ARCOT

city, northeastern Tamil Nadu state, southeastern India, on the Palar River. Located at the point where the Palar River valley meets the Coromandel Coast, it commands the inland route from Madras to Bangalore, between the Mysore Ghat and the Javadi Hills. A fortified capital of the Muslim nawabs, Arcot was the scene of numerous battles between the Muslims, Marathas, French, and British in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the second half of the 20th century it was superseded in importance by Vellore. Pop. (1991 prelim.) city, 45,193; metropolitan area, 114,884.