 1. The Western Road to the Mysore Frontier of the amount being exclusively devoted to the about 200 miles formation of a road connecting Tinnevelly with the 2. The Southern Road to Trichinopoly about port of Tuticorin. Rs.73,304 was sanctioned in 205 miles 1845 for making 42.4 km of road to connect the 3. The Northern Road with the branch to cotton depot of Aruppukottai with the trunk road at Cuddapah 785 miles Ettayapuram. Of the above distance 22.4 km was 4. The Sumpajee Ghat Road from Mysore in Thoothukudi and 20 km in the through Coorg to Mangalore Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 262

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-3 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in

the Public Works Department in 1858, a new era 105 miles was opened in the history of roadways. The Era of Transport Revolution (1857 – 1947) In 1850, the importance of the systematic As already mentioned, the early period of management and execution of the public works road construction and development in Madras throughout the Presidency had attracted the Presidency had been characterised by slow attention of the Court of Directors in and progress and piece meal development. In the later therefore a Public Works Commission was part of the 19th century, the policy of administrative appointed under their orders in 1851. The decentralisation was progressively followed by the commission reviewed the working of the British rulers in India, and the resulting growth of Department and submitted its report in 1852. local bodies contributed to the scattered The table furnished below provided the special development of roads. This was an era of transport grants afforded by the Government for the revolution not only for Madras Presidency but for maintenance of roads. the country as a whole. With the establishment of

Year Grants for Special Repair Rs. in Grants for Bridges and Causeways Rs. lakhs in lakhs 1911-1912 3.98 - 1912-1913 4.00 3.00 1913-1914 8.00 8.00 1914-1915 8.00 5.98 1915-1916 5.26 - 1916-1917 - 2.53 1917-1918 5 4.79 1918-1919 25.00 7.84 1919-1920 11.00 2.91

Jayakar Committtee conference of Provincial Chief Engineers was held The Government of Indi a appointed a at Nagpur in December 1943 under the Road Development Committee, also known as chairmanship of J.Vsugar to prepare a road Jayakar Committee under the chairmanship of development plan on a national scale. The M.R.Jayakar to go into the whole question of road conference of Chief Engineers evolved a road financing and management. According to the development plan for the country, which popularly committee, the total mileage of roads in 1927 was came to be known as the Nagpur Plan. 1,99,140, of which only 30 percent was surfaced. The Nagpur Plan was the starting point of Indian Road Congress (IRC) road development on a national scale. The plan Indian Road Congress is a semi- aimed at bringing every village within 8kms of a official body of professional engineers set up in highway in a well developed agricultural area and December 1934. It is playing an important role in within 32 kms in an under developed area.It road development. Following these classified the road system, laid down standards and recommendations, certain grants were made from estimated the length of each class of roads for 20 time to time for various experiments. The IRC has years. discussed 199 technical papers at its general At the same time, the Nagpur Plan sessions on subjects covering all aspects of road envisages the expansion of roads. All previous development in India. It also fixed road standards efforts at road development had been mostly local, relating to geometric and other features of road dispersed, and had no overall perspective. The construction and maintenance. Then it published a roads were classified into national highways, code of practice on bridges and provincial highways, district roads and village specifications. roads. National highways are those which provide Nagpur Plan for an interrupted traffic throughout the country, The importance of roads came into a sharp connecting ports, towns, state capitals and foreign focus during the Second World War, which called highwyas. Provincial highways are those which for large scale mobilisation of resources. It was connect the state capital with district headquarters evident then that the railways alone were far too and important centres of trade and industry within a inadequate to meet the emergent requirements of state. The major district roads are those which transport. It was in these circumstances that a serve the areas of production and markets,

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Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-3 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in connecting them with one another and with 11. Madras Information, Vol. IX, No. 11, railways stations. Village roads are those which dated October 1955. connect villages with one another and the nearest 12. G. O. No. 4771, Local Municipal, dated district roads and railway stations. 10.121936. Conclusion: 13. Maclean, C.D., Manual of the Thus roadways of Madras Presidency Administration of the Madras Presidency, have travelled a long distance to achieve this point Vol. I, Madras, 1885. of 26,201 miles of metalled roads and 14,406 miles 14. Velmani, K.S.K., Gazetteer of India Tamil of unmetalled roads before independence. This Nadu State Tirunelveli District, Vol. II point of development is possible because of the , 2002. efficient ruling of ancient Tamil Nadu by rulers 15. Ramaswamy, A., Ramanathapuram like Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas. Though they Gazetteer, Madras, 1990. laid road for cart transport, it initiates the latter 16. Mukherji, P., Indian Constitutional development of roadways. The western style of Documents, Calcutta, 1918. road came to light with the invading of British in 17. Baliga, B.S., Madurai Gazetteer, Madras, 17th century in the Presidency. 1960. References: 18. G. O. No. 2486, Local Administration, dated 16.11.1945. 1. K.K.Nambiar,’Road Planning’ Madras 19. Mahinder Singh, L.K. and L.K.Kadiyali, Information, December 1954. Crisis in Road Transport, New Delhi, 2. Ministry of Road Transport and 1990. Highways, Government of India. 20. G.O. No. 162, Local Municipal , dated “National Highways in Tamil Nadu”. 15 1.1.1929. July 2010. 21. Deshpande, K.A., “Indian Road Congress” 3. Tamil Nadu Highways Department, Journal Transport and Communication, “National Highways Wing”. 15.07.2010. Monthly Review, dated January 1958. 4. K.G.Ramaswami, Transport in India, 22. G.O. No. 2486, Local Administration, Amudha Nilayam Publications, Madras, dated 16.11.1945. 1957. 23. G.O. No. 114, Local Administration, dated 5. V.VenkataRao,The Administration of the 18.01.1946. District Boards in the Madras 24. Madras Information, Vol. XIV, No. 2, Presidency(1884-1945)..The Local Self- dated February 1965. Govt.Institute.Bombay 25. G.O. No. 242, Local and Municipal, dated 6. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana 25.01.1923. (PMGSY) including Bharat Nirman (Rural 26. G.O. No. 1445, Local Administration, Connectivity) Program Review”. Ministry dated 22.04.1938. of Rural Development, Government of 27. G.O. No. 1353, Local and Municipal, India, July 2011. dated 31.03.1936. 7. Madras Information, Vol. XIV, No. 2, 28. G.O. No. 2486, Local Administration, dated February 1965. dated 16.11.1945. 8. Geograhical and Statistical Memoir of the 29. Sukla Bhaduri, Transport and Regional Provinces of Madurai and Dindigul, Vol. Development: A Case Study of Road III, 1882. Transport of West Bengal, New Delhi, 9. Edgar Thurston, Provincial Geographies 1992. of India : The Madras Presidency with Mysore, Cambridge, 1913. 10. John Capper, “The Three Presidencies of India”, Asian Educational Service, Madras, 1997.

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