Tamil Nadu Timeline

Swadeshi

8 events, 1872 to 1936; 2 marked as turning points.

  1. 1872

    1. 5 Sep 1872OttapidaramPolitics

      Birth of V. O. Chidambaram Pillai

      V. O. Chidambaram Pillai, later the founder of the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company, was born at Ottapidaram in Tirunelveli district.

  2. 1884

    1. 4 Oct 1884BatlagunduPolitics

      Birth of Subramania Siva

      Subramania Siva, independence activist, writer and associate of V. O. Chidambaram Pillai, was born at Batlagundu.

  3. 1906

    1. 16 Oct 1906 to 1911ThoothukudiEconomy

      V. O. Chidambaram Pillai founds the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company

      To compete with British lines on the Tuticorin-Colombo route, V. O. Chidambaram Pillai registered an Indian-owned shipping firm.

  4. 1907

    1. 15 Aug 1907ChennaiEconomy

      Indian Bank founded in Madras

      Inspired by the Swadeshi movement, the Indian-owned Indian Bank opened in Madras following the failure of Arbuthnot & Co.

  5. 1908

    1. 27 Feb 1908ThoothukudiProtest

      Coral Mill strike in Tuticorin

      Led by V. O. Chidambaram Pillai and Subramania Siva, Coral Mill workers in Tuticorin struck against poor pay and harsh conditions.

    2. 12 Mar 1908 to 12 Dec 1912TirunelveliProtest

      Arrest of V. O. Chidambaram Pillai and Tirunelveli unrest

      The arrest of V. O. Chidambaram Pillai and Subramania Siva on sedition charges set off unrest in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin.

  6. 1921

    1. Sep 1921MaduraiPolitics

      Gandhi adopts the loincloth at Madurai

      During a tour of the Madras Presidency, Mahatma Gandhi gave up his full attire and began wearing only a loincloth at Madurai.

  7. 1936

    1. 18 Nov 1936ThoothukudiPolitics

      Death of V. O. Chidambaram Pillai

      Nationalist pioneer V. O. Chidambaram Pillai, who had started the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company, died in Thoothukudi.