History of Aandman & Nicobar Islands | Swan Tours Travel Information

The history of Andaman & Nicobar Islands can be found in the decennial Census Reports, Louis 1912, Bonnington 1932 and other published works like those Klauss 1903 and Whitehead 1924. The first reliable historic reference to these islands is in the writings of Chinese Buddhist monk, I' Tsing, made in 627 AD, who described these islands as "The land of the naked people". Later, mention of these islands is found in the collections of early Arab notes of the 9th century of India and China where the people of Andaman have been called "Angamainans" and the people of Nicobar have been called "Lankabalus". The ancient Arab mariners mentioned that they bartered ambergris and coconut for iron. In the earliest Hindu mythology, the "Ramayana", the Andaman Islands were believed to be a land of "Hanuman". The Malayans used to refer to them as "Hanuman" and from Malaya, the knowledge of Andaman first spread to the different parts of the world.

Probably the name, Andaman, of the islands is a distorted form of "Hanuman", or "Monkey people", the aboriginal antagonist of the Arya immigrants in India. Marco Polo, who passed by these islands in 1290, on his way to China, called these Islands as "Angamanian”. He observed that the local inhabitants “are most cruel generation and eat anybody they can catch if not of their own race". Friar Ordoric, another European traveler who visited the Andamans in 1322, refers to the inhabitants of these Islands as "dog faced" and "cannibals"; Nicolo Conti who came to Andamans in 1440, called these Islands as "Andamania", the Islands of gold.

East India Company had consolidated its hold in southern India by the middle of 18th century and the British were interested in having a place of shelter for ships in distress during the season of monsoon. In 1777, John Ritchie reported that 'In whatever light these islands are considered, knowledge of them will appear to be of great utility. On 19^th December, 1788, Lt. Archibald Blair of the Indian Navy was deputed to survey the Andamans. After his day's survey on, Lt. Blair reported that the port in South Andaman was suitable for settlement. On 12th June 1789, it was decided by the Governor General in Council to colonise these Islands. Blair sailed for the Andamans in September 1789, accompanied by some artificers, labourers and soldiers. By the 25th October 1789, Blair was able to clear some land and put up the first settlement. In August 1790, the settlers had almost cleared the sight selected by Blair in Chatham Island where they planted vegetable and fruit trees. In November 1792, it was decided to move to a new settlement in North Andaman and the same was closed in May 1796. Again, on 11th November, 1844, two ships were wrecked and 620 persons found themselves on an inhospitable island where they were constantly threatened by the tribal population. The Andaman committee was appointed to look into this matter with Dr. Frederick John Mouat as the president. They examined various sites and then selected the place where the first settlement was set up by Blair. Actually, Blair was complimented for his sense of judgment and in honor of the first surveyor, this place was named as Port Blair. On 15th January, 1845, it was decided by the Governor General in Council to establish a penal settlement on the Andamans for convicts sentenced to imprisonment and to transportation for the crime of Mutiny and rebellion and other offenses connected therewith. About the early history of the Nicobar group of Islands, very little is known. The Chola king 0f South India who had maritime interests came in contact with these islands. In the Great Thanjavur Inscription of 1050 AD of Chola kings, the Nicobar Islands were referred to as "Nakavaram” which means the "Land of the Naked". This was probably due to the appearance of these islanders, the body bare and a loin cloth with tail, hanging out. From 16th century onwards, there have been frequent references to these islands in the writings of voyagers. Traders from India, Burma, Penang and the Straits settlement came to these islands chiefly for coconuts. Anadaman & Nicobar Islands, especially Car Nicobar and Nancowry, gradually flourished as important trading centers. In 1711, the first attempt was made by French Jesuits, but they were not able to withstand and soon succumbed. In 1756, the Danes took possession of these islands for colonisation and set up their headquarters in Kamorta and till 1848 repeated attempts were made by them which finally failed. In 1869, the Nicobar Islands were taken by the British with the consent of Denmark and a branch of Andaman penal settlement of 1869 was closed down in 1888 and the British were not interested in setting up an elaborate administrative structure in the Nicobar Islands due to continued expenditure, difficulties in maintaining establishment and other reasons such as malarial climate, absence of moral, social and religious restraints and loss of transportation.

Radhanagar Beach Andaman in Havelock Islands

With the increased tempo of freedom movement, the number of prisoners, sent to the Andamans, went on increasing. With the reforms of 1919, a general amnesty was granted to all the prisoners in the Andamans. But the rebellious outbursts in Burma and in the southern states of India kept the number of prisoners, coming into Andamans on the increase. The constitutional reforms of 1935 necessitated a thorough revision of the policy. In September 1937, the first batch of prisoners left the Andamans and by January 1938, all the prisoners were released. During the Second World War, the islands were under the Japanese occupation from March 1942 to October 1945. Again, these islands were occupied by the British. When India gained her independence in 1947, Aandman and Nicobar  Islands remained annexed with her. The Aandman & Nicobar  Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribals) Act was passed in 1956, under which entry into tribal areas was prohibited and no outsider could carry on trade or industry in the islands without the license of the Aandman & Nicobar administration. Since November 1956 Aandman & Nicobar Islands were constituted into a Union Territory of India. Though geographically these islands are far, apart from the mainland (of India), they constitute a. part of the Indian Union and are administered by the President of India through Chief Commissioner upto 1983 and from 1984 onwards through Lt. Governor whose Headquarter is at Port Blair.

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