Plan of Pellacata

Original engraved plan by Philippus Baldaeus (1632-1672)

This original engraved plan by Philippus Baldaeus (1632–1672) appears in Naauwkeurige Beschryvinge van Malabar en Choromandel (1672) and was re-issued in A Collection of Voyages & Travels (1704–52). Baldaeus, a Dutch Reformed Church minister, served in the Dutch East Indies and documented South India and Ceylon’s culture, history, and religion. Fluent in Tamil, Portuguese, and Sanskrit, he was among the first Europeans to extensively write about Hinduism, introducing Indian mythology, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata to European audiences.

Pulicat (Pellacata), located at the mouth of Pulicat Lake in Tamil Nadu, was a prominent seaport with a history dating back to 300 BCE. Controlled by various rulers, including Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch, and British, it became a multicultural hub with over 50,000 people in the 16th century. The Dutch established Fort Geldria in 1613, making it their stronghold until 1690. Pulicat later regained importance after 1781 and became a major center for cotton trade and the Dutch slave trade, with over 38,000 slaves shipped from its ports between 1621 and 1665.

Dutch India (1605–1825) comprised regions like Dutch Ceylon, Coromandel, Malabar, Bengal, and Suratte. The Dutch East India Company traded textiles, spices, precious stones, indigo, silk, and pepper, with notable mints in Cochin, Negapatam, and Pulicat. However, the Dutch influence waned after the 1741 Battle of Colachel, and their remaining territories were ceded to the British under the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, marking the end of their presence in India.

Image Size (cms): 29.5(H) x 37.5(W)
Image Size (inches): 11.5(H) x 15(W)
SKU: PA-SM-4 Categories: , ,

Related products