COIMBATORE, Tamil Nadu

Main Attraction: AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY

The third largest city of Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore, is one of the most industrialized cities in Tamil Nadu. It is known as the textile capital of South India or the Manchester of the South. The State Agricultural University is situated about 5 kms from Coimbatore Railway Station. Originally, it was a Agricultural College. Later on, it had its beginnings in the Agricultural Demonstration Farm that was started in 1868 in Saidapet, Chennai. 

This was shifted to Coimbatore in 1907 and became Agricultural College of repute in the course of time. Today, it is function as Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, one of the sixteen major Agricultural Universities in the country and one of the best in South Asia, from where students come to it in large numbers.

Brief History

Originally Coimbatore district formed part of the Kongu country, the history of which dates back to the Sangam age. It is found that in early days the area was inhabited by tribes, the most predominant among them being the Kosars reported to have had their headquarters at Kosampathur which probably later became the present Coimbatore. However, tribal predominance did not last long as they were over-run by the Rashtrakutas. From Rashtrakutas the region fell into the hands of the Cholas who were in prominence at the time of Raja Raja Chola. 

On the decline of Cholas the Kongu territory was occupied by the Chalukyas and then by the Pandyas and the Hoysalas from the first quarter of the 13th century A.D. Due to internal strife in the Pandiyan kingdom the Muslim rulers from Delhi happened to interfere. Alauddin Khilji, the Emperor of Delhi sent army under the command of Malik and Kajur. Vijayanagar rulers then wrestled for the region during 1377-78 after overthrowing the Madurai Sultanate. For a few years the area remained under independent control of Madurai Nayakars.

During the period of MuthuVeerappaNayakar and later during the period of Tirumalai Nayakar internal strife and intermittent wars ruined the kingdom. From 1530-1700 Kongunad remained under the Madurai Nayakars. As a consequence during the period of Tirumalai Nayakar, the Kongu region fell into the hands of the Mysore ruler Chamaraja Wodayar, from whom Hyder Ali took over the area. However, consequent upon the fall of Tippu Sultan of Mysore in 1799, the Kongu region came to be ceded to the East India Company by the Maharaja of Mysore who was restored to power by the East India Company after defeating Tippu Sultan. After defeating Tippu Sultan in the Anglo-Mysore Wars, the British East India Company annexed Coimbatore to the Madras Presidency in 1799.

In1804, for the sake of better administration the district which was in two parts were merged into one and was brought under the control of District Collector. In 1865, Coimbatore was established as the capital of the newly formed Coimbatore district and in 1866 it was accorded the municipality status. Sir Robert Stanes became the first Chairman of the Coimbatore City Council. In 1868, the Nilgiris District was bifurcated from the Coimbatore District. Industrialization has begun in 1888. The city experienced a textile boom in 1920s and 1930s. During post-independence peroid Coimbatore has seen rapid growth due to Industrialization and continued to be important industrial centers of the country, particularly for textile and allied industries and manufacture of motor pumps. 

Pre-independence exploration has reported urn burials and Iron Age graves at Makkinaikenpatti and Nattukkalpalayam near Pollachi. Iron Age monument at Chettipalayam near Coimbatore was excavated during 1930-34. In 1842, an earthen pot containing 522 Roman Dinari silver coins was dug up at Vellalur a small village 10 km south of Coimbatore. A pot was unearthed in 1800 at Pollachi, containing a great many Roman coins of Augustus and Tiberius (Buchanam 1807:318-319).

In 1817, a silver coin of Augustus was unearthed from a place in Coimbatore. The location of all the reported excavated sites lies on Mettupalayam-Coimbatore, Coimbatore-Pollachi and Coimbatore-Erode railway lines. The colonial administrators faithfully recorded these sites and provided a good picture on the nature of monuments that prevailed in the western part of Coimbatore region.

In post-Independence era, Coimbatore region received the attention of different institutions like Archaeological Survey of India, Tamil Nadu State Archaeology Department, Tamil University and Pondicherry University. Between1957 and 1963, Srinivasa Desikan reported several Iron Age sites in Coimbatore and Erode regions like cairn-circles at Virapandi, Gudalur, Billichi and Vellamadai; a double-chambered port-hole cist at Kalapatti; urn-burials at Periyanayakanpalayam; the russet-coated painted ware at Vellaimedu in Kalapatti, at Nattamedu in Sircarsamakkulam and at Ottakalmantapam and two Neolithic implements, a Celt and a hammer-stone, in the 27 vicinity of an urnburial site at Sircarsamakkulam. 

Archaeological Survey of India under the direction of K.V. Soundra Rajan and B.Narasimhaiah excavated Perur in 1970-71 and 1978-79 and subsequent excavation of Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology site in the year 2001-02, yielded black-and-red ware, red ware, brick structures and terracotta objects.