Puducherry

Puducherry, city, southeastern India, formerly known as Pondicherry or Pondichéry. The city is the capital of the Union Territory of Puducherry, a seaport on the Coromandel Coast. Besides shipping, the chief industry of the city is the manufacture of cotton textiles. It was the capital of former French India.

The French colonies in India were founded shortly after 1664. During the War of the League of Augsburg (1689-1697), Puducherry, acquired by France in 1674, was captured (1693) by a Dutch force; it was restored to France in 1697 by terms of the Treaty of Ryswick. The British seized it three times during the 18th century, but, after periods of occupation ranging from 2 to 11 years, they restored it to France. Britain retook the settlement in 1803 and held it until 1814. France relinquished Puducherry in 1954, and it then came under the central administration of the republic of India. A formal treaty of cession was signed in 1956 by India and France. Puducherry was constituted a portion of the Indian state of Madras, now Tamil Nādu State. In 1962 it became part of the Union Territory of Pondicherry. The city was known as Pondicherry for more than 200 years but officially reverted to its original name, Puducherry, in September 2006. Population (2001) 505,715.