90 mins

When the British landed in Madras in 1639, nobody knew it was the beginning of an empire. Certainly not the British! They came for trade, but grew in strength until they were ruling this land. How did this happen? How did a treaty in a small Austrian town change the linguistic history of India? What is common to a pair of rainy day shoes, Waterloo, Madras and a British Prime Minister? This walk starts from the Fort and goes past what was downtown Madras in the late 1800s. Along the way, you will hear stories of traveling tombstones, rogue traders, and daring entrepreneurs who literally lived their lives on the edge.