# Demographics of Madras Presidency

The first census of the Madras Presidency was taken in the year 1822. It returned a population of 13,476,923. The second census conducted in 1836-37 returned a population of 13,967,395, an increase of only 490,472 in 15 years. The first quinquennial enumeration of the population was made in 1851–52. It returned a population of 22,031,697. Subsequent enumerations were made in 1856–57, 1861–62 and 1866–67. The population of Madras Presidency was found to be 22,857,855 in 1851–52, 24,656,509 in 1861-62 and 26,539,052 in 1866–67.
The first organized census of India was conducted in 1871. It returned a population of 31,220,973 for Madras Presidency. Since then, a census has been conducted once every ten years. The last census of British India held in 1941 returned a population of 49,341,810 for Madras Presidency.
Districts of the Madras Presidency :
| District | District Headquarters | Area (sq mi) | Year of incorporation | Population | Population | Population | Population | Population | Population | Population | Population |
| District | District Headquarters | Area (sq mi) | Year of incorporation | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1941 |
| Anantapur | Anantapur | 5,557 | 1800 | 741,255 | 599,899 | 727,725 | 788,254 | 963,223 | | | 1,166,255 |
| Anjengo | Anjengo | 1 | 1906 | - | - | - | - | 4,817 | | | |
| Bellary | Bellary | 5,714 | 1800 | 911,755 | 726,275 | 880,950 | 947,214 | 969,436 | | | 1,051,235 |
| Chingleput | Saidapet | 5,079 | 1763 | 938,184 | 981,381 | 1,202,928 | 1,312,122 | 1,321,000 | | | 1,171,419 |
| Coimbatore | Coimbatore | 7,860 | 1799 | 1,763,274 | 1,657,690 | 2,004,839 | 2,201,752 | | 3,219,848 | | 2,809,648 |
| Cuddapah | Cuddapah | 8,723 | 1800 | 1,351,194 | 1,121,038 | 1,272,072 | 1,291,267 | | | | 1,056,507 |
| East Godavari | Cocanada | | 1765 | - | - | - | - | - | 1,756,477 | 1,976,743 | 2,161,863 |
| Ganjam | Berhampur | 8,372 | 1765 | 1,520,088 | 1,749,604 | 1,896,803 | 2,010,256 | - | - | - | - |
| Godavari | Cocanada | 7,972 | 1765 | 1,592,939 | 1,791,512 | 2,078,782 | 2,301,759 | 1,530,000 | 2,583,250 | - | - |
| Kistna | Masulipatam | 8,498 | 1765/1801 | 1,452,374 | 1,548,480 | 1,855,582 | 2,154,803 | 1,997,535 | 2,133,314 | | 1,444,294 |
| Kurnool | Kurnool | 7,878 | 1800 | 914,432 | 678,551 | 817,811 | 872,055 | 889,000 | | | 1,146,250 |
| Madras | Madras | 27 | 1639 | 367,552 | 405,848 | 452,518 | 509,346 | 518,660 | 526,000 | 645,000 | 777,481 |
| Madura | Madura | 8,701 | 1761/1790/1801 | 2,266,615 | 2,168,680 | 2,608,404 | 2,831,280 | 1,861,000 | 2,007,063 | | 2,446,601 |
| Malabar | Calicut | 5,795 | 1792 | 2,261,250 | 2,365,035 | 2,652,565 | 2,800,555 | 3,015,119 | 3,098,871 | | 3,929,425 |
| Nellore | Nellore | 8,761 | 1781 | 1,376,811 | 1,220,236 | 1,463,736 | 1,496,987 | 1,296,000 | | | 1,617,026 |
| Nilgiris | Ootacamund | 958 | 1799 | 49,501 | 91,034 | 99,797 | 111,437 | 80,000 | | | 209,709 |
| North Arcot | Chittoor | 7,386 | 1781/1801 | 2,015,278 | 1,817,814 | 2,114,487 | 2,207,712 | 1,822,000 | 2,055,594 | | 2,577,540 |
| Salem | Salem | 7,530 | 1792 | 1,966,995 | 1,599,595 | 1,962,591 | 2,204,974 | 1,766,680 | 2,112,034 | | 2,869,228 |
| South Arcot | Cuddalore | 5,217 | 1781/1801 | 1,755,817 | 1,814,738 | 2,162,851 | 2,349,894 | 2,272,000 | 2,320,085 | | 2,608,758 |
| South Kanara | Mangalore | 4,021 | 1799 | 918,362 | 959,514 | 1,056,081 | 1,134,713 | | | | 1,523,516 |
| Tanjore | Tanjore | 3,710 | 1799 | 1,973,731 | 2,130,383 | 2,228,114 | 2,245,029 | 2,362,639 | 2,326,265 | 2,385,920 | 2,563,375 |
| Tinnevely | Tinnevely | 5,389 | 1761/1801 | 1,693,959 | 1,699,747 | 1,916,095 | 2,059,607 | | | | 2,244,548 |
| Trichinopoly | Trichinopoly | 2,632 | 1781/1801 | 1,200,408 | 1,215,033 | 1,372,717 | 1,444,770 | | | | 2,194,091 |
| Vizagapatam | Waltair | 17,222 | 1794 | 2,159,199 | 2,485,141 | 2,802,992 | 2,933,650 | | 2,231,874 | | 3,845,944 |
| West Godavari | Eluru | | 1765 | - | - | - | - | - | - | | 1,380,088 |
| Total | Madras | 141,705 | | 31,220,973 | 30,827,218 | 35,630,440 | 38,209,436 | 41,870,160 | 42,794,155 | 46,740,107 | 49,341,810 |
| Princely States of Madras Presidency ||||||||||||
| Banganapalle | Banganapalle | 255 | | 45,208 | 30,754 | 34,596 | 32,264 | 39,344 | 36,692 | 39,218 | 44,592 |
| Cochin | Cochin | 1,362 | | 601,114 | 600,278 | 722,906 | 812,025 | 979,080 | 918,110 | 1,205,016 | 1,422,875 |
| Pudukkottai | Pudukkottai | 1,100 | | 316,695 | 302,127 | 373,096 | 380,440 | 411,886 | 426,313 | 400,694 | 438,648 |
| Sandur | Sandur | 161 | | 14,996 | 10,532 | 11,388 | 11,200 | 13,517 | 11,665 | 13,583 | 15,814 |
| Travancore | Trivandrum | 7,091 | | 2,311,379 | 2,401,158 | 2,557,736 | 2,952,157 | 3,428,975 | 4,006,062 | 5,095,973 | 6,070,018 |
| Total | | 9,969 | | 32,85,938 | 33,44,849 | 36,99,722 | 41,88,086 | 48,72,802 | 53,98,842 | 67,54,484 | 79,91,947 |
| Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of India ||||||||||||

## Cities

| Position | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1941 |
| 1 | Madras (367,552) | Madras (405,848) | Madras (452,518) | Madras (509,346) | Madras (518,660) | Madras (526,911) | Madras (647,232) | Madras (777,481) |
| 2 | Trichinopoly (76,530) | Trichinopoly (84,449) | Trichinopoly (90,609) | Madura (105,984) | Madura (134,130) | Madura (138,894) | Madura (182,018) | Madura (239,144) |
| 3 | Tanjore (52,171) | Madura (73,807) | Madura (87,428) | Trichinopoly (104,721) | Trichinopoly (123,512) | Trichinopoly (120,422) | Trichinopoly (142,843) | Trichinopoly (159,566) |
| 4 | Madura (51,987) | Calicut (57,085) | Salem (67,710) | Calicut (76,981) | Calicut (82,334) | Calicut (78,417) | Salem (102,179) | Coimbatore (130,348) |
| 5 | Bellary (51,766) | Tanjore (54,745) | Calicut (66,078) | Salem (70,621) | Kumbakonam (64,647) | Coimbatore (65,788) | Calicut (99,273) | Salem (129,702) |
| 6 | Salem (50,012) | Negapatam (53,855) | Bellary (59,447) | Kumbakonam (59,673) | Tanjore (60,341) | Conjeevaram (61,376) | Coimbatore (95,198) | Calicut (126,352) |
| 7 | Negapatam (48,525) | Bellary (53,460) | Negapatam (59,221) | Bellary (58,247) | Negapatam (60,168) | Kumbakonam (60,700) | Tanjore (66,889) | Bezawada (86,184) |
| 8 | Calicut (48,338) | Salem (50,667) | Tanjore (54,390) | Tanjore (57,870) | Salem (59,152) | Tanjore (59,913) | Mangalore (66,756) | Guntur (83,599) |
| 9 | Kumbakonam (44,444) | Kumbakonam (54,307) | Kumbakonam (54,307) | Negapatam (57,190) | Cuddalore (56,574) | Negapatam (54,016) | Cocanada (65,952) | Mangalore (81,069) |
| 10 | Cuddalore (40,300) | Cuddalore (43,564) | Cuddalore (47,355) | Coimbatore (53,080) | Cocanada (54,410) | Mangalore (53,877) | Kumbakonam (62,317) | Tuticorin (75,614) |