Origin and Growth of Madras:

(a) The beginning of the city of Madras goes back to the earliest stages of British commercial enterprise in India. The English East India Company was started in 1600 A.D(C.E). 

(b) The English, after some efforts secured the privilege of building a factory at Masulipatnam. It was well protected from the monsoon winds. 

(c) The official grant for the land was given by Damarla Venkatapathy Nayak, the deputy of the Raja of Chandragiri (12km west ofTirupathi). Damarla gave British a piece of land between Cooum river and the Egmore.

(d) India Company’s Francis Day accompanied by his interpreter Beri Thimmappa and superior Andrew Cogan. By this Francis Day and Andrew Cogan (the chief of the Masulipatnam Factory), was granted permission to establish a factory –cum – trading post and a fort at Madrasapatnam in 1639. 

(e) This fortified settlement came to be known as Fort St. George settlement. It is otherwise referred to as the White Town. While the nearby villages inhabited by local population was called as Black Town. Collectively the White Town and the Black Town were called Madras.