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Port Blair renamed as Sri Vijaya Puram
Context:
Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was renamed Sri Vijaya Puram as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to eliminate symbols of slavery, announced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Origin of Port Blair’s Name:
- Named after Archibald Blair, a naval surveyor and lieutenant in the Bombay Marine.
- Blair conducted a thorough survey of the Andaman Islands.
- Initially named the area Port Cornwallis, later renamed after Blair himself.
Blair’s Survey Expeditions:
- Joined Bombay Marine in 1771 and undertook surveys along coasts of India, Iran, and Arabia.
- In 1778, he led his first survey mission to the Andamans, covering the western and eastern coasts.
- Submitted a detailed report to the East India Company (EIC), leading to the decision to colonise the islands.
Early Use of the Andaman Islands:
- EIC colonised the islands to combat Malay pirates and provide refuge for shipwrecks.
- Became a penal colony for convicts and a strategic military outpost.
- Colony moved to Port Cornwallis in 1792 for strategic reasons, but later abandoned due to disease.
Penal Colony and Independence Movement:
- Following the 1857 Revolt, Port Blair was revived as a penal colony for Indian prisoners.
- The notorious Cellular Jail (Kaala Paani) was established by 1906, imprisoning freedom fighters like Veer Savarkar.
Connection to Cholas and Srivijaya:
- Historical records suggest Andaman Islands were used by Chola emperor Rajendra I in the 11th century as a naval base.
- Cholas attacked the Srivijaya Empire (present-day Indonesia) as part of an expansionist campaign.
- Inscription from 1050 CE refers to the Andaman Islands as Ma-Nakkavaram, leading to the modern name Nicobar.