South Arcot District (Madras Presidency)
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South Arcot District was a district in the
In ancient times, South Arcot was a part of the
The economy is largely agricultural. South Arcot is noteworthy for lignite mines in Neyveli.
History
South Arcot was the southern portion of the
The British presence dates back to 1682, when the
The subah of Arcot was ceded to the
Administration
South Arcot district was sub-divided into four sub-divisions:
- Pennathur sub-division: Tindivanam taluk, Tiruvannamalai (partly: pennathur) taluk and Villupuram taluk.
- Tirukkoyilur sub-division: Kallakurichi taluk and Tirukkoyilur taluk.
- Chidambaram sub-division: Chidambaram and Vriddhachalam taluks
- Cuddalore sub-division: Cuddalore taluk.
Taluks
As of 1901, South Arcot district was sub-divided into eight taluks:
- Chidambaram (Area: 1,040 square kilometres (402 sq mi); Headquarters: Chidambaram)
- Cuddalore (Area: 1,160 square kilometres (448 sq mi); Headquarters: Cuddalore)
- Kallakurichi (Area: 2,260 square kilometres (873 sq mi); Headquarters: Kallakurichi)
- Tindivanam (Area: 2,110 square kilometres (816 sq mi); Headquarters: Tindivanam)
- Tirukkoyilur (Area: 1,510 square kilometres (584 sq mi); Headquarters: Tirukkoyilur)
- Tiruvannamalai (Area: 2,610 square kilometres (1,009 sq mi); Headquarters: Tiruvannamalai)
- Villupuram (Area: 1,320 square kilometres (509 sq mi); Headquarters: Villupuram)
- Vriddhachalam (Area: 1,490 square kilometres (576 sq mi); Headquarters: Vriddhachalam)
- Panruti;Headquarters:Panruti
Demographics
South Arcot had a population of 2,349,894 in 1901 and was the third most populous district in Madras Presidency. 94 percent of the population were
Economy
The economy of the district is largely agricultural. Attempts were made in the early part of the 19th century to establish iron mines at Porto Novo but failed due to lack of fuel. The most important industrial units in the district were the East India Distilleries factories at Nellikuppam and Thiruvennainallur. Chidambaram was an important centre of cotton and silk weaving.
Sources
- The Imperial Gazetteer of India, Volume 5. London: Clarendon Press. 1908.