The history of Andamans is still a mystery to many.

No one actually knows when and

how the first inhabitants came to the island. The earliest archeological evidence yet
documented goes back some 2,200 years. However, genetic and cultural studies
suggest that the indigenous Andaman people may have been isolated from other
populations since the middle Paleolithic (old stone age). In that time, the
Andamanese may have diversified into distinct linguistic, cultural, and territorial
groups, now known as tribes.
The first empire to list the Andamans under its territory was the Maratha Empire.
Rajendra Chola, one of the Chola dynasty kings, conquered the Andaman & Nicobar
islands to use it as its strategic navy base against the Sriwijaya Empire (located in
Indonesia). They called the Andaman & Nicobar islands Tinmaittivu or the impure
islands.
A major chunk of the known history, however, dates back to the post-colonial period.
The history of organized European colonization began when the Danish settlers of
the Danish East India Company arrived at the Nicobar islands on 12 December 1755.
On 1 January 1756, the Nicobar Islands were made a Danish colony, first named New
Denmark. But this colony did not last very long as most of the empire was wiped out
because of the outbreaks of Malaria by 1848. It was only the British who can then be
called the true colonizers of the Andaman & Nicobar island.
In 1789, the British established their colony in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. But, the
island was abandoned by the British in 1796; yet, the British resumed control over
Andamans in the 19th century. During the 19th century as the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands history maintains, the British used Andaman and Nicobar as a penal colony,
which was named ‘Kalapani‘ or the Cellular Jail. The history of Andaman & Nicobar
Islands proves that criminals convicted of a crime against the East India Company
were sent to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with a life sentence: the convicts were
forced to live in exile in the Kalapani.
But, with the end of British rule, i. e. after the Indian Independence, the ‘Kalapani’
gave way to a conglomeration of beautiful islands. It was in 1947 that Andaman &
Nicobar Islands formed a part of the India Union. Today, Andaman and Nicobar
Islands are among the seven union territories of India.