History of Pondicherry

History of Pondicherry

According to mythology Pondicherry was once the abode of Agastya the great Hindu sage.  Excavation at Arikamedu suggests that Pondicherry   was a major port and trading center which imported Roman goods on large scale. The excavation also revealed that the place had the trading relation with Greece which continued till 10^th century when the region was under the rule of Cholas dynasty.    

During the 16^th century Pondicherry witnessed the arrival of Portuguese who ruled the region for the next some years. Thereafter Dutch and French came there for trading purposes. In 1663 French started to rule the region. It was French who ruled Pondicherry for the longest time. There were several minor battles between French and British over the land of Pondicherry. These conflicts came to an end after an agreement was signed between them. According to the agreement Pondicherry remained under the control of French who continued to rule it until 1954 when Pondicherry was annexed to the Indian republic. At present Pondicherry is one of seven union territories of India. Owing to the long rule of French, influence of their culture can still be seen in Pondicherry.