Buckingham Canal, Kollam
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(Used for transportation till 1795)
(Ends at Arabian Sea)
| Buckingham Canal | |
|---|---|
| Specifications | |
| Length | 0.466 miles (0.750 km) (Used for transportation till 1795) |
| Maximum height above sea level | 23 ft (7.0 m) (Ends at Arabian Sea) |
| Status | Dysfunctional |
| Navigation authority | None |
| History | |
| Date of first use | 1560 |
| Geography | |
| Start point | Dead End (in the East) |
| End point | Arabian Sea (in the West) |
Buckingham Canal in Kollam is a 450-year-old Portuguese built heritage landmark at Tangasseri.[1] This is one of the rare ancient ruins existing in the city. The Canal is believed to be a key conduit built by the Portuguese some 450 years ago inside their strategic territory, the Fort Thomas.[2] Quilon along with Tangasseri was one among the ancient Portuguese settlements in Asia.
Buckingham Canal was actually built by the Portuguese who were settled in Quilon before 450 years, inside their strategic territory. This canal inside the Fort was used for safe transportation of personnel and merchandise to and from the ships which called at the port. The Portuguese were settled at Quilon and gained monopoly over the region’s lucrative pepper trade. Old Quilon city was very famous for its fine quality pepper and the name Kollam is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit word Kollam means pepper.
Barges were said to have been used for transportation through the Canal. Thangassery is a projection into the sea and both ends of the Canal originally opened at the Arabian Sea then. After Portuguese, the Dutch have establish their domination in Quilon city & port based pepper trade, attacked and captured the Fort from the Portuguese. By 1662, Tangasseri became an exclusive trade hub of the Dutch. The canal came to be known as the Buckingham Canal, later when Dutch surrendered it to the British East India Company in 1795.[3]
