Cuddalore (historically written as Kudalur or Cuddallore) is a major coastal city and the administrative headquarters of the Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu. Situated at the mouth of the Ponnaiyar, Gadilam, and Vellar rivers along the Coromandel Coast, its history is a fascinating timeline of ancient maritime trade, medieval dynamic shifts, and high-stakes European colonial warfare.
​In fact, before Chennai (Madras) rose to prominence, Cuddalore was the primary seat of British power in Southern India.