Tirunelveli district was one of the districts in the erstwhile Madras Presidency of British India.
It covered the area of the present-day districts of Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi and few parts of Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu.
As of 1901, Tirunelveli had a population of 2,059,607 with a significant number of Muslims and Christians.
There were four municipalities: Tirunelveli, Srivilliputtur, Tuticorin and Palayamkottai.
Headquarters was Palayamkottai..