"Madras -- Chennai": Review comments, Part II

In continuation of my review comments of the Tamil book titled, "Madras -- Chennai" this is part II in this series. In case you missed the part I of this series, it is available here.

What needs improvement / correction ?

Am stopping from providing further examples of point 6 (elaborated here) in this category i.e using simple words, proper sentences / phrases and avoiding grammatical errors in the Tamil translation. If possible, I will write a letter (in Tamil) to NHM detailing these points.

7. How the various parts of the city got their names is detailed in Chapter 12. I notice that certain prominent names are missed out: Adayar, Parangimalai (St.Thomas Mount). Sticking to the same chapter, I remember reading that "Chrome" represents the 'leather tanning' and that's the real root of the word Chromepet.

Some of the following items are purely factual errors. I hope the author(s) and the publisher take them into consideration in future editions.

8. Acquisition of Thiru-Alli-kenni village in to the colonial British fold is dated as 1658 in page 51 of chapter 7 and the same is dated as 1668 in page 65 of chapter 9.

9. Tracing the history of Mylapore in chapter 5, the author states that, in page 41, "Mar Solomon from the city of Basra visited Mylapore in 1222 A.D and referred to the place as Mahilup".

In the following chapter on the story of St.Thomas, it is said that (in page 47), "first account of an European about St.Thomas and Mylapore is available from Mar Solomon. He had visited Mahilup in the year 1722 A.D . . . "

10. Probably, source of this typo is the printer's devil -- Armenian printed as American.

It was Coja Petrus Uscan, a wealthy merchant, from Armenia, who had built the 134 steps leading to St.Thomas Mount (and also the Marmalong Bridge across the Adayar in 1726).

Final part in this series to follow soon . . .