97-522: Kodumanal is a village located in the Erode district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu . It was once a flourishing ancient trade city known as Kodumanam , as inscribed in Patittrupathu of Sangam Literature . The place is an important archaeological site, under the control of State Archaeological Department of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the northern banks of Noyyal River , a tributary of
194-541: A canal system provide irrigation and drainage for the district. The other major tributaries of the Kaveri including the Noyyal and Amaravati , emerge from the mountains in the west. The region has a tropical climate and the climate is characterized by dry weather throughout the year, except during the monsoons . The region depends on monsoons for rainfall. In March, the temperature begins to rise, which persists until
291-611: A group of prominent merchants and explorers met to discuss a potential East Indies venture under a royal charter . Besides Fitch and Lancaster, the group included Stephen Soame , then Lord Mayor of London ; Thomas Smythe , a powerful London politician and administrator who had established the Levant Company ; Richard Hakluyt , writer and proponent of British colonization of the Americas ; and several other sea-farers who had served with Drake and Raleigh. On 22 September,
388-497: A hero; his circumnavigation raised an enormous amount of money for England's coffers, and investors received a return of some 5,000 per cent. Thus started an important element in the eastern design during the late sixteenth century. Soon after the Spanish Armada 's defeat in 1588, the captured Spanish and Portuguese ships and cargoes enabled English voyagers to travel the globe in search of riches. London merchants presented
485-686: A matrimonial alliance with both Pandyas and Cholas. After the defeat of Veera Ballala III of the Hoysalas, the region came under the control of the Delhi Sultanate . In the 15th century, Vijayanagara empire defeated the Mughals and established sway over the region. After the Vijayanagara empire fell in 1646, the region was ruled by various Nayak governors of the erstwhile Vijayanagara empire who declared independence. They introduced
582-682: A petition to Elizabeth I for permission to sail to the Indian Ocean. The aim was to deliver a decisive blow to the Spanish and Portuguese monopoly of far-eastern trade. Elizabeth granted her permission and in 1591, James Lancaster in the Bonaventure with two other ships, financed by the Levant Company , sailed from England around the Cape of Good Hope to the Arabian Sea , becoming
679-568: A private fleet of 200 ships. It specialised in the spice trade and gave its shareholders 40% annual dividend. The British East India Company was fiercely competitive with the Dutch and French throughout the 17th and 18th centuries over spices from the Spice Islands . Some spices, at the time, could only be found on these islands, such as nutmeg and cloves; and they could bring profits as high as 400 per cent from one voyage. The tension
776-719: A relative of the Grand Mughal , though there is no evidence to suggest that it was his daughter and her retinue. The loot from the Ganj-i-Sawai had a total value between £325,000 and £600,000, including 500,000 gold and silver pieces, and has become known as the richest ship ever taken by pirates. When the news arrived in England it caused an outcry. To appease Aurangzeb, the East India Company promised to pay all financial reparations, while Parliament declared
873-637: A young Mughal Prince as Emperor with the Company as the de jure protectors of the Empire from their position of direct control in Bengal. This relationship was repeatedly strained as the Company continued its expansion and exploitation, however it lasted in some form until 1858 when the last Mughal Emperor was exiled as the Company was disbanded and its assets were taken over by the British Crown. In 1634,
970-462: Is also a leading producer of milk and other dairy products . The transportation system in the district is well-developed with the district well-connected by a wide road network and a limited rail network. The district has one major railway station, Erode Junction . It is one of the major stations in the state and handles nearly 165 trains. It has a diesel locomotive shed and an electric loco shed attached to it. The Highways Department of
1067-501: Is bordered by Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka State in the north. To the east, across the Kaveri River , lies Salem and Namakkal districts . It is bordered by Karur district in the southeast, Tirupur district in the south with Coimbatore and Nilgiris districts in to the west. Western Ghats runs through the district and it is straddled by Eastern Ghats which is separated by Moyar River . The region comprises
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#17327724484881164-470: Is further subdivided into 10 taluks for administrative purposes. The district has one municipal corporation ( Erode ), one selection grade municipality ( Gobichettipalayam ), one first grade municipality ( Sathyamangalam ) and two second grade municipalities ( Bhavani and Punjai Puliampatti ). There are 42 town panchayats in the district. The Tamil Nadu Police , operates under the Home ministry of
1261-457: Is one of the leading producers of silk cocoon in the country, with one of the country's first automated silk reeling units located here. Other major horticultural crops include fruits, vegetables, tapioca and yam , spices, betel vine and cocoa and flowers like rose , jasmine and marigold . The district is one of the most industrialized districts in the state with more than 23,000 small scale industries and 1,200 factories. Textiles
1358-577: Is one of the oldest medical colleges in the state. Institute of Road and Transport Technology is a automobile research institute established by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation in 1984. Apart from this, there are many arts and science, engineering and management colleges in the district oldest of which include Chikkaiah Naicker College (1954) and Gobi Arts and Science College (1968). Erode has many places of interest, attracting tourists from all over
1455-698: Is the other major industry in the district. The district is known for its handloom textile products and ready-made garments. In 2005, Bhavani Jamakkalam was registered as a Geographical Indication. There are nearly 49,000 handloom and 39,000 powerlooms operating in the district with the sector employing more than 45,000 people. There are about 13 co-operative societies involved in the production and marketing of textiles. Other major industries include oil mills , rice mills , food processing , leather products , paper products , vehicle parts , electrical equipment and metallic products. There are more than 450 oil mills involved in edible oil production. The district
1552-451: Is the third largest by area, as of 2024. The headquarters of the district is Erode . The district is divided into two revenue divisions, Erode and Gobichettipalayam , and is further subdivided into 10 taluks . The district is landlocked and lies towards the mid of the Indian peninsula and is bordered by the state of Karnataka to the north. Western Ghats pass through the region and
1649-401: Is watered by Kaveri River which meets its major tributary Bhavani in the district. It covers an area of 6,036 km (2,331 sq mi), and had a population of 2,251,744 as per the 2011 census . The major spoken language is Kongu Tamil , a dialect of Tamil . Hinduism is the major religion with nearly 94% adherents. Archeological evidence from Kodumanal indicate that the region
1746-697: The Fancy , reached the Straits of Bab-el-Mandeb , where he teamed up with five other pirate captains to make an attack on the Indian fleet returning from the annual pilgrimage to Mecca . The Mughal convoy included the treasure-laden Ganj-i-Sawai , reported to be the greatest in the Mughal fleet and the largest ship operational in the Indian Ocean, and its escort, the Fateh Muhammed . They were spotted passing
1843-793: The Golden Hind he achieved this, and then sailed across the Pacific Ocean in 1579, known then only to the Spanish and Portuguese. Drake eventually sailed into the East Indies and came across the Moluccas , also known as the Spice Islands, and met Sultan Babullah . In exchange for linen, gold, and silver, the English obtained a large haul of exotic spices, including cloves and nutmeg. Drake returned to England in 1580 and became
1940-768: The British Empire took control of the region from the British East India Company in 1857. After Indian Independence in 1947, the region was part of the Madras State , which later became Tamil Nadu. The district was part of the erstwhile Coimbatore district and came into existence on 17 September 1979. The district is landlocked , and is situated roughly at the center of the Indian Peninsula between latitude 10 36" and 11 58" north and between longitude 76 49" and 77 58" east. It
2037-628: The Cauvery . The inhabitants of this destroyed ancient city of Chera dynasty were highly skilled craftsmen, who were specialized in making beads and high-quality iron. The place is referred to in Sangam literature as an important industrial centre that had links with the Chola port city of Kaveripoompattinam, now called Poompuhar . The city played a major role in Indo-Roman trade and relations , as
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#17327724484882134-570: The China , India, and Japan trade routes. In 1596, three more English ships sailed east but all were lost at sea. A year later however saw the arrival of Ralph Fitch , an adventurer merchant who, with his companions, had made a remarkable nine year overland journey to Mesopotamia , the Persian Gulf , the Indian Ocean, India and Southeast Asia. Fitch was consulted on Indian affairs and gave even more valuable information to Lancaster. In 1599,
2231-601: The English Company Trading to the East Indies ) was floated under a state-backed indemnity of £2 million. The powerful stockholders of the old company quickly subscribed a sum of £315,000 in the new concern, and dominated the new body. The two companies wrestled with each other for some time, both in England and in India, for a dominant share of the trade. It quickly became evident that, in practice,
2328-682: The First Opium War in 1839, which involved a succession of British naval attacks along the Chinese coast over the course of several months. As part of the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842, the Qing were forced to give British merchants special treatment and the right to sell opium. The Chinese also ceded territory to the British, including the island of Hong Kong . The prosperity that the officers of
2425-559: The Government of Tamil Nadu and is responsible for maintaining law and order in the district. It is headed by Superintendent of Police and operates 37 police stations spread across five geographical sub-divisions: Erode Town, Erode Rural, Bhavani, Gobichettipalayam and Sathyamangalam. The judicial system with Madras High Court as the appellate authority, operates a district magistrate court at Erode with jurisdictional magistrate courts at Erode, Gobichettipalayam and Bhavani. Parts of
2522-831: The Palayakkarar system under which the region was divided into 24 Palayams (towns). In the later part of the 18th century, the region came under the Kingdom of Mysore and after the Anglo-Mysore Wars , the British East India Company annexed the region to the Madras Presidency in 1799. The region played a prominent role in the Second Polygar War (1801) when it was the area of operations of Dheeran Chinnamalai . Later,
2619-712: The Straits of Malacca by ousting the Portuguese in 1640–1641. With reduced Portuguese and Spanish influence in the region, the EIC and VOC entered a period of intense competition, resulting in the Anglo-Dutch wars of the 17th and 18th centuries. The British were also interested in trans-Himalayan trade routes, as they would create access to untapped markets for British manufactured goods in Tibet and China. This economic interest
2716-441: The 1770s in exchange for goods like porcelain and tea , causing a series of opioid addiction outbreaks across China in 1820. The ruling Qing dynasty outlawed the opium trade in 1796 and 1800, but British merchants continued illegally nonetheless. The Qing took measures to prevent the East India Company from selling opium, and destroyed tens of thousands of chests of opium already in the country. This series of events led to
2813-448: The 2011 census, 81.76% of the population spoke Tamil , 10.32% Telugu , 5.40% Kannada and 1.14% Urdu as their first language. Kongu Tamil (also called Kangee or Kongalam ), a dialect, is predominantly spoken in the district. As per the census, Hinduism was the predominant religion with nearly 94% adherents. The district is headquartered at Erode and is divided into two revenue divisions, Erode and Gobichettipalayam . It
2910-717: The British state and the Royal Navy in the form of the West Africa Squadron , which discovered various ships had contained evidence of the illegal trade. In 1613, during the rule of Tokugawa Hidetada of the Tokugawa shogunate , the British ship Clove , under the command of Captain John Saris , was the first English ship to call on Japan. Saris was the chief factor of the EIC's trading post in Java, and with
3007-561: The Cholas, ruled the region autonomously later starting. These rulers bore the title Konattar and adopted Chola titles and surnames. In the 13th century CE, after the death of Vikrama Chola II, the Pandyas under Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I annexed the region. The rule of the Pandyas came to an end with the death of Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I in 1318 CE. The Hoysalas ruled the region for sometime later with Vira Someshwara having
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3104-477: The Dutch. This compelled the company to formally abandon their efforts in the Spice Islands, and turn their attention to Bengal where, by this time, they were making steady, if less exciting, profits. After gaining the indifferent patronage of the Mughal Empire , whose cities were 'the megacities of their time' and whose wealth was unrivaled outside of Asia in the 17th Century, the Company's first century in
3201-539: The EIC surrendered in 1690, and the company sent envoys to Aurangzeb 's camp to plead for a pardon. The company's envoys had to prostrate themselves before the emperor, pay a large indemnity, and promise better behaviour in the future. The emperor withdrew his troops, and the company subsequently re-established itself in Bombay and set up a new base in Calcutta. The East India Company's archives suggest its involvement in
3298-556: The East Indies . For a period of fifteen years, the charter awarded the company a monopoly on English trade with all countries east of the Cape of Good Hope and west of the Straits of Magellan . Any traders there without a licence from the company were liable to forfeiture of their ships and cargo (half of which would go to the Crown and half to the company), as well as imprisonment at the "royal pleasure." The charter named Thomas Smythe as
3395-587: The Indian Ocean. The company achieved a major victory over the Portuguese in the Battle of Swally in 1612, at Suvali in Surat . The company decided to explore the feasibility of a foothold in mainland India, with official sanction from both Britain and the Mughal Empire , and requested that the Crown launch a diplomatic mission. Company ships docked at Surat in Gujarat in 1608. The company's first Indian factory
3492-530: The Indian subcontinent and Hong Kong . At its peak, the company was the largest corporation in the world by various measures and had its own armed forces in the form of the company's three presidency armies , totalling about 260,000 soldiers, twice the size of the British Army at certain times. Originally chartered as the "Governor and Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East-Indies,"
3589-488: The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan extended his hospitality to the English traders to the richest region of the Mutual Empire Bengal , and in 1717 customs duties were completely waived for the English in Bengal. The company's mainstay businesses were by then cotton, silk, opium, indigo dye , saltpetre , and tea. The Dutch were aggressive competitors and had meanwhile expanded their monopoly of the spice trade in
3686-863: The Mughal-ruled areas was spent cultivating their relationship with the Mughal Dynasty, and conducting peaceful trade at great profit. At first it should be said the EIC was drawn into the Mughal system, acting as a kind of vassal to Mughal authority in present-day Bangladesh: from this position that the EIC would ultimately outplay and outmaneuver everyone else in the region, to eventually use that same system to hold power. What started as trading posts on undesirable land were developed into sprawling factory complexes with hundreds of workers sending exotic goods to England and managing protected points to export English finished goods to local merchants. The Company's initial rise in Bengal and successes generally came at
3783-645: The ancient city is located on the mid-way of a Roman trade route, linking Muziris port on the Malabar Coast with the Kaveripoompattinam ( Puhar ) Port in the Coromandel Coast. The iron and steel furnaces and iron artefacts produced in these places revealed the technical advancement made by the iron smelters around 500 BC. The excavated sword bit contained spheroidal graphite phase and forge welding of high-carbon cutting edge. This place
3880-1096: The assistance of William Adams , an English sailor who had arrived in Japan in 1600, he was able to gain permission from the ruler to establish a commercial house in Hirado on the Japanese island of Kyushu : We give free license to the subjects of the King of Great Britaine, Sir Thomas Smythe, Governor and Company of the East Indian Merchants and Adventurers forever safely come into any of our ports of our Empire of Japan with their shippes and merchandise, without any hindrance to them or their goods, and to abide, buy, sell and barter according to their own manner with all nations, to tarry here as long as they think good, and to depart at their pleasure. Unable to obtain Japanese raw silk for export to China, and with their trading area reduced to Hirado and Nagasaki from 1616 onwards,
3977-639: The banks of the Noyyal River show traces of civilization from 4th century BCE. Kodumanal is mentioned in Patiṟṟuppattu literature from the first century CE as a thriving industrial and commercial center. The evidence indicates that the region was ruled by the Cheras during the Sangam period (2nd century BCE to 3rd century CE) and it formed part of a ancient Roman trade route. The region came under
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4074-409: The chaos widened and the stakes were raised. Ultimately, the company won out, generally through as much diplomacy and state-craft(fraud and deception). The gradual rise of the EIC within the Mughal network culminated in the Second Anglo-Maratha War , in which the Company successfully ousted the Empire's official protectors in the Maratha, the Maratha high water point in their rise to power, and installed
4171-452: The coast of China that helped secure EIC ports in China, independently attacking the Portuguese in the Persian Gulf Residencies primarily for political reasons. The company established trading posts in Surat (1619) and Madras (1639). By 1647, the company had 23 factories and settlements in India, and 90 employees. Many of the major factories became some of the most populated and commercially influential cities in Bengal, including
4268-428: The company closed its factory in 1623. The first of the Anglo-Indian wars occurred in 1686 when the company conducted naval operations against Shaista Khan , the governor of Mughal Bengal . This led to the siege of Bombay and the subsequent intervention of the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb . Subsequently, the English company was defeated and fined. In September 1695, Captain Henry Every , an English pirate on board
4365-522: The company enjoyed allowed them to return to Britain and establish sprawling estates and businesses, and to obtain political power, such as seats in the House of Commons. Ship captains sold their appointments to successors for up to £500. As recruits aimed to return to Britain wealthy by securing Indian money, their loyalties to their homeland increased. The company developed a lobby in the English parliament. Pressure from ambitious tradesmen and former company associates (pejoratively termed Interlopers by
4462-500: The company rose to account for half of the world's trade during the mid-1700s and early 1800s, particularly in basic commodities including cotton , silk , indigo dye , sugar , salt , spices , saltpetre , tea , and later, opium . The company also initiated the beginnings of the British Raj in the Indian subcontinent . The company eventually came to rule large areas of the Indian subcontinent, exercising military power and assuming administrative functions. Company-ruled areas in
4559-505: The company's factories in India and imprison their officers, who were almost lynched by a mob of angry Mughals , blaming them for their countryman's depredations, and threatened to put an end to all English trading in India. To appease Emperor Aurangzeb and particularly his Grand Vizier Asad Khan , Parliament exempted Every from all of the Acts of Grace (pardons) and amnesties it would subsequently issue to other pirates. The East India Company started selling opium to Chinese merchants in
4656-443: The company), who wanted to establish private trading firms in India, led to the passing of the deregulating act in 1694. This act allowed any English firm to trade with India, unless specifically prohibited by act of parliament, thereby annulling the charter that had been in force for almost 100 years. When the East India Company Act 1697 ( 9 Will. 3 . c. 44) was passed in 1697, a new "parallel" East India Company (officially titled
4753-400: The continent as they individually contended with others, steadily amassing more land and power in India to themselves. In the 18th Century, the primary source of the Company's profits in Bengal became taxation in conquered and controlled provinces, as the factories became fortresses and administrative hubs for networks of tax collectors that expanded into enormous cities. The Mughal Empire was
4850-475: The district fall under three Parliamentary Constituencies : Erode , Nilgiris and Tiruppur . The district consists of eight assembly constituencies of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly : Anthiyur , Bhavani , Bhavani Sagar , Erode East , Erode West , Gobichettipalayam , Modakurichi and Perundurai . Agriculture is the major contributor to the economy of the district. Paddy , plantain , silk , cotton , turmeric , coconut and sugarcane are
4947-451: The district incorporating parts of Sathyamangalam and Gobichettipalayam taluks form the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve , part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is the largest protected area in Tamil Nadu. The region has one of the largest Indian Elephant and Bengal Tiger populations in the country. According to the 2011 census , Erode District had a population of 2,251,744 with a sex-ratio of 993 females for every 1,000 males, above
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#17327724484885044-442: The district is based predominantly on agriculture and textiles . The district is the top turmeric producer in Tamil Nadu, making up 43% of statewide production and is also a major producer of plantain , coconuts and white silk . The district is known for handloom and ready-made textile products. Erode Turmeric and Bhavani Jamakkalam are recognized Geographical Indications . Archaeological excavations from Kodumanal on
5141-447: The district with major hospitals located at Erode , Perundurai and Gobichettipalayam, apart from other private hospitals. Erode district has several facilities for higher education. The district is divided into two educational districts, Gobichettipalayam and Erode . There are 1731 schools in the district including 113 nursery schools, 125 government aided schools and 216 self-financing schools. Erode Medical College at Perundurai
5238-507: The district. The district is divided into two postal divisions, namely Erode and Gobichettipalayam with three head post offices at Erode, Bhavani and Gobichettipalayam. The district is serviced by almost all leading mobile phone operators including Bharti Airtel , BSNL , Vodafone Idea and Reliance Jio offering 4G and 5G mobile services. Wireline and broadband services are offered by major operators and other smaller local operators. There are about 1354 beds in government hospitals across
5335-447: The eighteenth century, the region came under the Kingdom of Mysore and after the Anglo-Mysore Wars , the British East India Company annexed the region to the Madras Presidency in 1799. The region played a prominent role in the Second Polygar War (1801) when it was the area of operations of Dheeran Chinnamalai . The district was part of the erstwhile Coimbatore district and came into existence on 17 September 1979. The economy of
5432-424: The end of May, with the highest temperatures recorded during the period. The average maximum temperature is 39 °C (102 °F) and the average minimum temperature is 21 °C (70 °F). The south-west monsoon winds passing through the Palghat gap loses most of its moisture when reaching the district and the region receives about 238 mm (9.4 in) of rainfall in the months from June to August from
5529-432: The excavation of this site include roulette pottery, Roman silver coins, and gold and silver spirals. A bronze statue of a lion and the iron melting furnaces were important to deciphering the site's history. Erode district Erode District is one of the 38 districts in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu . It was the largest district by area in the state before the formation of Tirupur district in 2009 and
5626-425: The expense of competing European powers through the art of currying favors and well-placed bribes, as the company was matched at every step with French expansion in the region (whose equivalent company carried substantial royal support). See French East India Company . Throughout the entire century the company only resorted to force against the Mughals once, with terrible consequences. The Anglo-Mughal war (1686–1690)
5723-466: The first East India Company voyage in 1601 aboard Red Dragon . The following year, whilst sailing in the Malacca Straits , Lancaster took the rich 1,200 ton Portuguese carrack Sao Thome carrying pepper and spices. The booty enabled the voyagers to set up two " factories " (trading posts) – one at Bantam on Java and another in the Moluccas (Spice Islands) before leaving. On return to England in 1603, they learned of Elizabeth's death, but Lancaster
5820-432: The first English expedition to reach India that way. Having sailed around Cape Comorin to the Malay Peninsula , they preyed on Spanish and Portuguese ships there before returning to England in 1594. The biggest prize that galvanised English trade was the seizure of a large Portuguese carrack , the Madre de Deus , by Walter Raleigh and the Earl of Cumberland at the Battle of Flores on 13 August 1592. When she
5917-470: The first governor of the company, and 24 directors (including James Lancaster) or "committees", who made up a Court of Directors. They, in turn, reported to a Court of Proprietors, who appointed them. Ten committees reported to the Court of Directors. By tradition, business was initially transacted at the Nags Head Inn, opposite St Botolph's church in Bishopsgate , before moving to East India House in Leadenhall Street . Sir James Lancaster commanded
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#17327724484886014-458: The group stated their intention "to venture in the pretended voyage to the East Indies (the which it may please the Lord to prosper)" and to themselves invest £30,133 (over £4,000,000 in today's money). Two days later, the "Adventurers" reconvened and resolved to apply to the Queen for support of the project. Although their first attempt had not been completely successful, they sought the Queen's unofficial approval to continue. They bought ships for
6111-455: The high altitude regions of the north sloping gently towards a long undulating plain in the south. Bhavani River cuts the district roughly in the middle, flowing from west to east. It enters the district at Sathyamangalam , crossing Gobichettipalayam taluk before joining the Kaveri River flowing from the north, near the eastern edge at Bhavani . The river feeds the Bhavanisagar reservoir and Kodiveri Dam are major dams, which along with
6208-448: The imperial patronage, soon expanded its commercial trading operations. It eclipsed the Portuguese Estado da Índia , which had established bases in Goa , Chittagong , and Bombay ; Portugal later ceded Bombay to England as part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza on her marriage to King Charles II . The East India Company also launched a joint attack with the Dutch United East India Company (VOC) on Portuguese and Spanish ships off
6305-415: The influence of the Pandyas during the reign of Arikesari Maravarman in the seventh century CE. Later, the region was ruled by various dynasties such as Rashtrakutas and Western Gangas . The medieval Cholas conquered the Kongu Nadu in the 10th century CE. While the region was directly under the control of the Imperial Cholas till 1064 CE, the Kongu Cholas who were probably vassals or viceroys of
6402-443: The major agricultural crops. The district is the top turmeric producer in Tamil Nadu, making up 43% of statewide production. Erode is an important market centre for turmeric, being known as "Turmeric City" and Erode Turmeric is a recognized Geographical Indication . The district is also the leading producer of plantain, coconuts and white silk in Tamil Nadu. Gobichettipalayam is a major center for copra and plantain trading and
6499-692: The national average of 929. A total of 195,213 were under the age of six, constituting 99,943 males and 95,270 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 16.41% and 0.97% of the population, respectively. The literacy rate of the district was 66.29%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The district had a total of 658,071 households. There were 1,195,773 workers: 173,376 cultivators, 331,414 main agricultural labourers, 48,960 in household industries, 557,301 other workers, 84,722 marginal workers, 38,798 marginal agricultural labourers, 5,362 marginal workers in household industries, 4,794 marginal cultivators and 35,768 other marginal workers. As per
6596-440: The nearby Coimbatore district, which has regular flights from/to major domestic destinations and international destinations like Sharjah , Colombo and Singapore . Fire services are handled by the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services which operates 11 operating fire stations. The district is served by extensive postal and telephone networks. Postal service is handled by India Post , which operates more than 320 post offices in
6693-402: The original company faced scarcely any measurable competition. The companies merged in 1708, by a tripartite indenture involving both companies and the state, with the charter and agreement for the new United Company of Merchants of England Trading to the East Indies being awarded by Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin . Under this arrangement, the merged company lent a sum of £3,200,000 to
6790-476: The pirates hostis humani generis ("the enemy of humanity"). In mid-1696 the government issued a £500 bounty on Every's head and offered a free pardon to any informer who disclosed his whereabouts. The first worldwide manhunt in recorded history was underway. The plunder of Aurangzeb's treasure ship had serious consequences for the English East India Company. The furious Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb ordered Sidi Yaqub and Nawab Daud Khan to attack and close four of
6887-409: The power of the EIC, King Charles II granted the EIC (in a series of five acts around 1670) the rights to autonomous territorial acquisitions, to mint money, to command fortresses and troops and form alliances, to make war and peace, and to exercise both civil and criminal jurisdiction over the acquired areas. In 1689, a Mughal fleet commanded by Sidi Yaqub attacked Bombay. After a year of resistance
6984-498: The pre-1707 Mughal fiefs and holdings, with their capital Delhi routinely under the control of Maratha, Afghan, or usurper generals' armies. The EIC was able to take advantage of this chaos, slowly assuming direct control of the province of Bengal , and fighting numerous wars against the French for control of the east coast. The Company's position in the Mughal court as it fell apart made it possible to sponsor various powerful people on
7081-688: The region gradually expanded after the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and by 1858 most of modern India, Pakistan and Bangladesh was either ruled by the company or princely states closely tied to it by treaty. Following the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857 , the Government of India Act 1858 led to the British Crown assuming direct control of present-day Bangladesh, Pakistan and India in the form of the new British Indian Empire . The company subsequently experienced recurring problems with its finances, despite frequent government intervention. The company
7178-456: The region's battlefields for a thousand years, with cannon so well integrated that the Mughals fought with cannon mounted on elephants; all were no match to line infantry with decent discipline supported with field cannon. Repeatedly, a few thousand company sepoys fought vastly larger Mughal forces numerically and came out victorious. Afghan, Mughal, and Maratha factions started creating their own European-style forces, often with French equipment, as
7275-459: The richest in the world in 1700, and the East India Company tried to strip it bare for a century thereafter. Dalrymple calls it "the single largest transfer of wealth until the Nazis." What was in the 17th century the production capital of the world for textiles was forced to become a market for British-made textiles. Statues, jewels, and various other valuables were moved from the palaces of Bengal to
7372-648: The slave trade began in 1684, when a Captain Robert Knox was ordered to buy and transport 250 slaves from Madagascar to St. Helena . The East India Company began using and transporting slaves in Asia and the Atlantic in the early 1620s, according to the Encyclopædia Britannica, or in 1621, according to Richard Allen. Eventually, the company ended the trade in 1834 after numerous legal threats from
7469-429: The south-west monsoon. After a warm and foggy September, the north-east monsoon starts from October, lasting until early November. The district gets most of its rainfall from the north-east monsoon, averaging about 287 mm (11.3 in) annually. The district gets a total average annual rainfall of 652 mm (25.7 in). The major soil types found here are loamy soil and clay soil . The northern part of
7566-490: The state and neighbouring states. Erode Central Bus Terminus , which serves as a major hub, is one of the largest in the state. Due to its proximity to the states of Karnataka and Kerala , Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses also operate in the district. The nearest major airport is the Coimbatore International Airport located in
7663-433: The state and other neighboring states. Notable ones include: British East India Company The East India Company ( EIC ) (1600–1874) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region , initially with the East Indies (South Asia and Southeast Asia), and later with East Asia. The company gained control of large parts of
7760-979: The state was established in April 1946 and is responsible for construction and maintenance of national highways , state highways, major district roads and other roads in the state. It operates through two divisions at Erode and Gobichettipalayam. The major arterial roads include NH-544 , NH-948 , NH-544H and NH 381A . State Highways include SH-15 , SH-15A, SH-81 , SH-79, SH-82, SH-84 and SH-96. The district has four Regional Transport Office sub-divisions, namely Erode East (TN 33), Gobichettipalayam (TN 36), Perundurai (TN 56) and Erode West (TN 86). Gobichettipalayam RTO has two sub-offices, namely Bhavani (TN 36W) and Sathyamangalam (TN 36Z). The Coimbatore division of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) operates inter and intra-city routes. The State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) operates express bus services from Erode and Gobichettipalayam to major cities across
7857-408: The straits en route to Surat . The pirates gave chase and caught up with the Fateh Muhammed some days later, and meeting little resistance, took some £40,000 of silver. Every continued in pursuit and managed to overhaul Ganj-i-Sawai , which resisted strongly before eventually striking . Ganj-i-Sawai carried enormous wealth and, according to contemporary East India Company sources, was carrying
7954-536: The townhouses of the English countryside. Bengal in particular suffered the worst of Company tax farming, highlighted by the Great Bengal famine of 1770 . The primary tool of expansion for the company was the Sepoy. The Sepoys were locally raised, mostly Muslim, soldiers with European training and equipment, who changed warfare in present-day South Asia. Mounted forces and their superior mobility had been king on
8051-540: The upper hand by establishing a stronghold in the spice islands (now Indonesia), enforcing a near-monopoly through aggressive policies that eventually drove the EIC to seek trade opportunities in India instead. The English company opened a factory (trading post) in Bantam on Java on its first voyage, and imports of pepper from Java remained an important part of the company's trade for twenty years. English traders frequently fought their Dutch and Portuguese counterparts in
8148-615: The venture and increased their investment to £68,373. They convened again a year later, on 31 December 1600, and this time they succeeded; the Queen responded favourably to a petition by George, Earl of Cumberland and 218 others, including James Lancaster, Sir John Harte , Sir John Spencer (both of whom had been Lord Mayor of London ), the adventurer Edward Michelborne , the nobleman William Cavendish and other aldermen and citizens. She granted her charter to their corporation named Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading into
8245-575: The walled forts of Fort William in Bengal, Fort St George in Madras, and Bombay Castle . The first century of the Company, despite its original profits coming primarily from piracy in the Spice Islands between competing European powers and their companies, saw the East India Company change focus after suffering a major setback in 1623 when their factory in Amboyna in the Moluccas was attacked by
8342-510: Was a complete defeat, ending when the EIC effectively swore fealty to the Mughals to get their factories back. The East India Company's fortunes changed for the better in 1707 when Bengal and other regions under Mughal rule fell into anarchy after the death of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb . A series of large-scale rebellions, and the collapse of the Mughal taxation system led to the effective independence of virtually all of
8439-411: Was brought in to Dartmouth she was the largest vessel ever seen in England and she carried chests of jewels, pearls, gold, silver coins, ambergris , cloth, tapestries, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, benjamin (a highly aromatic balsamic resin used for perfumes and medicines), red dye, cochineal and ebony. Equally valuable was the ship's rutter (mariner's handbook) containing vital information on
8536-764: Was dissolved in 1874 under the terms of the East India Stock Dividend Redemption Act enacted one year earlier, as the Government of India Act had by then rendered it vestigial, powerless, and obsolete. The official government machinery of the British Empire had assumed its governmental functions and absorbed its armies. In 1577, Francis Drake set out on an expedition from England to plunder Spanish settlements in South America in search of gold and silver. Sailing in
8633-541: Was established in 1611 at Masulipatnam on the Andhra Coast of the Bay of Bengal , and its second in 1615 at Surat. The high profits reported by the company after landing in India initially prompted James I to grant subsidiary licences to other trading companies in England. However, in 1609, he renewed the East India Company's charter for an indefinite period, with the proviso that its privileges would be annulled if trade
8730-1113: Was highly successful, and Jahangir sent a letter to James through Sir Thomas Roe: Upon which assurance of your royal love I have given my general command to all the kingdoms and ports of my dominions to receive all the merchants of the English nation as the subjects of my friend; that in what place soever they choose to live, they may have free liberty without any restraint; and at what port soever they shall arrive, that neither Portugal nor any other shall dare to molest their quiet; and in what city soever they shall have residence, I have commanded all my governors and captains to give them freedom answerable to their own desires; to sell, buy, and to transport into their country at their pleasure. For confirmation of our love and friendship, I desire your Majesty to command your merchants to bring in their ships of all sorts of rarities and rich goods fit for my palace; and that you be pleased to send me your royal letters by every opportunity, that I may rejoice in your health and prosperous affairs; that our friendship may be interchanged and eternal. The company, which benefited from
8827-769: Was knighted by the new king, James I , on account of the voyage's success. By this time, the war with Spain had ended but the company had profitably breached the Spanish-Portuguese duopoly; new horizons opened for the English. In March 1604, Sir Henry Middleton commanded the company's second voyage . General William Keeling , a captain during the second voyage, led the third voyage aboard Red Dragon from 1607 to 1610 along with Hector under Captain William Hawkins and Consent under Captain David Middleton . Early in 1608, Alexander Sharpeigh
8924-577: Was made captain of the company's Ascension , and general or commander of the fourth voyage. Thereafter two ships, Ascension and Union (captained by Richard Rowles), sailed from Woolwich on 14 March 1608. This expedition was lost. Initially, the company struggled in the spice trade because of competition from the well-established Dutch East India Company . This rivalry led to military skirmishes, with each company establishing fortified trading posts, fleets, and alliances with local rulers. The Dutch, better financed and supported by their government, gained
9021-510: Was once celebrated for its trade in precious stones like garnet, carnelian, lapis lazuli , sapphire and quartz. The people of this city were experts in manufacturing the finest iron. Excavations uncovered ancient iron objects such as arrow heads and swords. They also produced Roman artefacts, iron melting furnaces, beads, shell bangles and pottery with the Tamizhi scripts (from the habitation deposits and burials). Other artifacts uncovered during
9118-511: Was ruled by the Cheras during the Sangam period (2nd century BCE to third century CE) and it formed part of a ancient Roman trade route. The region was ruled by the Pandyas before the medieval Cholas conquered it in the tenth century. The region was ruled by Vijayanagara Empire in the fifteenth century followed by the Nayaks who introduced the Palayakkarar system. In the later part of
9215-603: Was showcased by the Anglo-Nepalese war (1814–1816). The Draft History of the Qing records the Chinese Qing dynasty as formally commencing trade with the British in 1698. Within the first two decades of the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company or Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie , (VOC) was the wealthiest commercial operation in the world with 50,000 employees worldwide and
9312-527: Was so high between the Dutch and the British East Indies Trading Companies that it escalated into at least four Anglo-Dutch wars: 1652–1654, 1665–1667, 1672–1674 and 1780–1784. Competition arose in 1635 when Charles I granted a trading licence to Sir William Courteen , which permitted the rival Courteen association to trade with the east at any location in which the EIC had no presence. In an act aimed at strengthening
9409-688: Was unprofitable for three consecutive years. In 1615, James I instructed Sir Thomas Roe to visit the Mughal Emperor Nur-ud-din Salim Jahangir (r. 1605–1627) to arrange for a commercial treaty that would give the company exclusive rights to reside and establish factories in Surat and other areas. In return, the company offered to provide the Emperor with goods and rarities from the European market. This mission
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