Punnaikkayal (called Punicale by the Portuguese), is a harbour city in

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

, India. Punnaikkayal seems to have been the main Portuguese possession on the southern Coast of India for a period of 50 years after their arrival from 1551, when they established 2 hospitals, a seminary, and the next year a mud fort.''A political and general history of the district of Tinnevelly'' Robert Caldwell p.72
/ref> The first Tamil Printing press was set up at Punnaikkayal in 1579. The Tamil Types had been made by Fr. Joam de Faria. Fr. Henrique Henriques himself composed the following books in Tamil: ''Thambiran Vanakkam'', ''Kiriiciththiyaani valvakkam'', ''Confessionario'' (in Tamil: Kompeciyoonaayaru), and the '' Flos Sanctorum'' in Tamil, whose title has not come down to us, though we have the whole book. Punnaikkayal was the site of an Ottoman attack against the Portuguese possessions of the coast of India in 1553. The Ottomans raided the Pearl Fishery Coast of South India around

Tuticorin Thoothukudi (formerly called Tuticorin) is a port industrial city in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. The city is capital and headquarters of the district. ...

, where the Portuguese were attempted to establish trade. They were assisted by the Marakkar

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

of Malabar, and had the tacit agreement of Vittula Nayak of

Madurai Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is ...

.''Maritime India-Trade, Religion and Polity In the Indian Ocean''
by Pius Malekandathil p.117 52 Portuguese were captured at Punnaikayal, and churches burnt down. Henrique Henriques died at Punnaikkayal in 1600. Historical World Record of Being The First Dedicated Tamil Printing Press in the world, build in Punnaikkayal by Rev. Fr. Henrique Henriques (1520-1600) of the Jesuit Missionaries (aka. Society of Jesus) in the 16th Century and to print the book titled "Flos Sanctorum" (Adiyar Varalaaru) in Tamil language in 1586, as Universel Achievers book of Records ISO Official world record certification organization Confirmed on 18th November, 2021.

Notable people

*Bishop Francis Tiburtius Roche

Notes

{{reflist Villages in Thoothukudi district

Notable people

See also

Notes