Formation of the District

Formation of the District
The history of the systematic administration of the Land Revenue of erstwhile South Arcot District begins with the acquisition from the Nawab in 1801, when the Nawab made over the Carnatic to the Company , Captain Graham was appointed to take charge of the District lying between Palar and Portonovo rivers and become the first Collector South Arcot.

The then district consisted of the 21 Taluks of Arcot, Vellore, Thiruvathur, Polur, Arani ( The Jagir of that name ) Wandiwash, Chetpet , Thiruvannamalai , Gingee ,Tindivanam , Valudavur, Villupuram , Anniyur , Tirukoilur , Thiruvennainallur , Tiruvadi , Elavanasur, Kallakurichi , Vridhachalam , Tittagudi and Bhuvanagiri but excluded the form of Fort St.David and the territory of Pondicherry, both of which had been separately acquired and were separately administered. In April 1805, the then Taluk of Mannarkudi ( which is included in what is now known as Chidambaram ) was added from Tiruchirapalli to this huge charge.

In 1808, However Arcot, Vellore, Thiruvathur , Polur , and Arani Jagir were transferred to North Arcot and Wandiwash to Cheingelput while the Fort St.David and Pondicherry villages (which at different time had been under both, the Collector and the commercial resident at Cuddalore) were incorporated with the District. In 1816, Pondicherry was finally restored to the French and erstwhile South Arcot assumed practically its position. Cuddalore , which is District Headquarters for South Arcot District for more than a century. This has been mentioned everywhere in the history. The present Cuddalore District has been formed on 30.9.1993.

*Information courtesy:district official website