Coromandel Coast

The VOC’s “Secret Atlas” sea chart depicting the Coromandel Coast.

This chart’s coverage extends from ‘Goetepatnam’ (Gopalapattinam), along the Palk Strait, in the south, all the way up north to the Andhra Coast beyond ‘Vizagapatnam’ (Visakhapatnam).

Beginning from south to north is ‘De Noord hoek van Ceÿlon’ (the northern cape of Sri Lanka), and then crossing over to ‘De Kust van Coromandel’ (Coromandel Coast) is ‘Negapatnam’ (Nagapattinam, VOC flag); ‘Karikal’ (a French possession); ‘Tranquebar’ (a Danish colony); ‘Pondichery’ (the capital of French India); ‘Sadraspatnam’ (Sadras, VOC flag); ‘Cabelon’ (Covelong, a former Flemish-Austrian factory); ‘Madraspatnam (Chennai, EIC flag); and ‘Palleacatte’ (Pulicat, with an EIC flag, although it was generally a VOC base from 1609 to 1825).

Further north, the coastline is labeled ‘Golconda’, also known as the Northern Circars (today’s northern Andhra Coast), in reference to the legendary fort of that name near Hyderabad, as these shores were then ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad. Important ports are noted, such as ‘Masculipatan’ (Machiliptnam); ‘Nassipore’ (Narsapur); and ‘Vizagapatnam’ (Visakhapatnam, VOC flag).