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About Vellore |
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There is quite a significant number of monuments, forts and temples in Vellore, which exudes a rich cultural heritage and bountiful legacy handed down by subsequent dynasties of its historical past. Though we don't know much about its history during the pre-recorded era, yet the long lineage of its cultural heritage indicates its association with the great Dravidian civilizations of South India.
Its history has consistently been nurtured by a varying mix of dynasties and rulers comprising the likes of the Pallavas, Cholas, Rashtrakutas, Marathas, Nayak, Arcot Nawabs, and the rulers of Vijayanagar Kingdoms and Bijapur Sultan Kingdoms. Also we cannot forget the contribution made by the British in its evolution as a modern city of contemporary standards.
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Its glory reached the zenith during the time of the Vijayanagar dynasty when Vellore served as the capital of this mighty empire. When the Carnatic war was fought in the seventeenth century, the invincible fort of Vellore stood unscathed challenging the might of the assailants. The city was a hot spot of wars fought between the British and the French over the supremacy of their power during the entire stretch of the eighteenth century.
The role played by Vellore during the first independence movement is still alive in the minds of the countrymen. Historians all across the nation appear to be unanimous on the conjecture that the Vellore Revolt of 1806 was the first upsurge of its kinds which appropriately lay the foundation of the Great Revolt of 1857. The indomitable fort of Vellore once again proved a strong base for the freedom fighters to wage war against the colonial rulers.
The regions of Arcot had already been divided into two parts in 1810, during the fag end of the Mughal power. The British on assuming their full authority over the region created two new districts by the names of North Arcot and South Arcot in 1908. Chittoor, the first capital of the North Arcot district, was soon replaced with Vellore, which led to its emergence as the chief military base of the British power in the region. An American missionary laid the foundation of the Vellore Hospital, which grew into a leading Medical institution of international standard over the years. Vellore remained in the forefront of most of the educational policies that were pursued during the time of the British rule, which paved its way to emerge as an educational hub even before the independence of the country.
The foundation laid by the colonial rulers in the realm of educational development helped the city acquire a distinctive place in medical and technical education in India and even the world. Vellore Institute of Technology and Christian Medical College & Hospital are the names taken with utmost reverence among the education circles all across the globe. Apart from this, the city is also seen as a major industrial center of the state, providing ideal base for the development of leather & tannery, chemical, and IT industry.
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