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The history of Tamilazham goes back about 5000 years and more. It is the birthplace of Dravidian culture in India. The Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas ruled the Dravidian country from which modern Tamil Nadu formed.
In the 4th century AD, the Pallavas of Kanchipuram became the rulers and dominated the land for the next four centuries. The establishment of the East India Company at Madras in 1639 was a crucial chapter in the history of Madras.
When India attained independence in 1947, the Madras province, comprising Tamil Nadu and parts of Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, continued as the State of Madras.
But the demand for a separate Telugu speaking state compelled the Government of India to bifurcate the state into two, the Telugu speaking Andhra Pradesh and Tamil speaking Tamil Nadu. The old capital Madras city was retained by the new Madras state though it was claimed by the Telugus.
Under the States Reorganization Act 1956, Madras lost Malabar district and Kasaragod taluk to the newly formed Kerala State. At the same time, Madras gained four taluks of Trivandrum district and one taluk of Kollam district.
In January 1969, Madras State changed its name to Tamil Nadu. The capital city Madras was renamed Chennai in 1996.
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