Fort Thomas or St. Thomas Fort or Fortaleza da São Tomé, also known as Tangasseri Fort, is a ruined fort located in the beach town of Tangasseri on the shores of the Arabian Sea in the city of

Kollam Kollam (), also known by its former name Quilon , is an ancient seaport and city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city i ...

, Kerala, India. It is located around from the city center of

and from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.

History

Tangasseri was associated with the Chinese trade from the first millennium AD and later colonised by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British to become the "gold village". According to Historians, Captain Rodriguez came to Quilon and was appointed as the captain of the factory and trade, with permission from the queen. St.Thomas Fort (once known as Fortaleza da São Tomé) was built by the Portuguese under

Afonso de Albuquerque Afonso de Albuquerque, 1st Duke of Goa (; – 16 December 1515) was a Portuguese general, admiral, and statesman. He served as viceroy of Portuguese India from 1509 to 1515, during which he expanded Portuguese influence across the Indian Ocean ...

for the protection of the newly developed trade. In 1505 the Portuguese established a trading port here, and in 1518 established its sovereignty through the construction of Fort St. Thomas. Later in 1661 the town and the fort were handed over to the Dutch who made it the capital of Dutch Malabar. The Dutch occupied the fort for several years. In 1795, the British East India Company took possession of the fort. In 1823 Fort St. Thomas accepted a lease by Travancore from the British government for a period of twenty years. Fort St. Thomas was originally around tall. Today, the remains of the fort, popularly known as "Tangasseri fort" remain facing the beach. The government of India has taken over the fort and it is being considered an historical landmark. Restoration of the fort is ongoing. At present, the fort is managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Gallery

Thangassery Fort Right view.jpeg, Old – St.Thomas Fort – Right-view Thangassery Fort Kollam2.jpg, Right View Thangassery Fort Kollam1.jpg, Renovated St.Thomas Fort – Front-view Thangassery Fort Kollam - DSC03142.jpg, Back Side Entrance Thangassery Fort Kollam - DSC03149.jpg, Inside View Thangassery Fort Kollam - DSC03144.jpg, Main Wall Thangassery Fort Kollam - DSC03145.jpg, The Windows

References

External links

"Mining rampant at Tangasseri fort"

{{Kollam district Forts in Kerala Portuguese forts in India Buildings and structures in Kollam History of Kollam Colonial Kerala Dutch India Portuguese in Kerala Kingdom of Travancore 16th-century forts in India 1510s establishments in Portuguese India 1518 establishments in India Cities and towns in Kollam district Tourist attractions in Kollam Archaeological sites in Kerala Portuguese colonial architecture in India Monuments of National Importance in Kerala