Q. Which figure is traditionally credited with the acquisition of the British land that would become Chennai, originally known as Chennaipattinam, in 1639-40?
Answer: Chennappa Nayakudu
Notes: The traditional account pegs Chennappa Nayakudu as the figure from whom the British acquired the land that would become Chennai, then known as Chennaipattinam. This area was centered around the Fort St George, an iconic establishment that is still part of Chennai today. St George was the first English fortress in India, around which a small township developed and ultimately grew to be one of the major metropolitan cities in India.