Salem

Salem lies in the inland Tamil country, surrounded by hills that include the Shevaroys to the north. The town grew in a region known for its agriculture and ironworking, while the Sugavaneswarar temple provided a focus for worship. Its position between the uplands of Mysore and the plains of the Kaveri placed it within reach of several competing powers.

After the age of the great Tamil dynasties, the area came under Vijayanagara and then the Nayaks of Madurai. Local chiefs, including the Gatti Mudaliars, held strongholds in the surrounding country. In the eighteenth century Salem came under Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan of Mysore, whose wars against the British transformed the region. Following the settlement of 1792, Salem became part of the territory ceded to the East India Company.