Fort Dansborg

Last updated

Fort Dansborg
Part of Tamil Nadu
Tranquebar (Tharangambadi), Tamil Nadu, India
Fort Dansborg.JPG
Fort Dansborg at Tranquebar, now Tharangambadi
India Tamil Nadu location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Fort Dansborg
Coordinates 11°02′N79°50′E / 11.03°N 79.84°E / 11.03; 79.84
Type Forts
Site information
Controlled byState Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu
Site history
Built1620
Built byDanish

Fort Dansborg (Danish : Dansborg), locally called Danish Fort, is a Danish fort located in the shores of Bay of Bengal in Tranquebar (Tharangambadi) in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Fort Dansborg was built in the land ceded by Thanjavur king Ragunatha Nayak in an agreement with Danish Admiral Ove Gjedde in 1620 and acted as the base for Danish settlement in the region during the early 17th century. The fort is the second largest Danish fort after Kronborg. The fort was sold to the British in 1845 and along with Tranquebar, the fort lost its significance as the town was not an active trading post for the British. After India's independence in 1947, the fort was used as an inspection bungalow by the state government until 1978 when its archaeology department took control of the fort. The fort is now used as a museum where the major artifacts of the fort and the Danish colonial empire in India are displayed.

Contents

The fort was renovated twice in modern times, by the Tranquebar Association with the help of the Danish royal family and the state's archaeology department in 2001 and by the state's tourism department in 2011.

History

A painting of the fort and the settlement around it A view of Tranquebar - Google Art Project.jpg
A painting of the fort and the settlement around it

Coramandel was an active international trading coast from the 3rd century BCE. The European colonial empires like British, French, Dutch, and Portuguese established maritime trade with India during the early 17th century. The Danish East India Company was established in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1616 and a mission was sent with Admiral Ove Gjedde (1594–1660 CE). [1] [2] Ove Gjedde signed a deal with the Thanjavur ruler king Raghunatha Nayak (1600–34) in 1620 in spite of resistance from the Portuguese. The rent was fixed as ₹3111 per annum and a total of 8 km (5.0 mi) by 4 km (2.5 mi) area was ceded to the Danish mission. The treaty signed during November 1620 also allowed the Danes to collect taxes from the neighbouring villages of Tranquebar. The treaty signed in a golden leaf manuscript is maintained in the Danish royal archives in Copenhagen. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

The fort is the second largest Danish fort after Kronborg, the inspiration for William Shakespeare's Hamlet . [10] [11] [12] It was built by Ove Gjedde with the help of local laborers in Danish style. The lower compartment in the basement adjoining the fort was used as a store room, prison and a rest room for the soldiers, while the governor and priests resided in the second level. [13] Fort Dansborg was the base for Danish settlement in the region during the early 17th century. Originally a fishing village, Tharangambadi (referred as Tranquebar) was fortified by the Danish, who used the port as the main trading post for the colony, with the major export of the colony being cotton textiles. During the middle of the 18th century, the commercial importance of the town declined and the centre of textile production moved to Serampore in the state of Bengal. But Tranquebar still remained the headquarters of the Colony. The fort and the town was sold to the British in 1845 and, along with Tharangambadi, the fort lost its significance as the town was not a trading post anymore. [14] [15] [16] [17] [2] [18] [19] [20]

Architecture

A view of the Dansborg Fort Tharangambadi (15).jpg
A view of the Dansborg Fort
Fort Dansborg from the beach, Tranquebar Dansborg Fort, Tranquebar.jpg
Fort Dansborg from the beach, Tranquebar
Fort Dansborg in Tharangambadi, Tamil Nadu Fort Dansborg in Tharangambadi, Tamil Nadu.jpg
Fort Dansborg in Tharangambadi, Tamil Nadu

Fort Dansborg is located in the southern part of Tharangambadi, located 283 km (176 mi) from the state capital Chennai. It is built in Danish style, characterized by large halls, columned structures, high ceilings and projecting drapery. [18] The length of the fort in the side facing the sea is 60 m (200 ft) and the width is about 11 m (36 ft). The fort is trapezoidal in shape with three rooms in the left wing, originally used as the governor's residence, a kitchen with an open fireplace and chimney in the top left hand corner, and a church room, now a museum, located in the centre of the building. The original rectory and the northern part of it, which are now the store rooms, are located in the right wing. The corner room on the right side was the residence of the commercial director. In modern times, it is used as a store room. The core of the building is made of brick. The main door of the fort faces north, while an additional door faces the east. [21] [22] [23] [24] The second storey of the fort has a set of guard rooms. [25] The staircase leading to it are built with bricks. [26] The central part of the fort has four camel hump shaped domes. The central pillar of the hall holds the entire weight of the domes. [23]

The citadel encloses a set of buildings, the notable ones being the fort built in 1620, the Masilamaninathar Temple built in the 13th century, the Zion Church built in 1701, the New Jerusalem Church built in 1718, the town gateway built in 1792, the Danish governor's bungalow built in 1784, and a series of tomb stones built during the 17th and 18th centuries. The settlement inside the citadel is modeled like a small European town with a land gate and wooden doors leading to the main street, namely, the King's Street. [21] [22] [23] [27] Some of the notable buildings in the King's Street are the gate house, Muhldorff's house, port master's bungalow and Rehling's house. [27] There were originally citadel walls towards the sea, which eroded with time on account of the salty nature of the environment. The fortification could not withstand an attack by regular military forces, but acted as a protection for the citizens of the settlement against predatory cavalry raids. [1] The bastions of the fort are constructed with black stone. [28]

Renovation in modern times

A cell inside Fort Dansborg A Cell inside Fort Dansborg.JPG
A cell inside Fort Dansborg

The Tranquebar Association, formed in 2001, with the help of the Tamil Nadu State Archaeological Department and the Danish Royal family, restored the South end of the fort with the same kind of material like brick and black stone, used during the original construction. The renovation was completed in 2005, with contributions from local artisans, Danish volunteers, and Danish and Indian experts. [16] [29] In 2001, chemists from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) restored the portrait of Raja Ragunatha Naik, Tranquebar site map, pottery, portrait of Christian IV, the Danish king. [23]

There was a project planned by the government of Tamil Nadu to lay stones along the shores to protect the fort and the Masilamaninathar Temple in Tharangambadi from erosion. While the project was planned much before the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, it was implemented only in 2007. Before the tsunami, there was stiff resistance from the local villages citing impact to fishery in the region. After the tsunami, the resistance from the locals receded and the project was extended to accommodate additional areas of the shore. [30]

The Department of Tourism Development of Tamil Nadu initiated a project named "Destination Development of Tranquebar". The project was started in 2011, with an estimated budget of ₹3,730,800 (US$45,000) and planned a phased re-creation of the fort and the environs around it. As a part of the first phase of the project, cobble-stoned pathways were laid and ornamental cast iron street lamps were installed in the path around the fort. The cobble-stone pathways were laid for a total of 350 m (1,150 ft) around the facade and for 100 m (330 ft) on Goldsmith street. The first phase was completed at an expense of ₹2,430,000 (US$29,000). The second phase of the project involved the laying of cobble-stone pathways from the Tranquebar Arch to the river promenade. The second phase was completed at an expense of ₹1,300,000 (US$16,000). Environmental protection measures, like restraining movement of heavy vehicles around the fort to maintain the highest atmospheric ozone concentration, were also implemented. [31] [32]

Culture

A factory was established soon after the fort was constructed and it minted coins that bore the initials TB or DB, indicating Dansborg. [33] The fort acted as the important gateway in the trade route from Europe to Coramandel. Protestant missionaries were sent from Denmark by King Frederick IV, who was also the head of Lutheran Church of Denmark. Two of them, namely, Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg and Heinrich Plütschau came to Tranquebar on 9 July 1706, established the Tranquebar Mission, learnt Tamil in a few years and were the first to translate and print The New Testament of the Bible in Tamil in the printing press inside the fort. The Danish mission was the first Protestant mission in India and from its inception, was staffed by German missionaries trained at Pietist schools and seminary founded by Francke at the end of 17th century. [8] [34] A Tamil-Latin dictionary containing 9,000 words was compiled there by a medical missionary named Friedrich Koenig in 1778, whose source letters are stored in the royal archives. [35] The fort is featured in a large number of videos, films and commercials. [36] After India's independence in 1947, the fort was used as an inspection bungalow by the state government till 1978 when the State Department of Archaeology of the Government of Tamil Nadu took over the control of the fort. The fort is now used as a museum, housing a collection of major artifacts of the fort and the Danish empire. The fort is one of the most visited tourist landmarks in the region. [17] [36] [37]

Notes

Footnotes

Citations

  1. 1 2 Hamilton 1820, pp. 457–8
  2. 1 2 3 "Danish Fort". Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  3. ↑ Danish National Archives 2012, p. 55
  4. ↑ Thomas, Alastair H. (2010). The A to Z of Denmark. Scarecrow Press. p. 254. ISBN   9781461671848.
  5. ↑ Guillot, Claude; Lombard, Denys; Ptak, Roderich (1998). From the Mediterranean to the China Sea: Miscellaneous Notes. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 215. ISBN   9783447040983.
  6. ↑ Prakash, Om (1998). European Commercial Enterprise in Pre-Colonial India, Volume 2. Cambridge University Press. p. 208. ISBN   9780521257589.
  7. ↑ M.S., Naravane (1998). The Maritime and Coastal Forts of India. APH Publishing. p. 110. ISBN   9788170249108.
  8. 1 2 Hoiberg, Dale (2004). Students' Britannica India: Select essays. Popular Prakashan. p. 407. ISBN   9780852297629.
  9. ↑ Subrahmanyam, Sanjay (2002). The Political Economy of Commerce: Southern India 1500–1650. Cambridge University Press. p. 182. ISBN   9780521892261.
  10. ↑ Watsa, Kavita (2004). Brahmins and bungalows: travels through South Indian history. Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated. p. 196. ISBN   9780143031468.
  11. ↑ "India Today International". 3. Living Media International Limited. 2004: 344.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. ↑ "The Economist". Charles Reynell. 2003: 356.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  13. ↑ Ballhatchet, Kenneth; Taylor, David D.; University of London; Centre of South Asian Studies (1984). Changing South Asia, Volumes 1-5. Asian Research Service. p. 13.
  14. ↑ Poddar, Prem; Patke, Rajeev Shridhar; Jensen, Lars (2008). A Historical Companion to Postcolonial Literatures: Continental Europe and Its Empires. Edinburgh University Press. p. 98. ISBN   9780748623945.
  15. ↑ Gobel, Eric (2006). Der dänische Gesamtstaat: ein unterschätztes Weltreich?. www.verlag-ludwig.de. pp. 76–77. ISBN   9783937719016.
  16. 1 2 Gronseth 2007, pp. 68–69
  17. 1 2 Haviland, Charles. "India's piece of Denmark". BBC News . Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  18. 1 2 P.V., Srividya (6 November 2009). "Danish flavour". The Frontline. 22. 26. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  19. ↑ Ahmed, Farooqui Salma; Farooqui, Salma Ahmed (2011). A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century. Pearson Education India. p. 361. ISBN   9788131732021.
  20. ↑ Backhaus, Jürgen G. (2012). Navies and State Formation: The Schumpeter Hypothesis Revisited and Reflected. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 97. ISBN   9783643902122.
  21. 1 2 Manguin, Pierre-Yves; A., Mani; Wade, Geoff (2011). Early Interactions Between South and Southeast Asia: Reflections on Cross-cultural Exchange Volume 2 of Nalanda-Sriwijaya series. Institute of Southeast Asian. p. 226. ISBN   9789814345101.
  22. 1 2 Archaeological Survey of India 1903, p. 28
  23. 1 2 3 4 "Tharangambadi". Nagapattinam District Administration. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  24. ↑ Britto, S.John; Som, Sujit; Indirā Gāndhī Rāshṭrīya Mānava Saṅgrahālaya; St. Joseph's College (Tiruchchirāppalli, India) (2001). "The Cauvery, a living museum: 16–17 September 1999, 5–6 March 2001, seminar proceedings". Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya: 328.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  25. ↑ Archaeological Survey of India 1903, p. 42
  26. ↑ Archaeological Survey of India 1903, p. 54
  27. 1 2 "Town of the singing waves". New Delhi: Mint. 20 August 2011. Archived from the original on 10 June 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  28. ↑ Buckingham, James Silk (1829). The Oriental herald and journal of general literature, Volume 23. J. M. Richardson. p. 373.
  29. ↑ Chari, Pushpa (10 April 2009). "Capturing the lost magic". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 14 April 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  30. ↑ Hatsrup, Frida (August 2011). Weathering the World: Recovery in the Wake of the Tsunami in a Tamil Fishing Village. Berghahn Books. p. 24. ISBN   9780857452009.
  31. ↑ P.V., Srividya (16 July 2011). "Dansborg Fort set to get a facelift". The Hindu . Nagapattinam. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  32. ↑ "Auroville Today" (PDF) (260). Carel Thieme, Auroville Foundation. December 2011: 1–3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  33. ↑ Thurston, Edgar (2011). The Madras Presidency with Mysore, Coorg and the Associated States. Cambridge University Press. p. 169. ISBN   9781107600683.
  34. ↑ Frykenberg, Robert Eric; Low, Alaine M. (2003). Christians and Missionaries in India: Cross-cultural Communication Since 1500. Psychology Press. p. 96. ISBN   9780700716005.
  35. ↑ Danish National Archives 2012, p. 158
  36. 1 2 Gronseth 2007, p. 11
  37. ↑ Parthib, Nandhini (21 June 2010). "Escape velocity ; As the torrid summer gets underway, pack your bags for some weekend relaxation". India Today. Archived from the original on 10 June 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2013.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tharangambadi</span> Town in Mayiladuthurai district, Tamil Nadu, India

Tharangambadi, formerly Tranquebar, is a town in the Mayiladuthurai district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu on the Coromandel Coast. It lies 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of Karaikal, near the mouth of a distributary named Uppanar of the Kaveri River. Tranquebar was established on 19 November 1620 as the first Danish trading post in India. King Christian IV had sent his envoy Ove Gjedde who established contact with Raghunatha Nayak of Tanjore. An annual tribute was paid by the Danes to the Rajah of Tanjore until the colony of Tranquebar was sold to the British East India Company in 1845.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danish East India Company</span> Defunct Danish trading company

The Danish East India Company refers to two separate Danish-Norwegian chartered companies. The first company operated between 1616 and 1650. The second company existed between 1670 and 1729, however, in 1730 it was re-founded as the Asiatic Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danish India</span> Former settlements and trading posts of Denmark and Norway on the Indian subcontinent

Danish India was the name given to the forts and factories of Denmark in the Indian subcontinent, forming part of the Danish overseas colonies. Denmark–Norway held colonial possessions in India for more than 200 years, including the town of Tharangambadi in present-day Tamil Nadu state, Serampore in present-day West Bengal, and the Nicobar Islands, currently part of India's union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Danish and Norwegian presence in India was of little significance to the major European powers as they presented neither a military nor a mercantile threat. Dano-Norwegian ventures in India, as elsewhere, were typically undercapitalized and never able to dominate or monopolize trade routes in the same way that British, French, and Portuguese ventures could.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg</span> German Lutheran clergy (1682–1719)

Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg was a member of the Lutheran clergy and the first Pietist missionary to India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Coast Road</span> Road in Tamil Nadu, India

East Coast Road (ECR), combination of SH-49, NH-332A, NH-32, officially known as Mutthamizh Arignar Kalaignar Road, is a two-lane highway in Tamil Nadu, India, built along the Bay of Bengal coast. It connects Tamil Nadu's state capital Chennai with Kanyakumari via Puducherry, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Sirkali, Thirukkadaiyur, Tharangambadi, Karaikal, Nagore, Nagapattinam, Thiruthuraipoondi, Muthupet, Adirampattinam, Manora,Peravurani,Manamelkudi, Mimisal, Ramanathapuram, Rameswaram,Thoothukudi, Tiruchendur, Uvari, Kudankulam. The total length of the road is about 777 km between Chennai and Kanyakumari.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ove Gjedde</span> Danish nobleman and Admiral of the Realm

Ove Gjedde was a Danish nobleman and Admiral of the Realm. He established the Danish colony at Tranquebar and constructed Fort Dansborg as the base for the Danish settlement. He was a member of the interim government that followed the death of King Christian IV, which imposed restrictions by the Haandfæstning on his successor King Frederick III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bungalow on the Beach</span>

The Bungalow on the Beach is a 17th-century Danish colonial house which has belonged to the Governor of Danish India, who was styled Opperhoved, and after their exit in 1845, to the British administrator of the colony. Built in the 18th century, opposite the Fort Dansborg, by the Danish East India Company in what was once a pepper trading post of Tranquebar, now known as Tharangambadi, in Tamil Nadu, India. Tranquebar is a Danish term and came from the native Tamil word Tarangambadi, meaning 'place of the singing waves'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jerusalem Church, Tranquebar</span> Church in Tamil Nadu, India

The New Jerusalem Church was built in 1718 by the Royal Danish missionary Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg in the coastal town of Tranquebar, India, which was at that time a Danish India colony. The church is located on King Street, and church services are conducted every Sunday. The church, along with other buildings of the Tranquebar Mission, was damaged during the tsunami of 2004, and were renovated at a cost of INR 7 million, and re-consecrated in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tranquebar Mission</span>

The Tranquebar Mission was established in 1706 by two German missionaries from Halle namely, Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg and Heinrich Plütschau. Ziegenbalg and Plütschau responded to the appeal of King Frederick IV of Denmark to establish a mission for the natives, living in the Danish East India Company colony of Tranquebar. The mission was responsible for the printing and publication of the Bible in the Tamil language. In 2006, the 300 years anniversary of the mission was celebrated by the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church (TELC), with many international delegates in attendance. A monument to acknowledge 300 years of the mission was raised by the TELC on this occasion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zion Church, Tharangambadi</span> Church in Mayiladuthurai district, India

New Jerusalem Church is one of the oldest churches in Tharangambadi (Tranquebar), a Danish settlement in Nagapattinam district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is in the premises of Fort Dansborg, built with the help of Danish king Christian IV in an agreement with Danish Admiral Ove Gjedde in 1717 and acted as the base for Danish settlement in the region during the early 17th century. The Church was built in 1717 Rev Bartholomew zigenbalg by A.D by Rev. Bartholomaus Ziegenbalg and has records from the 18th and 19th centuries. He is believed to be the first Protestant missionary in India and the Church is believed to be the first Protestant Church in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maritime Museum, Tranquebar</span>

Maritime Museum, Tranquebar is a maritime museum located at Tharangambadi in the Nagapattinam district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu on the Coromandel Coast.

Events from the year 1620 in Denmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cattle War</span> Conflict between Danish India and the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom

The Cattle War also commonly referred to as the Perumal War or the Perumal Naik-War was a colonial conflict between the Danish East India Company and the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom over the Danish governor Hans Georg Krog's expansionistic foreign policy. The conflict started over the raiding of Danish cattle by the local supervisor of a small land district, Perumal Naik.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Dansborg (1644)</span> Siege in Tranquebar, India 1644

The siege of Dansborg or the siege of Fort Dansborg, was a short siege lasting from 20 to 30 December 1644, between general Tiagepule of Thanjavur and the Danish command at Fort Dansborg. The conflict started over the Danish rejection of the general's demand to tax Tranquebar, and as a result, a series of confrontations followed. The confrontations had no major result, and an armistice may have been signed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willem Leyel's siege of Dansborg</span> Siege of Fort Dansborg, 1644

The siege of Dansborg alternatively the siege of Fort Dansborg sometimes also referred to as Willem Leyel's siege of Dansborg, was a siege initiated by traveler and seafarer, Willem Leyel, against the men loyal to governor Bernt Pessart. The siege was concluded after the men at Dansborg opened the gates for Willem Leyel, surrendered, and accepted Leyel as the new governor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Dansborg (1624)</span> Siege on Danish fort in India, 1624

The siege of Dansborg or the siege of Fort Dansborg, was a siege of the newly finished Danish fort of Dansborg in Trangebar in 1624. The siege was initiated by the nayak of Thanjavur, Raghunatha, because of the Danish rejection of the demands from the nayak. The siege, laid by general Calicut, was abandoned after the arrival of Danish reinforcements from sea. The event is mostly described by Icelander, Jón Ólafsson, in his work The Life of the Icelander Jón Ólafsson, Traveller to India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conflict between Willem Leyel and Bernt Pessart</span> Conflict and Danish civil war in India, between 1643–1645

The Conflict between William Leyel and Bernt Pessart refers to the tensions and minor civil war between Willem Leyel and Bernt Pessart over the governorship of Tranquebar and the Danish East India Company. The conflict led to the escape of Bernt Pessart, and the command at Tranquebar accepted Willem Leyel as governor of Danish India.

Roland Crappé or Roelant Crappé was a Dutch colonial official serving the Dutch and Danish East India Company. He became director general of the Ceylonese department of the Danish East India Company in 1618 and became commander in chief and governor of Tranquebar upon his seventh arrival in the Indies in 1624. During his leadership, new factories and offices were established and Danish trade went exceptionally well. He died in 1644 only a few years after his homecoming to Denmark.

The Tranquebar Treaty of 1620 formally the Treaty between Raghunatha Nayak and Christian IV, was a treaty of friendship between the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom and Denmark–Norway in 1620. The treaty would establish Danish Tranquebar: a base that would be the headquarters of Danish India for the next 200 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ove Gjedde's Expedition</span> 1618–1622 Danish expedition to Asia

Ove Gjedde's Expedition or the Danish Expedition to India of 1618–1622 was the first Danish colonial expedition to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, reaching Ceylon, Thanjavur and Ayutthaya. The expedition was initiated by the newly established Danish East India Company and led by 24-year-old Ove Gjedde. Despite not achieving its original goal of monopolizing Ceylon, the expedition still managed to receive control and trading privileges over various coastal towns and cities.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.