Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under R.N.I 53640/91

Vol. XXXIV No. 9, August 16-31, 2024

Lost Landmarks of Chennai

The Old Fortified Wall of Madras

The following article has been sourced from the 1903 report of the Archaeological Survey of Madras and Coorg. The original can be sourced at this link – https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Annual_Report_of_the_Archaeological_Depa/umc_AAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=fortified+town+wall+of+madras+1903&pg=PA3&printsec=frontcover

This has been written by Alexander Rea, the then ­Superintendent of the ASI, Madras Circle. What is of interest is the number details it has about Muthialpet and Peddanaickenpet. It would seem that these stories were then current in Madras city and have faded away in the last 120 years. Also of interest is the detailed account of the wall itself. We reproduce the article without comments and purely out of academic interest.

– Sriram V

The remaining portion of the ancient, fortified wall of Madrasbuilt to protect the northern part of the town (formerly occupied by merchants and native inhabitants), is situated outside the limits of the more modern walls and beyond the range of the protection of the guns of Fort St. George. It marked the northern limit of the old town, and the open country was to the north of it.

The wall runs from a point near the sea on the east, in a westerly direction, and is constructed of a north outer and a south inner facing of brickwork, with an earth-work rampart between. A large bastion, which stands about the centre of the length of wall yet remaining, is of great interest and in fair preservation. It still retains all its features including the embrasures for the guns. It is closed on the inner or south side by a wall with an arched gateway, through which a brick causeway ascends to the level of the ramparts. At some distance on the east length of the wall, and again on the west of the bastion, are square platforms approached by sloping brick path-ways. These have each a brick-domed room underneath, probably used formerly as a magazine, or as a rest-house for the defenders ; but the rooms are now rented out, one of them being occupied by the Mutialapet Hindu Union. At intervals, the curtain wall is pierced by brick-arched subways, which are probably the lesser gates or posterns hereafter referred to. The wall itself has been much altered in parts, and utilized for the support of adjoining modern buildings. This is especially the case at the east end, opposite the municipal water pumping station, where the earth of the ramparts has been removed, and the space between the exterior and interior brick walls used to form a large water cistern

To the west of the wall, and near the Monegar Choultry, is another detached portion of it, with a large bastion. On the latter, is a building until lately occupied by students, but now vacant. In the Wall Tax Road is an old magazine, and in the same road, some of the old walls have been utilised as a manure depot.

The full extent of the wall is shown in a large plan preserved in the Secretariat of Fort St. George. The date of the erection of the wall, and other historical particulars regarding it, may possibly be contained in the military records of the Secretariat. But to these I have unfortunately had no access. Although the greater part of the wall above ground has now been demolished, it is probable that the foundations may yet in parts remain. Originally the wall apparently commenced at the southern extremity of the General Hospital, and passing along the Wall Tax Road as far as Basin Road, turned thence towards the east to Clive’s battery on the seacoast. This last is the part now remaining.

Bastions, mounted with guns commanding all external approaches to the walls, were situated at sufficient intervals, and for six hundred yards (or gun range) outside the walls, the ground was kept clear for the fire from the bastion guns. The wall was provided with five chief entrances, vis., one near the central railway station, one known as the Elephant gate, one as the Mint Street gate, another as the Monegar ChouItry gate, and the last in Tambu Chetti Street near Clive’s battery. Between these there were other small gates or posterns ; one opposite to Rasappa Chetti Street, one near the Salt Cotaurs, one at Muniyappa Mudali Street, and another between the Monegar Choultry gate and the Tambu Chetti Street gate. The walls are said to have remained intact up to about 45 years ago, and during that time the doors of the gateways were regularly closed each evening at 8 P.M., after which no one could pass in or out.

The tradition assigned to the name of the Elephant gate is, that a certain priest had occasion to enter the old town of Madras, bringing with him a large retinue including some elephants, but the gateway was so low, that it had to be broken down to allow the elephants to enter. The rebuilding was however completed before the elephants reached their destination, and the gateway received and retained the name.

The old town of Madras, within these walls, is known as Pedda Naidupet, after the watchman of that name. Pedda Naidu, a Polegar, who was granted a cowle, was in possession of several villages, and was appointed watchman of the city of Madras, for which he was allowed certain villages free. He had also certain privileges, which were at a later date resumed by Government. A pension of Rs. 350 was granted to Pedda Naidu’s son, Tyagappa, in 1808. On his death, the same pension was continued to his brother, Chengal Naidu, in 1825, and on his death, a reduced pension of Rs. 200 was given to his son, Angarappa, in 1841. After him a moiety of Rs. 100 was granted to his widow, Ravanamma, and son, Chengal Naidu, in 1856.

The deed of appointment of the watchman, by the Council of Fort St. George, states, that “having constituted and appointed you to be watchman of the city of Madras and the liberties thereof on the following terms, you must keep one hundred good peons for the preventing of robberies and other disorders in the said city and its liberties and for their maintenance we allow the following duties,” which are therein duly detailed.

The cowl granted to Pedda Naick also states that “when any person paying custom to you has been robbed, such person shall acquaint you, and if satisfaction is not obtained in due time application shall be made to the Governor in due time who will take proper measures to cause you to do justice.” In connection with this, stories are current as to how Pedda Naidu performed this part of his duties. One relates that an influential inhabitant lost a valuable ring, and reported the loss to Pedda Naidu, who endeavoured to trace it without immediate success. But, meanwhile, the ring had been swallowed by a fish, which was caught by a fisherman, who, on cutting it up, found the ring inside. The watchman happened to hear of this, and, recovering the ring, delivered it to its owner. Another version of the story is that he was “allowed ten fish out of every draft of a large net cast at sea,” and that he found the ring in one of the fishes so rendered to him.

A part of the town, towards the east of the present Popham’s Broadway, is still known as Mutialapet, after the name of Pedda Naidu’s daughter Mutialamma, on whom he conferred the income from this part of the town, while he reserved to himself the income of that portion towards the west, which is still known after his name Pedda Naidupet. Between these two portions of the town lies a Paracheri or street occupied by Pancamas. Regarding the origin of Pedda Naidu, the following tradition, narrated by one of his own descendants, is of interest.

Pedda Pedda Naidu and Pedda Naidu were two brothers, who owned some palayams (hamlets) in the northern countries. Being defeated in a fight, by invaders from the north, they fled from their village of Pidapalli and settled at Rayapuram in Madras. Meanwhile Chennappa Naick, the chief of Kalahasti, was at war with the chiefs of the surrounding 77 palayams, and in one of his incursions he invaded lgavari Palayam and conquered it. Igavaru, the chief, had a fortress on a hill, where he had placed his wife. The hill is known after the name of his wife, as Iga Vabhusani durgam. When she heard that her husband and his followers were defeated, and slain in the battle, she donned man’s attire, and sallied forth to contend with Chennappa Naick, whom she defeated in a single battle. The vanquished chief fled and took shelter in Rayapuram. The heroine, though successful in the fight, was so dejected at the loss of her husband and so many of his followers, that she put an end to her life.

The two brothers Pedda Pedda Naidu and Pedda Naidu afterwards met and defeated Chennappa Naick and slew him. The Nawab of the Carnatic, who had hitherto been much molested by the incursions of Chennappa Naick, was so pleased when he heard of the death of this chieftain, that he sent for the two brothers and appointed Pedda Naidu as kotwal or watchman of the old town of Madras. In The Vicissitudes of Fort St. George, page 23, it is mentioned that “as early as 1659, the Black Town was guarded by a police force under a Pedda Naick. In 1686 the inhabitants complained that robberies were very frequent, and that the Police peons were in league with the thieves and shared their plunder. The Pedda Naick did not deny the fact, and he even made good the losses. But he hinted that it was a generally admitted principle that salary and income were not exactly the same thing, and that the town had increased so much that his force was unequal to the task required of it. He was accordingly granted 18 paddy fields, and the right to collect a variety of petty customs, and in return he engaged to employ not less than fifty peons for the future. His memory is preserved to us in the Street that bears his name. Within the fort the Police duties were entrusted to a small company of soldiers, for many years under the command of a turbulent fellow named Seaton. The officers added to their pay by becoming proprietors of the Punch-houses which were frequented by their men.”

The ancient wall defined the extent of the town guarded by the peons of Pedda Naick or Naidu, and formed an enclosure to that part of the town now also known as Peddanaidupettai and Mutialapet. The Kotwal Chavadi, now used as a vegetable market, was probably connected with the office of the watchman.

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