Thalasseri fort is situated near the Arabian Sea at Thalasseri in Kannur dt. The British East India company builit this fort in 1705 to enhance their military presence. In 1781, Hyder Ali of Mysore attempted in vain to conquer this fort as a part of conqupering Malabar. British had to surrender Malabar Dt. to Tippu Sultan, son and successor of Hyder Ali at the end of the third Anglo- Maratha war. The fort is symbolic of the growth of the British from pepper traders to rulers. The French who were the first to construct a mud fort in Thalasseri had to evacuate when the British arrived. The British started trading with Anjuthengu in Travancore and Thalasseri in Malabaar as their base and gradually flourished step by step. In 1683, the British East India Company just built a shed for trading. When Kurungottu nair, a chieftain and owner of the site, and his soldiers confiscated the shed in 1704 alleging insufficient compensation, the British complained to Chirakkal Raja, the ruler of the region and requested him for permission to construct a fort to avoid such attacks in future. Raja laid. the foundation stone for the fort and also arranged land for purchase by the British. Once upon a tune. this square, giant fort with high walls, secret tunnels and ornated doors pioneered the development of Thalasseri, as the growth of the town was centered around the fort. Starting with just two captains and 422 soldiers and, cleverly taking advantage of the quarrels between the local rulers, the British gained strength wi th the fort as their base.
