India: Chennai – Fort St George

Fort St George was the first British fort built in India in 1644 by the East India Company, this was the first British fortress in India, marking the start of Chennai’s (then Madras) colonial history. It now houses the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and an impressive museum, that displays colonial artifacts like weapons, coins, uniforms, and paintings of Madras’ early days. Also inside the fort is St. Mary’s Church: one of India’s oldest surviving British churches built in 1680, known as the “Westminster of the East.”