Kanchipuram

Kancheepuram district had been administered by the Pallavas, the Cholas, the rulers of the Vijayanagar Empire, the Muhammadan Kings and the British before Indian Independence. Tondaimandalam was an ancient division of Tamil country comprising roughly the present Kancheepuram district, Chennai district, Tiruvallur district, Vellore district and Tiruvannamalai district. The capital of Thondaimandalam was Kancheepuram. The major breakthrough in the district administration was in 1788 when, for the first time, collector was appointed to the district. The district was split up into two divisions, Northern and Southern and placed under the charge of two collectors. Karunguzhi became the headquarters of the district and it remained so up to 1859 when it was shifted to `Home Garden` Saidapettai, except for a short spell (1825-1835) during which Kanchipuram served as the district headquarters. From 1859 to 1968 the collector`s office was located in Saidapettai and with effect from 1st July 1968, Kancheepuram became the district headquarters.