CUDDALORE  , a

town of British India, in the South Arcot district of Madras, on the coast 125 M . S. of Madras by rail . Pop . (1901) 52,216, showing an increase of 1o% in the decade . It lies low, but is regarded as exceptionally healthy, and serves as a kind of sanatorium for the surrounding district . The principal exports are sugar, oil-seeds and indigo . There are two colleges and two high schools . In the neighbourhood are the ruins of Fort St David situated on the river Gadilam, which has i and 4 nat. size . as stirring a history a., any spot in the Presidency . As a small fort built by a Hindu merchant it fell into the hands of the Mahrattas after the capture of Gingi by Sivaji in 1677 . From them it was purchased by the English in 169o, the purchase including not only the fort but the adjacent towns and villages " within ye randome shott of a piece of ordnance." A great gun was fired to different points of the compass and all the country within its range, including the town of Cuddalore, passed into the possession of the English . The villages thus obtained are still spoken of as " cannon ball villages." From 1725 onwards the fortifications were greatly strengthened .

In 1746 Fort St Dayid became the British headquarters for the south of India, and

Dupleix' attack was successfully repulsed . Clive was appointed its governor in 1756; in 1758 the French captured it, but abandoned it two years later to Sir Eyre Coote . In 1782 they again took it and restored it sufficiently to withstand a British attack in 1783 . In 1785 it finally passed into British possession .