Administration

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.

Great Trigonometrical Survey begins at Madras

Measuring a baseline close to Madras, William Lambton set the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India in motion.

Village Settlement revenue experiment

A Village Settlement system of land revenue was tried in several Tamil districts before ryotwari became the norm.

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.

Madras Regulation VII of 1817 on temple endowments

The Madras government passed Regulation VII of 1817, the first explicit Company legislation on the management of temple endowments.

Ellis orders new wells during the Madras water shortage

During a severe drinking water shortage in Madras, Collector Francis Whyte Ellis had 27 wells dug, one bearing a Tamil inscription honouring Thiruvalluvar.

Thomas Munro becomes Governor of Madras

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

Board of Public Instruction set up in Madras

The Madras government founded a Board of Public Instruction in 1826 to oversee education in the Presidency.

First census of Madras city

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

Madras Pioneers renamed the Madras Sappers and Miners

The Madras Pioneers, raised in 1780, were renamed the Corps of Madras Sappers and Miners in 1831.

Charter Act of 1833 centralises lawmaking

The Government of India Act 1833 removed the Madras government's power to make its own laws and centralised it in Calcutta.

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.

Indian Councils Act restores Madras legislative powers

Through the Indian Councils Act 1861, the Madras Presidency regained law-making powers and gained an advisory Madras Legislative Council.

Indian Penal Code comes into force

Drafted under Macaulay and enacted in 1860, the Indian Penal Code took effect throughout British India, the Madras Presidency included.

Madras High Court established

Crown Letters Patent created the High Court of Judicature at Madras in place of the Supreme Court of Madras.

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.

T. Muthuswamy Iyer becomes first Indian judge of Madras High Court

T. Muthuswamy Iyer became the first Indian to be appointed a judge of the Madras High Court, a decision that caused controversy at the time.

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 Hindu Religious Endowments Act

A law passed under the Justice Party government placed Hindu temple endowments under the oversight of a statutory board.

V. S. Srinivasa Sastri becomes India's Agent in South Africa

The Union of South Africa received its first Agent from India: V. S. Srinivasa Sastri, a Liberal leader from Madras.

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.

Raja of Bobbili becomes Premier

The Raja of Bobbili, a zamindar, replaced B. Munuswamy Naidu as Premier and led the last Justice Party ministry before 1937.

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.

P. T. Rajan becomes First Minister

For a few months, while the Raja of Bobbili was on leave, Justice Party leader P. T. Rajan was First Minister of the Madras Presidency.

C. Rajagopalachari forms first Congress ministry

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

A. Ramaswami Mudaliar becomes first ECOSOC president

Arcot Ramaswami Mudaliar, a Justice Party leader from Madras, was the first President of the UN Economic and Social Council.

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.

Defence Services Staff College re-established at Wellington

After Partition the Indian staff college was re-established at Wellington in the Nilgiris, replacing the Staff College at Quetta.

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.

C. Rajagopalachari becomes Governor-General of India

C. Rajagopalachari succeeded Lord Mountbatten as Governor-General, the only Indian to hold the office.

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.

P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja becomes Premier of Madras

P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja succeeded O. P. Ramaswamy Reddiyar as Premier and later became the first Chief Minister of Madras State.

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.

K. Kamaraj becomes Chief Minister

After Rajaji's resignation, K. Kamaraj became Chief Minister of Madras State and served for over nine years.

French India transferred de facto to India after the Kizhoor referendum

After the Kizhoor referendum, Pondicherry, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahe passed de facto from France to the Indian Union.

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.

Madras State Electricity Board formed

The Madras State Electricity Board, later the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, took over power generation and distribution in the 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.

Madras State Housing Board formed

The City Improvement Trust of 1947 was expanded into a statewide housing board, later the Tamil Nadu Housing Board.

De jure transfer of the French settlements to India

Once France ratified the Treaty of Cession, Pondicherry and the other former French settlements legally became part of India.

Kamaraj Plan; M. Bhaktavatsalam becomes Chief Minister

Kamaraj resigned as Chief Minister under his plan for senior leaders to work for the party, and M. Bhaktavatsalam succeeded him.

Dharmapuri district carved out of Salem

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

C. N. Annadurai becomes Chief Minister

C. N. Annadurai was sworn in as the first non-Congress Chief Minister of Madras State since independence, heading a DMK government.

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.

Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation founded

The state set up the Civil Supplies Corporation to procure and distribute food grains and essential commodities.

Pallavan Transport Corporation formed for Madras buses

The Pallavan Transport Corporation took over city bus services in the Madras metropolitan area with 1,029 buses.

Women first recruited into the Tamil Nadu Police

The first batch of women police, a sub-inspector, a head constable and 20 constables, was recruited in Tamil Nadu in 1973.

Pudukkottai district formed

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

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.

Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board established

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board was set up as the state body to monitor and control pollution.

TASMAC established to handle liquor trade

Formed by the M. G. Ramachandran government, the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) handled wholesale liquor trade whenever prohibition was lifted.

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.

All-women police stations set up

The Jayalalithaa government opened police stations run entirely by women to handle complaints from women, starting in Chennai.

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.

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.

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.

Krishnagiri district carved out of Dharmapuri

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

Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court opens

A permanent bench of the Madras High Court began functioning in Madurai to serve the southern districts.

108 free emergency ambulance service begins

The state health department launched the free 108 emergency ambulance service, run in partnership with GVK-EMRI.

Vellore becomes a municipal corporation

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

Tiruppur district formed

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

Amma Pharmacy medical shops

Jayalalithaa opened the first ten 'Amma' pharmacies to sell quality medicines at fair prices.

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.

COVID-19 pandemic reaches Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu reported its first COVID-19 case in March 2020; the pandemic brought lockdowns and two severe waves.

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.

Udhayanidhi Stalin becomes Deputy Chief Minister

Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of M. K. Stalin, was elevated as Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

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.