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Palghat Town (Palakaddu, ‘jungle of pala trees’).—Head-quarters of the subdivision and tdluk of the same name in Malabar District, Madras, situated in 10? 46’ N. and 76? 39’ E., 335 miles by rail from Madras city.
It lies on the main road from Malabar to Coimbatore and the east coast, in the curious gap in the Western Ghats to which it gives its name; and its position as key to the West Coast has always made it a place of importance both strategically and commercially. The Palghat fort is said to have existed from very ancient times, but little is known of the early history -of the place. The Palghat Achchan was originally a tributary of the Zamorin, but he had become indepen- dent before the beginning of the eighteenth century. In 1757 he sent a deputation to Haidar Ali praying for help against an invasion threatened by the Zamorin. Haidar seized the opportunity of gaining such an important position as Palghat, and from that time to 1790 the fort was continually in the hands of the Mysore Sultans or the British.
It was first taken by the latter in 1768, when Colonel Wood captured it during his raid on Haidar Alf’s fortresses, but it was retaken by Haidar a few months later. It was again captured by Colonel Fullarton in 1783, but abandoned next year. In 1790 it was finally captured by Colonel Stuart, and from that time was used as a base for the opera- tions which ended in the storming of Seringapatam. The fort continued to be garrisoned till the middle of last century. It is now used for the idluk office.
Palghat is the second largest town in Malabar, its population in igoi being 44,177, of whom 37,285 were Hindus, 5,535 Musalmans, and 1,342 Christians. It is the centre in Malabar of the Pattars or east-coast Brahmans. It was made a municipality in 1869. The income and expenditure during the decade ending igoo averaged Rs. 62,ooo. In 1903-4 the income and expenditure were Rs. 8o,ooo and Rs. 79,900 respectively, the chief sources of income being the taxes on houses and land and the fees at the Victoria College. The Victoria College is one of the most successful second-grade colleges in the Presidency. It was founded as a school in 1866, and in 1888 was raised to the rank of a college and affiliated to the Madras University. In March, 1904, 488 students were on the rolls, of whom 138 were in the college department. There are also in the town religious and educational establishments belonging to the Roman Catholic and German missions. Palghat is the centre of the grain and miscellaneous trade between East Malabar and the adjoining Districts, and is a growing town. It contains two large bazars and a permanent market, in which a brisk trade is done in food-grains, tobacco, oil, and cloths, and in the grass mats for which the town is celebrated. There is also considerable trade in timber, which is brought down from the Palghat and Walavanad forests and exported by rail.
Content Courtesy: Department of Information & Public Relation