Vizagapatnam the colonial name given to the city have
become one of the important and strategic power centre for the British.
British built its settlement here in Waltair which housed their Residence.
A branch of the English East India Company appears to have settled at
Vizagpatnam in the middle of the seventeenth century. The presence of the
Dutch, their rivals in trade at Bhimilipatnam and Vizagapatnam, and
'interloper' Thomas Bowerey who interfered with the Company to decide upon the
establishment of a factory and settlement at Vizagapatnam in 1682 A.D. In 1689
on account of a state of war betweeen Aurangazeb and the Company, the emperor
had got the Company's warehouses here seized and put all the English residents
to the sword. This disaster to the Company's warehouses here seized and put
all the English residents to the sword.
In 1690 two English Commissioners negotiated peace with the Moghul Emperor,
and as its result the cowle for the Madras settlements including "the English
factories at Metchlepatam, Madapallam, Vizagapatnam, etc., within the
territories of the Golconda country" was granted on 28th December 1690 by
Zulfikhar Khan, the Moghul General in the Deccan. On a representation from the
President and Council at Madras in April 1692, the same high official (the
Moghul General) permitted the Company to fortify their settlement at
Vizagapatnam to protect them and their goods against the depredations of the
various polygars and thieves.
In 1741 the Chief of the council at Vizagapatmam (Mr. John Stratton) in
inviting the serious attention of the authorities to the necessity of
strengthening the defences of the town. More European soldiers and ammunition
were sent from Madras, the only real work done on the defence seems to have
been the construction of "Benyon's battery" & "Middle Point" .
In 1744 the Maratha panic revived and estimates were submitted for 'buildig
and repairing sundry fortifications namely, "the battery on Dolphin's Nose
erroneously called the Dutch Battery, the small battery fornting the fort
(near the present flagstaff), the power magazine and the guard house. It was
urged that the battery on the Black Rock should be completed."
In 1753 Vizagapatnam captured by French
The defences of Vizagapatnam were not strong enough to resist the attack, and
the Chief Engineer of Madras who landed at Vizagapatnam on is way to Calcutta
in the "Marlborough" reviewed the defences with Captain Campbell who was
commanding the troops and both came to the conclusion that the place could not
be defended even with a larger force and that all the Europeans should be
immediately embarked leaving the sepoys with two or three officers to make the
best capitulation they could. The surf being high, the Europeans could not get
into the "Marlborough" and the capitulation was signed at 11 in the night
after the exchange of a few messages. The Indians were allowed to go where
they liked and all the Europeans were taken prisoners with their effects. The
"Marlborough" being at anchor at Bhimlipatnam, the Chief, Mr. Percival,
Captain Campbell and several others were permitted to embark on her to Bengal.
At the end of 1756 Bussy marched in person against Vizagapatnam and reached
the place on the 24th June 1757 with a very large force.
1758 Vizagapatam regained by Ananda Raz
In 1758 Ananda Raz attacked the Vizagapatnam Settlement which was in French
possession then and wrested it back from them. He then wrote to the Company at
Madras and Calcutta for reinforcements to enable him to drive the French out
of the Circars. Clive sent Clonel Forde to Vizagapatnam by sea from Calcutta
with a force of 500 Europeans, 2000 sepoys and 100 lascars. The Madras
authorities sent Mr. Andrews, Colonel Forde and several assitants to
re-establishing the Vizagapatnam Settlement. The army moved out of
Vizagapatnam on 1st November and on the 3rd joined Ananda Raz at Kasimkota.
On the 9th December, near Condor about 35 miles ENE of Rajahumndry, an action
was fought with the French which ranks as one of the decisive battles of
India, for as its result the Northern Circars were cleared of the French and
the English power established.
Vizagapatnam Sepoy Mutiny
On the 3rd of October 1780 a serious mutiny occured among the sepoys at
Vizagapatnam. To meet Haider Ali's invasion of the Carnatic the Government
ordered four companies of the troops then stationed at Vizagapatnam to embark
for Madras.
Circuit Committee and after
The weak and corrupt administration of Chiefs in Council and the power of
Sitaram Raz was a constant menace to the British settlement at Vizagapatnam
and their authority in the district, have compelled the authorities at Madras
Council to investigate matters. The Raja having agreed to the enhanced
peshkash and disbanding of troops as recommended by the Committee in its
report of 1784, a new lease was granted to him in 1788. But the troops
continued to be kept in spite of the promise, and their maintenance and the
increased peshkash created financial difficulties. The Government thought that
as long as Viziarama Raju was remaining in the district tranquility could not
be secured and the estate managed. Having been directed by the Government to
proceed to Masulipatam within a stated time on an allowance of Rs. 1,200 a
month and an advance of Rs.30,000 for expenses, the Raja, though reluctant to
leave the district and in the hope that a stiff and determined attitude would
stave off extreme measures, retired with his entourage to Padmanabham, a
village between Vizianagram and Bimlipatam, instead of taking the road to
Masulipatam as stipulated by the Company. This was interpreted as an open
defiance of the Company's authority.
Battle of Padmanabham
The Governor of Madras then directed Colonel Prendergast to proceed to
Padmanabham on 5th July 1794. The Raja was given twenty-four hours for his
depature. A fight was inevitable as the Sardars of the Raja and all the troops
swore on the holy prasadam of the temple Padmanabham that they would prefer to
die sword in hand to an ignominious capitulation. On 10th July 1794 all was
over; Padmanabham will long be remembered as the Flodden of the Rajputs of
district.
On 3rd August, Sir Charles Oakley's cowle to Narayanababau was received at the
Chiefship of Vizagapatnam. The permanent settlement of 1802 and the parcelling
out of the Haveli lands into a number of small proprietary estates and their
sale by acution subject to a permanent peshkash were the events that followed
for the organization of the district. Waltair and Allipuram, two wards in
Vizagapatnam, form part of the estates carved out at this time. The Povincial
Council was abolished in the year 1794 and the district was divided into three
Collectorates, the Northern division including Tekkali and Parlakimedi
Zamindaries.
Vizagapatnam made a Collectorate
In 1803 the district was made one Collectorate and placed under Hon'ble L.G.
Keith Murray. Vizagapatnam continued to be an important military station till
the year 1882-83 when, during Lord Ripon's Viceroyalty, a number of military
stations were abolished. Many of the bungalows in Waltair, and the two roads -
one leading to the beach and the other to the town - were built for military
purposes.
The site on which Maharanipeta is built was occupied by the Indian Infantry,
and the building in which the Office of the Deputy Inspector General of Police
is now located was the old Military Hospital. The importance of the town has
begun to increase. It is not only the headquarters of the various offices
incidental to district administration, but also of many departments of the
Northern Range. It is also became the educational centre of the Telugu
districts and, with the construction of the Harbour, a new and bright chapter
in the history of the town have begun.
After independence this was the biggest district in the country, which was
then divided into three districts viz. Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram and Vizag.
The city was also an important target of Japanese attack during the World War
II. The Pakistanis too attacked the city during the Indo Pak war in 1972, but
fortunately no damage was done to the city.
