Thalassery Fort

Tellicherry Fort is in Thalassery (Tellicherry) a town in Kannur District of Kerala state in south India. Tellicherry was one of the most important European trading centers of Kerala. The Fort lies on the group of low wooden hill running down to sea and protected by natural waters. It has been the main opening for the rich spices, hill products and timber of the vast inter-land.The French came first to Tellicherry for trading, they got a strong grip at Mahé, Puducherry, 5 km south of Tellicherry town. Towards end of the 17th century the British opened a factory north of Tellicherry. Later they obtained a site from Vadakkelamkur, the de facto ruler of Kolathunad and established a factory at Tellicherry in 1708. But the Udayamangalam branch of Kolathiri family and Korangoth Nair, the local chieftain resented this action and they attacked and caused serious damage to English property. In order to safe guard their trade activities with the support of the Kolathiri Raja they build a fort around the out laying hills of Tellicherry. The French occupation of Mahé, Puducherry in 1725 compelled the British Company to sthrengthen the fortification to establish a stronghold on the Malabar Coast. In 1736, the British took the possession of Dharmadam Island. The British sustained strong military establishment at Tellicherry, from 1776 to 1784.In 1781 Hyder Ali, ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore, was unsuccessful in capturing the Fort in his campaign to control Malabar. His successor, Tipu Sultan, was forced to cede Malabar District to the British in 1792, at the conclusion of the Third Anglo-Maratha War.