CHINGLEPUT

city, northeastern Tamil Nadu state, southeastern India. It is located about 35 miles (56 km) south-southwest of the city of Madras. Lying along the Palar River, Chingleput is a railway junction and serves as the commercial centre for the northern Coromandel Coast. It has a medical school and other colleges affiliated with the University of Madras. Its name means "town of red lotuses." Chingleput dates from the early Cola dynasty of the 2nd century BC. The most prominent building in the city is a fort that was built by the Vijayanagars (ruled 1336-1565). About 1640 the city fell to the Muslim sultanate of Golconda, and it was captured by the English soldier Robert Clive in 1752. The surrounding area is predominantly a rice-growing region, except for its sandy Indian Ocean coastline, on which extensive stands of casuarina trees have been planted. There are numerous historic sites and monuments in the area, including many Pallava temples at nearby Mahabalipuram. The area's easily invaded and fertile farmlands were successively conquered by Vijayanagar, Muslim, Maratha, and British troops. It is now primarily important as a food-producing hinterland of Madras. Pop. (1991 prelim.) city, 53,784.