Karur Town
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Karur Town
Head-quarters of the taluk of the same name in Coimbatore District, Madras, situated in 1o° 58' N. and 78 degree 6' E., on the South Indian Railway, 48 miles from Trichinopoly, and on the Amaravati river not far from its junction with the Cauvery. Population (1901), 12,769. The town is called Tiruvanilai or Pasupati ('the place of the sacred cow') in vernacular writings. The name Karur means ' embryo town,' and is said to have been given because Brahma began his work of creation here. For the same reason it is often called Brahmapurl in legendary records. It was apparently a place of some importance as far back as the early centuries of the Christian era, for coins of the emperors Augustus, Tiberius, and Claudius were found near by in 1806. Situated near the point where the territories of the rival Chera, Chola, and Pandya dynasties met, it probably played a part in their ancient struggles. On the dissolution of the Vijayanagar empire in 1565, Karur fell under the Naiks of Madura; but it was frequently attacked and occupied by the Mysore armies, and towards the end of the .seventeenth century it was finally annexed to the latter kingdom and became its most important frontier post. In 1639 the Jesuits established a mission here. In later years the place constantly changed hands.
In 1736 Chanda Sahib besieged it unsuccessfully.
In 1760 it was captured by the British, in revenge for the assistance
given by Haidar to the French. Orme describes the siege in detail.
Karur was held by them till 1768, when it was retaken by Haidar,
whose possession was confirmed by treaty in the following year. In
1783 Colonel Lang took and held the fort for a few months. There
is a monument on the south bank of the river to the British troops who
fell in this siege. It was a third time captured in 1790 by General
Medows, and restored at the peace of 1792. It was garrisoned by the
Company as a military station until 1801, and portions of the old fort
still remain.
Karur was formerly the head-quarters of the Sub-Collector. Besides the tahsildar, a District Munsif and a stationary sub-magistrate are now stationed here. Being on the railway and at the junction of several roads, it possesses a considerable trade. Its chief drawback is its crowded site, which is surrounded entirely by rice-fields and the river. The only industry worth mention is the manufacture of brassware on a small scale. There are, however, two tanneries in the neighbourhood. The principal temple is a considerable edifice of some antiquity, containing numerous inscriptions on stone.
Karur was constituted a municipality in 1874. During the ten years ending 1903 the annual income and expenditure averaged about Rs. 20,000. In 1903—4 the receipts and expenditure were Rs. 29,000 and 28,000 respectively, the former being chiefly derived from school fees, the house and land taxes, and tolls. It is a station of the Wesleyan Mission, which maintains two industrial schools here, one for boys and the other for girls. A drainage scheme estimated to cost Rs, 95,850 has been framed for this municipality ; but its execution has been postponed pending the introduction of a proper water-supply, plans for which are still under preparation.
