Demographics of Madras Presidency
Census superintendent and enumerators in Pasumalai , Madras Presidency , circa 1911
The first census of the Madras Presidency was taken in the year 1822.[ 1] It returned a population of 13,476,923.[ 1] The second census conducted in 1836-37 returned a population of 13,967,395, an increase of only 490,472 in 15 years.[ 1] The first quinquennial enumeration of the population was made in 1851–52. It returned a population of 22,031,697.[ 1] Subsequent enumerations were made in 1856–57, 1861–62 and 1866–67. The population of Madras Presidency was found to be 22,857,855 in 1851–52, 24,656,509 in 1861-62 and 26,539,052 in 1866–67.[ 1]
The first organized census of India was conducted in 1871. It returned a population of 31,220,973 for Madras Presidency. Since then, a census has been conducted once every ten years. The last census of British India held in 1941 returned a population of 49,341,810 for Madras Presidency.
Districts of the Madras Presidency
District
District Headquarters
Area (in square miles)
Year of incorporation
Population
1871
1881
1891
1901
1911
1921
1931
1941
Anantapur
Anantapur
5,557
1800
741,255
599,899
727,725
788,254
963,223
1,166,255
Anjengo[ 2]
Anjengo
1
1906
-
-
-
-
4,817
Bellary
Bellary
5,714
1800
911,755
726,275
880,950
947,214
969,436
1,051,235
Chingleput
Saidapet
5,079
1763
938,184
981,381
1,202,928
1,312,122
1,321,000
1,171,419
Coimbatore
Coimbatore
7,860
1799
1,763,274
1,657,690
2,004,839
2,201,752
3,219,848
2,809,648
Cuddapah
Cuddapah
8,723
1800
1,351,194
1,121,038
1,272,072
1,291,267
1,056,507
East Godavari[ 3]
Cocanada
1765
-
-
-
-
-
1,756,477
1,976,743
2,161,863
Ganjam[ 4]
Berhampur
8,372
1765
1,520,088
1,749,604
1,896,803
2,010,256
-
-
-
-
Godavari[ 3]
Cocanada
7,972
1765
1,592,939
1,791,512
2,078,782
2,301,759
1,530,000
2,583,250
-
-
Kistna
Masulipatam
8,498
1765/1801
1,452,374
1,548,480
1,855,582
2,154,803
1,997,535
2,133,314
1,444,294
Kurnool
Kurnool
7,878
1800
914,432
678,551
817,811
872,055
889,000
1,146,250
Madras
Madras
27
1639
367,552
405,848
452,518
509,346
518,660
526,000
645,000
777,481
Madura
Madura
8,701
1761/1790/1801
2,266,615
2,168,680
2,608,404
2,831,280
1,861,000
2,007,063
2,446,601
Malabar
Calicut
5,795
1792
2,261,250
2,365,035
2,652,565
2,800,555
3,015,119
3,098,871
3,929,425
Nellore
Nellore
8,761
1781
1,376,811
1,220,236
1,463,736
1,496,987
1,296,000
1,617,026
Nilgiris
Ootacamund
958
1799
49,501
91,034
99,797
111,437
80,000
209,709
North Arcot
Chittoor
7,386
1781/1801
2,015,278
1,817,814
2,114,487
2,207,712
1,822,000
2,055,594
2,577,540
Salem
Salem
7,530
1792
1,966,995
1,599,595
1,962,591
2,204,974
1,766,680
2,112,034
2,869,228
South Arcot
Cuddalore
5,217
1781/1801
1,755,817
1,814,738
2,162,851
2,349,894
2,272,000
2,320,085
2,608,758
South Kanara
Mangalore
4,021
1799
918,362
959,514
1,056,081
1,134,713
1,523,516
Tanjore
Tanjore
3,710
1799
1,973,731
2,130,383
2,228,114
2,245,029
2,362,639
2,326,265
2,385,920
2,563,375
Tinnevely
Tinnevely
5,389
1761/1801
1,693,959
1,699,747
1,916,095
2,059,607
2,244,548
Trichinopoly
Trichinopoly
2,632
1781/1801
1,200,408
1,215,033
1,372,717
1,444,770
2,194,091
Vizagapatam
Waltair
17,222
1794
2,159,199
2,485,141
2,802,992
2,933,650
2,231,874
3,845,944
West Godavari[ 3]
Eluru
1765
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,380,088
Total
Madras
141,705
31,220,973
30,827,218
35,630,440
38,209,436
41,870,160
42,794,155
46,740,107 [ 3]
49,341,810 [ 4]
Princely States of Madras Presidency
Banganapalle
Banganapalle
255
45,208
30,754
34,596
32,264
39,344
36,692
39,218
44,592
Cochin
Cochin
1,362
601,114
600,278
722,906
812,025
979,080
918,110
1,205,016
1,422,875
Pudukkottai
Pudukkottai
1,100
316,695
302,127
373,096
380,440
411,886
426,313
400,694
438,648
Sandur
Sandur
161
14,996
10,532
11,388
11,200
13,517
11,665
13,583
15,814
Travancore
Trivandrum
7,091
2,311,379
2,401,158
2,557,736
2,952,157
3,428,975
4,006,062
5,095,973
6,070,018
Total
9,969
32,85,938
33,44,849
36,99,722
41,88,086
48,72,802
53,98,842
67,54,484
79,91,947
Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of India
Cities
Position
1871
1881
1891
1901
1911
1921
1931
1941
1
Madras (367,552)
Madras (405,848)
Madras (452,518)
Madras (509,346)
Madras (518,660)
Madras (526,911)
Madras (647,232)
Madras (777,481)
2
Trichinopoly (76,530)
Trichinopoly (84,449)
Trichinopoly (90,609)
Madura (105,984)
Madura (134,130)
Madura (138,894)
Madura (182,018)
Madura (239,144)
3
Tanjore (52,171)
Madura (73,807)
Madura (87,428)
Trichinopoly (104,721)
Trichinopoly (123,512)
Trichinopoly (120,422)
Trichinopoly (142,843)
Trichinopoly (159,566)
4
Madura (51,987)
Calicut (57,085)
Salem (67,710)
Calicut (76,981)
Calicut (82,334)
Calicut (78,417)
Salem (102,179)
Coimbatore (130,348)
5
Bellary (51,766)
Tanjore (54,745)
Calicut (66,078)
Salem (70,621)
Kumbakonam (64,647)
Coimbatore (65,788)
Calicut (99,273)
Salem (129,702)
6
Salem (50,012)
Negapatam (53,855)
Bellary (59,447)
Kumbakonam (59,673)
Tanjore (60,341)
Conjeevaram (61,376)
Coimbatore (95,198)
Calicut (126,352)
7
Negapatam (48,525)
Bellary (53,460)
Negapatam (59,221)
Bellary (58,247)
Negapatam (60,168)
Kumbakonam (60,700)
Tanjore (66,889)
Bezawada (86,184)
8
Calicut (48,338)
Salem (50,667)
Tanjore (54,390)
Tanjore (57,870)
Salem (59,152)
Tanjore (59,913)
Mangalore (66,756)
Guntur (83,599)
9
Kumbakonam (44,444)
Kumbakonam (54,307)
Kumbakonam (54,307)
Negapatam (57,190)
Cuddalore (56,574)
Negapatam (54,016)
Cocanada (65,952)
Mangalore (81,069)
10
Cuddalore (40,300)
Cuddalore (43,564)
Cuddalore (47,355)
Coimbatore (53,080)
Cocanada (54,410)
Mangalore (53,877)
Kumbakonam (62,317)
Tuticorin (75,614)
Notes
^ a b c d e Official Administration of the Madras Presidency , Pg 327
^ In 1906, the two British enclaves of Anjengo and Tangasseri within Travancore were separated from Malabar district due to inaccessibility and a new Anjengo district was created. Anejnego was the smallest and least populous district in Madras Presidency from 1906 to 1927. In 1927, the two enclaves were incorporated in Tinnevelly district.
^ a b c d In 1925, Godavari district was bifurcated into West Godavari and East Godavari districts
^ a b Ganjam district was transferred to the newly formed province of Orissa in 1936