#Madras_Presidency

#DidYouKnow that the oldest surviving railway station in the subcontinent is Royapuram in Chennai? Since the original stations in Bombay and Thane no longer exist, Royapuram is the oldest surviving one. It was operational in 1856.

Madras Presidency of the colonial era was renamed ‘Madras Province’ in 1947 and then 'Madras State' in 1950. Later, Telugu-speaking areas went to Andhra Pradesh, some areas went to Kerala and others to Mysore (now Karnataka). What remained became ‘Tamil Nadu’ in 1969.

Madras was the only Indian city attacked during World War I. On Sept 22, 1914, German warship ‘Emden’ shelled Madras and hit the High Court, Port Trust, Boat House of the Madras Sailing Club and a ship in the harbour. People fled the city in panic.

During World War II, on 11th October 1943, a Japanese reconnaissance plane dropped several bombs over Madras, resulting in “light casualties'', as the government claimed. In April that same year, Japanese aircraft attacked Colombo, Kakinada and Visakhapatnam.

#Madras_Presidency