Governance

Pudukkottai comes under Company protection

Through a subsidiary alliance, the Tondaiman state of Pudukkottai came under the protection of the East India Company.

Carnatic Treaty transfers the Carnatic to the Company

Nawab Azim-ud-Daula signed the Carnatic Treaty, handing the civil and military administration of the Carnatic to the East India Company.

Sivaganga settled on Gowri Vallaba Thevar

After the Maruthu brothers were executed, Sivaganga was settled in 1803 as a permanent estate on Gowri Vallaba Thevar.

Coimbatore district formed with Coimbatore as its capital

Coimbatore district was formed by the Company, with Coimbatore town as its headquarters.

Hugh Elliot becomes Governor of Madras

Diplomat Hugh Elliot, earlier Governor of the Leeward Islands, governed the Madras Presidency from 1814 to 1820.

John Sullivan explores the Nilgiris

Coimbatore Collector John Sullivan set out to explore the Nilgiri hills, leading to the founding of Ootacamund.

Thomas Munro becomes Governor of Madras

Thomas Munro served as Governor of Madras, establishing revenue and administrative systems that lasted into the twentieth century.

Governor Thomas Munro dies of cholera

Sir Thomas Munro, Governor of Madras and architect of the ryotwari system, died of cholera at Pattikonda while on tour.

First census of Madras city

The first census of the city of Madras was taken in 1831.

Wellington cantonment established in the Nilgiris

The military station of Jakkatalla in the Nilgiris was renamed Wellington and construction of its barracks began.

Carnatic Nawabship abolished under the Doctrine of Lapse

On the death of the last Nawab, Ghulam Muhammad Ghouse Khan, the Company abolished the Carnatic Nawabship.

Thanjavur annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse

After Raja Shivaji died without a male heir, the Company annexed the titular Maratha principality of Thanjavur.

Crown takes over the government of India

Following the Government of India Act 1858, a proclamation by Queen Victoria declared direct Crown rule over British India, the Madras Presidency included.

Governor Charles Trevelyan recalled

Madras Governor Sir Charles Trevelyan was recalled after his government publicly opposed James Wilson's new taxation proposals for India.

Lord Napier becomes Governor of Madras

Diplomat Francis Napier, 10th Lord Napier, governed the Madras Presidency from 1866 to 1872 and briefly acted as Governor-General.

Nilgiris separated from Coimbatore district

In August 1868 the Nilgiri hills were detached from Coimbatore district and given a commissioner of their own.

Governor Lord Hobart dies in office

Lord Hobart, Governor of Madras since May 1872, died unexpectedly of typhoid at Government House, Madras.

Ramanathapuram district formed

Ramanathapuram (Ramnad) district was created by combining parts of Madurai and Tirunelveli districts.

Ripon Building becomes home of the Madras Corporation

The Madras Municipal Corporation moved into the newly completed Ripon Building in 1913; Lord Minto had laid its foundation stone in 1909.

A. Subbarayalu Reddiar becomes first Premier of Madras

A. Subbarayalu Reddiar of the Justice Party took office as the first Chief Minister (Premier) of the Madras Presidency.

Raja of Panagal becomes Premier

Panaganti Ramarayaningar, the Raja of Panagal, succeeded Subbarayalu Reddiar and led two Justice Party ministries until 1926.

Madras Service Commission set up

Created by a Madras law, the Madras Service Commission was India's first provincial public service commission and the predecessor of TNPSC.

Office of Mayor of Madras created

The post of Mayor of Madras was revived and M. A. Muthiah Chettiar became the first holder of the modern office.

K. V. Reddi Naidu heads interim ministry

When the Congress hesitated to take office after winning the 1937 election, the Governor installed an interim ministry under K. V. Reddi Naidu.

C. Rajagopalachari forms first Congress ministry

C. Rajagopalachari became Premier of Madras at the head of the first Congress government in the Presidency.

S. Satyamurti becomes Mayor of Madras

Congress leader S. Satyamurti served as Mayor of Madras and pressed for the Poondi reservoir to improve the city's water supply.

T. Prakasam becomes Premier of Madras

T. Prakasam was elected Congress legislature leader and formed a ministry, defeating the candidate backed by Rajagopalachari.

O. P. Ramaswamy Reddiyar becomes Premier

O. P. Ramaswamy Reddiyar, backed by Kamaraj, became Premier of Madras and led the province through independence.

Pudukkottai princely state merges with the Indian Union

Pudukkottai, the princely state of the Thondaimans, joined India and was made a division of Tiruchirappalli district.

State emblem designed by R. Krishna Rao

Designed in 1949, the Madras government's emblem combined a temple gopuram with the Lion Capital of Ashoka.

Madras State established under the Constitution

With the Constitution of India in force, the Madras Province became Madras State, a Part A state of the Indian Republic.

Andhra State carved out of Madras State

The Telugu-speaking northern districts were separated from Madras State to form Andhra State, with Madras city remaining in Madras State.

States Reorganisation redraws Madras State

Malabar and South Canara left Madras State while Kanyakumari district and Shenkottai taluk were added, leaving a Tamil-majority state.

Tiruttani transferred from Andhra Pradesh to Madras State

Under the Andhra Pradesh and Madras (Alteration of Boundaries) Act, Tiruttani and nearby areas joined Madras State.

Dharmapuri district carved out of Salem

Dharmapuri became the first district created in the state after independence, split from Salem district.

Madras State renamed Tamil Nadu

With the Madras State (Alteration of Name) Act, 1968 in force, the state officially took the name Tamil Nadu.

Rajamannar Committee on Centre-State relations

The DMK government appointed a committee under P. V. Rajamannar to study state autonomy and Centre-State relations.

Madurai becomes a municipal corporation

Madurai became a municipal corporation, the first one set up in Tamil Nadu since independence.

Prohibition suspended in Tamil Nadu

The Karunanidhi government suspended prohibition and permitted the sale of arrack and toddy, before stopping it again in 1974.

Madras Metropolitan Development Authority constituted

A metropolitan development authority was set up to plan Madras city and its suburbs, becoming a statutory body in 1974.

Pudukkottai district formed

Pudukkottai was made a separate district, combining the former princely state with Aranthangi taluk of Thanjavur district.

Chief Ministers win right to hoist flag on Independence Day

Following Karunanidhi's demand, Chief Ministers won the right to hoist the national flag on Independence Day, and he did so at Fort St. George.

Periyar (Erode) district formed

Erode district, first named Periyar district, was carved out of Coimbatore district.

Coimbatore becomes a municipal corporation

Coimbatore, a municipality since 1866, was raised to municipal corporation status, becoming the third such body in Tamil Nadu.

Ramanathapuram district split into three

Ramanathapuram district was trifurcated into Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Virudhunagar districts.

Dindigul district re-established from Madurai

Dindigul district was carved out of Madurai district in September 1985.

Thoothukudi district formed

Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) district was carved out of Tirunelveli district on 20 October 1986.

North Arcot district split into Vellore and Tiruvannamalai

North Arcot was divided into the Tiruvannamalai Sambuvarayar and North Arcot Ambedkar districts.

Nagapattinam district carved out of Thanjavur

On 19 October 1991, Nagapattinam district was created by splitting the composite Thanjavur district in two.

South Arcot divided into Cuddalore and Viluppuram districts

The South Arcot district was bifurcated, creating Viluppuram district on 30 September 1993.

Tiruchirappalli becomes a municipal corporation

Tiruchirappalli was made a municipal corporation by merging the Srirangam and Golden Rock municipalities.

Salem becomes a municipal corporation

Salem municipality was declared the Salem City Municipal Corporation on 1 June 1994.

Tirunelveli becomes a municipal corporation

Merged with the municipalities of Palayamkottai and Melapalayam, Tirunelveli became a corporation.

Perambalur district carved out of Tiruchirappalli

The composite Tiruchirappalli district was split, forming Perambalur district on 1 January 1995.

Theni district carved out of Madurai

A government order of 7 July 1996 split Madurai district to form Theni district.

Madras officially renamed Chennai

The Tamil Nadu government officially changed the capital's name from Madras to Chennai.

Chengalpattu district split into Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur

The old Chingleput district was divided into Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur districts in 1997.

Tiruvarur district formed

Tiruvarur district was formed out of Nagapattinam district, with Valangaiman taluk added from Thanjavur.

Namakkal district begins functioning

Split from Salem district in July 1996, Namakkal district began operating on its own from 1 January 1997.

Cauvery River Authority set up

The Union government set up the Cauvery River Authority, chaired by the Prime Minister with the chief ministers of the basin states, to implement the interim award.

Ariyalur district carved out of Perambalur

Carved from Perambalur district in 2001, Ariyalur district was formed again on 23 November 2007.

Tamil Nadu bans the sale of lotteries

The Jayalalithaa government banned the sale of all lotteries in Tamil Nadu, including those run by agencies from other states.

Mass dismissal of striking government employees under TESMA

The state dismissed between about 170,000 and 200,000 striking government employees and teachers under its Essential Services Maintenance Act.

Krishnagiri district carved out of Dharmapuri

Krishnagiri became the 30th district of Tamil Nadu, taking in the industrial town of Hosur.

Vellore becomes a municipal corporation

Vellore was upgraded from a municipality to a municipal corporation on 1 August 2008.

Tiruppur becomes a municipal corporation

The knitwear town of Tiruppur was upgraded to a municipal corporation on 26 October 2008.

Tiruppur district formed

Tiruppur district was carved out of Coimbatore and Erode districts as the 32nd district of Tamil Nadu.

Cauvery Water Management Authority constituted

Following the Supreme Court's final Cauvery verdict, the Union government created the Cauvery Water Management Authority.

Tenkasi district carved out of Tirunelveli

On 22 November 2019, Tenkasi district was carved out of Tirunelveli district.

Kallakurichi district formed

Kallakurichi, announced on 8 January 2019 as the 33rd district, came into existence on 26 November 2019.

Vellore district trifurcated into Vellore, Ranipet and Tirupattur

Ranipet and Tirupattur districts, carved out of Vellore district, were officially declared on 28 November 2019.

Chengalpattu district carved out of Kanchipuram

Chengalpattu district, taking in Chennai's southern suburbs, came into existence on 29 November 2019.

Mayiladuthurai district carved out of Nagapattinam

Mayiladuthurai became the 38th district of Tamil Nadu, ending the discontiguous shape of Nagapattinam district.

Ungal Thoguthiyil Muthalamaichar grievance department

The new DMK government set up a department to resolve within 100 days the petitions Stalin had collected during his election campaign.

Kumbakonam upgraded to a municipal corporation

On 24 August 2021, Kumbakonam, which had been a municipality since 1866, became a municipal corporation.

Ungaludan Stalin service camps

Stalin launched 10,000 camps to deliver over 40 government services and take petitions at people's doorsteps, starting in Chidambaram.

Vijay government's first orders

On taking office, Chief Minister Vijay signed orders on free household electricity, a women's safety task force and anti-narcotics police stations.