Madras

Madras is the historic name for the city now known as Chennai, the capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The name Madras continues to appear in historical documents and in the names of several institutions dating from the British colonial era, such as the University of Madras and the Madras High Court. The city sits on the Coromandel Coast along the Bay of Bengal.

The area has a long history prior to British rule, with settlements in the region under Tamil dynasties such as the Pallavas and Cholas, later controlled by the Vijayanagara and Nayak polities. European contact began in the 16th–17th centuries, and the British East India Company established Fort St. George at the site in 1644, around which the settlement of Madraspatnam grew into a major port and administrative center. The Madras Presidency became a large colonial jurisdiction governing much of southern India until Indian independence in 1947. The University of Madras was established in 1857. After independence, the region became Madras State, which was renamed Tamil Nadu in 1969.

Today Chennai is a major economic and cultural hub in South India. It hosts the Tamil film industry (Kollywood), information technology and software services, and a significant port. The city retains several colonial-era institutions that remain important in legal, educational, and administrative contexts, including the Madras High Court and the University of Madras, underscoring the historical legacy of the name Madras.