Kanchipuram was ruled by the Nawab of Arcot in early 1700 AD, many Mosques and Islamic Shrines are here which were built by the Nawabs. There are nine mosques in Kanchipuram. Nawab Sathathullah Khan Mosque and Vaikunda Perumal Temple are situated very close.
Both the mosque and the temple share the same tank. It shows the communal harmony in Tamil Nadu and especially in Kanchipuram. The Hameed owliya dargah was also constructed by the Nawab and is a great work of architecture.
British Rule
Robert Clive, of the British East India Company, who played a major role in the establishment of British rule in India, is said to have presented an emerald necklace to the Varadaraja perumal (the Clive makarakandi, still used to decorate the Lord on ceremonial occasions).
Kanchi was a major seat of Tamil and Sanskrit learning as well as an important place of pilgrimage for Buddhists, Jains and Hindus. Once the seat of learning and religious fervour started its climb down from the Mughal invasions followed by three centuries of colonial rule under the British. Kanchipuram has over one hundred temples today, but it is said to have had over 1,000 temples at its prime.
Inscriptions
There are inscriptions dated 1532 CE (record 544 of 1919) indicating the gift of number of villages made by Achutaraya. Vira Narasingaraya Saluva Nayaka who was directed by Achutaraya broke the royal order by gifting more lands to Ekambaranathar temple than the Varadaraja Swamy temple against the instruction of an equal gift to either of the temples. Achutaraya on hearing this equally distributed the lands to both the temples
