[5] The fort was built on the shores of Pulicat Lake, which provides access to the Bay of Bengal and the Coromandel Coast, an important area for trade and a scene of rivalry between the colonial powers of the Dutch, the Portuguese, and the British.

The fort, which was supplied by the Gouden Leeuw in 1618 with 130 Dutch soldiers and 32 guns,[8] became a focal point in the local turmoil and provided refuge to people from the Portuguese colonies.

In the second half of the seventeenth century, the fort's importance as a trading post (it dealt mainly in cotton fabrics[6]) began to decline, due partly to competition with the British but mostly as a result of the southward expansion of the Mughal Empire.

In 1786, for instance, caravans loaded with merchandise come in every month from places like Golkonda and Suratte and ships sail in from the Red Sea, Goa, and Malabar; there is a lively trade in cotton fabric and a flourishing industry in the dyeing of textiles.

The plans propose a restoration of the wetland eco-system of the area and of the remaining Dutch structures, including the well-preserved cemetery[14] with 76 tombstones carved in the Netherlands.