History of Kerala - God's own country |
Location Kerala is a 560-km long narrow stretch of land, in
the South West corner of Indian peninsula, sandwiched between the tall mountains and the
deep sea. Kerala is a long stretch of greenery. The coconut palm dominates the
landscape. At the widest, Kerala is a mere 120-km from the sea to the mountains. It has
only 1.1 8 per cent of the total area of the country but houses 3.43% of the the country's
population. In 1956, when the states were reorganized, Kerala was formed after tying the
princely states of Travancore and Cochin with Malabar, a province under Madras state.
History & Myths The history of Kerala is shrouded in myth. There is hardly any written history, and current knowledge doesn't take us very far. There is some evidence of pre-historic man dwelling in Kerala, but for several thousands of years after that, practically nothing is known of it's inhabitants. Legend has it that Kerala came up from beneath the sea, when Parasuram, the 6th incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the Hindu Trinity, stood on a high place in the mountains, threw an axe far in to the sea, and commanded the sea to retreat. According to the scriptures, Parashurama appealed to the gods to atone him from his previous sins, and he received two boons, from Varuna, the God of the Oceans and Bhumidevi, the Goddess of earth. He proceeded to Kankakumari, and threw his axe northwards, and the land that rose from the sea where the axe fell was called the land of Parashurama. This is modern day Kerala. While the story is a little difficult to digest, there is evidence that Kerala was indeed under the sea at one point of time, and it rose due to some seismic activity. Another theory suggests that the enormous amount of silt that the rivers of Kerala deposit from the hills to the sea is washed up to the shore.
Microlithic artifacts have been unearthed near Calicut, dated to 4000 BC, and a few man-made underground chambers have also been found. The oldest record of Kerala comes from a rock edict attributed to Emperor Ashoka, from 272 and 232 BC. Early inhabitants Archaeologists believe that the
first citizens of Kerala were the hunter-gatherers, the ting Negrito people. These people
still inhabit the mountains of southern India today, consequently, they had a good
knowledge of herbal medicine and were skilled in interpreting natural phenomena. The next
race of people in Kerala were believed to be the Austriches. The Austric people of Kerala
are of the same stock as the present-day Australian Aborigines. They were the people who
laid the foundation of Indian civilizations and introduced the cultivation of rice and
vegetables, which are still part of Kerala scene. They also introduced snake-worship in
Kerala. Traces of such worship and ancient rites have been found among the Aboriginal
tribes of Australia. Austric features can still be seen fairly and clearly among the
people of Kerala today. Then came the Dravidians (The Mediterranean people). Dravidian
absorbed many of the beliefs of the Negrito and Austric people, but they were strongly
inclined to the worship of the Mother Goddess in all her myriad forms: Protector, Avenger,
Bestower of wealth, wisdom and arts. Tradition also involves Parashurama in the social setup of Kerala. He is believed to have rooted 64 Brahmin families and divided the land equally amongst them. But they could never agree among themselves, and brought a ruler from outside. These rulers were the Perumals. There is definite historical evidence that the Perumals existed. They ruled over the people, predominantly consisting of the Pulayas, Vetas, and the Kuravas. These three subsections still exist in today's society, and are currently in the scheduled class catagory, although some of them seem to have done well for themselves. Each ruler was appointed for a 12 year term, after which it was natural for the king to abdicate. One of the kings became a Buddhist monk, another, Kulasekara Alwar who ruled in the 8th century became a Vaishnavite poet, and the last Perumal, Cheraman converted to Islam and went to Mecca. It is believed that he died on the way back, and his grave is in modern day Yemen. The Perumals gradually gave way to the Chera empire, and the sangam literature was born during their rule. They were great patrons of art and literature, and a great political text, Shilapadikaram was penned during this period, probably around the third century AD. According to the book, there were 5 divisions to the kingdom, the northern reaches around Cannanore (modern Kannur) and the southern near Trivandrum (modern Thiruvananthapuram). The capital of the Cheras was in Vanchi, near Muziris (modern Kodungallur). This city was the Manhattan of the ancient world, and is referred to from the times of Solomon. Sadly, the early years and it's rulers are lost in history. A Greek mariner, who compiled the treasurise, 'Periplus of the Erythraean sea' mentioned 5 ports, of which the most important was Muziris. It stood at the mouth of the river Periyar. The other ports were, in all probability, Kottayam, Thripunithura, Pantalayani and Kollam. Although there is no concrete information on the happenings from the 3rd to the 9th century, the discovery of coins of the Byzantine emperors up to Justin I suggests that there was indeed some trade going on. The last Greek of any inportance to visit the coast was Cosmos Indicopleustes around AD520 and AD525. His memoirs record the sighting of a church, palm trees and a flourishing pepper and sandalwood. Soon after his visit, there is a pause in the fabric of history, and it is believed that a warrior race calling themselves the 'Kalabras' wrecked havoc in the region. They were defeated in the 7th century by the Pandiyas. Another theory was that the Muslim invasion of Egypt might mave interrupted the trade. The power struggle between the Cholas, Cheras and the Pandiyas in the 9th century thrust forward the Pallavas. They are believed to be of Iranian descent. They eventually wiped out the Cholas. Meanwhile, the Cheras renamed their capital Mahodayapuram, and ruled over most of modern day Kerala, except the Vizinjam area. The Pandiyas ruled Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of mainland India. It is believed that it was during their reign that the Jews came to India. The Jews have several stories to tell on their presence in India. One traces them to the descendants of those that fled after the destruction of their temple at Jeruslem. In any event, by this time, the society of Kerala was pretty mixed up with Jains, Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, and Hindus. The Cheras governed their kingdom by dividing it among several chieftains, called naduvazis. They changed the way of governance, as Kerala slowly slipped into a feudal setup. they enjoyed great autonomy, and Venad, in modern day Quilon was a kingdom in itself, within the Chera empire. Their prize possession was the port of Quilon, which was frequented by the Chinese, Arabs and the Nestorian Christians, from Alexandria. The kings of this land took the dynastic title of Kulashekaras, and held it till they ceeded to the Republic of India, in 1949. A famous king of this kingdom was Ravivarma Kulashekara, who came to the throne in 1299. He was a warrior poet, and wrote many a composition and won many a battle. He is creditted with expanding the empire to the north, and when he was succeeded by Marthanda Varma in 1313, the kingdom was at it's enviable best. Within 4 centuries, the Varma's lost everything but a small strip between Kamyakumari and Trivandrum. Their palace still stands on the highway, near Marthandam, and is a must see for every history buff. Marco Polo travelled through these coasts during 1290, and he reported several small kingdoms, the Comorin, Quilion, Ely (Cannanore), and the Malabar. It was during this time that a Hindu wave swept through the south, and the Buddhists and the Jains were wiped out. Today, all that remains is a small Jain colony in north Kerala. Most of the ancient temples in the region were either Buddhist (like Vadakunnatan temple, Trichur) temples or Jain (Kudalmanikyam temple, Irinjalakuda) temples. There is evidence of persecution of these religions by the Hindus. The festival at Kodungallur temple, where dirty songs are sang, is believed to have originated when the local population were trying to chase the Buddhist Sanyasinis (female monks) from the premises. The Hindu revival has been attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, who lived during this time. The events of 1341 AD changed the economic scenario of Kerala. Although it's not known whether it was an earthquake (Kerala does lie on a seismic fault) or whether it was the heavy monsoons, the end effect was that the ancient port of Muziris (modern Kodungallur) was heavily silted, and rendered useless. However, this was a boon to a small fishing village 50 km north, renamed kuchu thura ( meaning small opening), where the sea married the land to form a harbour. This event changed history of this land for ever. The name Kuchu Thura was desecrated time and again in history, and is currently Kochi (till recently Cochin). Foreign invasions The big event in the history of Kerala took place in 1498, just six years after West Indies was discovered by Columbus. A Portuguese Captain, Vasco Da Gama bribed an Arab sailor and sneaked his way into the history books forever. He landed at Calicut and was welcomed by the Zamorin, who ruled the area. They were given land, and grants to do business, but the Portuguese wanted more. Sensing the fragile situation of the land, the Parungese, as they were locally known, went on to consolidate their position. They were met with resistance by the Zamorin's navy, under their Admiral, Kunjali Marakkar. Their advances were checked for a while, but the Zamorin was fighting a losing battle against superior technology. The Portuguese were known for their extreme cruelity, and were particularly brutal to the Christians of the region. They couldn't accept that the Christians accepted as their supreme leader, the Pontiff at Antioch, instead of the Pope. But the Christians fought back in their own way, and on 15 January 1653, they tied themselves to a Cross in Cochin, and took the Canon oath. The cross is still there, and is called the Koonan Kurushu (cross in Malayalam). The Portuguese did however convert some of the coastal dwellers to their faith, and they are called the Latin Catholics. The Portuguese supremacy of the coast was put to an end by the Dutch. Known as the Lanthakar's by the local population, the Dutch secured a treaty with the Zamorins of Calicut, and fought the Portuguese. They formed the Dutch East India Company in 1602, and proclaimed the Maharajas of Cochin as the titular head. In 1604, they were joined by Stefan Van Hegena, who entered Cannanore with 13 ships. It took till 1663 for the Portuguese to be chased away. They never set foot in Kerala again. The palace that they built in Cochin was renovated by the Dutch, and gifted to the Maharaja, who christened it the 'Dutch Palace'. The Dutch posted a Govenor in Cochin, and his official residence (later the British Govenor's) was the Bolghatty Palace. This is currently a hotel. The Dutch honeymoon was soon to end, and the differences started surfacing. In 1717, a treaty was signed, but it was little too late. In 1741, off the coast of Kolachel, the Dutch navy was defeated by Maharaja Marthanda Varma, the greatest of Kerala's modern rulers. This naval battle has unfortunately been given very little importance in the history books. It marked the first defeat by a European naval power at the hands of an Asian nation. Marthanda Varma belonged to the Kulashekara dynasty. Their power was fast declining and by the time Rama Varma and Aditya Varma sat on the throne, the temples had almost absolute authority. There were celebrated conflicts between them and temple groups, called 'ettara yogam'. They turned out a disaster for the kings. The next ruler was a very dynamic lady, Umayamma Rani. She came to the throne in 1677, and defeated a rival contender to the throne, Nedumangattu Kerala Varma in battle. Around this time, the British first came to Kerala. In 1684, she facilitated the construction of godowns for the British near Attingal. She adopted Kottayam Kerala Varma, who went onto become a famous personality. Unfortunately, his popularity came at the cost of making powerful enemies, who had him assassinated on his return from an audience with the queen. The queen also adopted two princesses from Kolathu Nadu. This is a popular practice, and is still followed in Kerala today. The system being matriachal, the dynasty continues through the female members of the family. One of these princesses gave birth in 1706, to Marthanda Varma, who succeeded the throne in 1729. He was given a weak kingdom, and an empty treasury. However, he was a great ruler, and in his reign, which went well into 1758, he expanded the reaches of his kingdom, and his coffers overflowed. His experience in ruling came from the years he learnt the ropes from his uncle, Ravi Varma, who succeeded his mother. After Marthanda Varma was proclaimed the king, Ravi Varma's sons, Pappu Thampi and Raman Thampi tried to have him killed, but he killed the two, and absorbed their allies, Deshinganad, Attingal, and Kottarakkara into his kingdom. His right hand man was Ramayyan Dalava, a very capable lieutenant. In 1741, as mentioned before, the Dutch were defeated off the coast of Kolachel. The Dutch Admiral Eustchices Delannoy was taken captive along with 24 others, and he later went on to train the armies of Marthanda Varma. His grave at an inland fort at Udayagiri can still be seen, and bears the inscription, "Stand, Traveller, and behold! For here lies Captain Delannoy, who served Maharaja Marthanda Varma and Travancore faithfully for three decades". It can only be imagined, the amount of admiration Delannoy had for the land and it's prince, as he could very well have been a part of the force that went onto colonize the entire Indonesian archipelego, but chose to stay back and serve Travancore. He fought many battles for Marthanda Varma, the fiercest being the series with the king of Kayankulam, who fled to take refuge in Trichur. All the allies of the king were eliminated as well, and one of them, the Chempakasseri Raja of Ampalapuza was taken to Trivandrum, and placed under house arrest for the rest of his life. In 1750, Marthanda Varma donated his kingdom to the family deity at Sri Padmanabha temple, and ruled as his servant. He abdicated in favour of Rama Varma in 1758, and died in 1761. Rama Varma was popularly known as Dharmaraja. He consolidated the gains achieved by Marthanda Varma. He built a fort at the northern reaches of Travancore, called the Nedumkotta. He also made several agreements with the British, and these led to a loss in autonomy in later years. He built roads, and divided the state into 3 administrative regions. He died in 1798, and handed the empire to Balarama Varma, a 16 year old. After 2 years of internal conflict, Veluthampi was appointed the Dawala. He was an able administrator, but eventually, the British regent, Lord Maculay outsmarted him. He fought the British, and was eventually hanged. His relatives were deported to Maldives. The next to the throne was Rani Gowri Lakshmi Bhai, in 1810. She appointed Col. Munro as her Divan. He was a reformist, and introduced many changes, including a postal system, and a government secretariat. The Rani gave birth in 1813, and the son was declared the Raja. She ruled his kingdom till her death in 1815. Her sister Parvathi Bhai ran the country till Swathi Thirunal was old enough to take over, in 1829. He was a learned man, and gave a western judicial system by the 1830's. His era is generally known as the golden age of Travancore. His successor Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma continued his good work, and among other things, abolished the ban on lower caste women not being able to cover their breasts. His successors made many treaties with the British, and they learned to live in relative harmony. In 1931, Sree Chithra Thirunal Balarama Varma ascended the throne. He was the last ruler of Travancore, and his biggest achievement was the opening of the Travancore University. After Indian independence, the king wanted to declare independence by not joining the Indian Union. But the people wanted to cede to the Republic of India, and the king accepted the people's demands. He handed control of all departments except the royal family, the temples and the palace to the new goverment. The first chief minister was Pattom. A. Thanu Pillai. In 1949, the kingdoms of Cochin and Travancore merged, and the Travancore king assumed the title of Rajapramukh. The king of Cochin was a very simple man, and his only conditions were a plane ride to Trivandrum for the document signing, and a horoscope book every year till his death. On 1 Nov 1956, Kerala was made into a state under Republic of India. |
Kerala may be
divided into three geographical regions: (1) High lands, (2)
Midlands and (3) Lowlands. The Highlands slope down from the Western Ghats which
rise to an average height of 900 m, with a number of peaks well over 1,800 m in height.
This is the area of major plantations like tea, coffee, rubber, cardamom and other spices.
The Midlands, lying between the mountains and the lowlands, is made up of undulating hills
and valleys. This is an area of intensive cultivation. Cashew, coconut, arecanut, cassava
(tapioca), banana, rice, ginger, pepper, sugarcane and vegetables of myriad varieties are
grown in this area. The Lowlands or the coastal area, made up of river deltas, backwaters
and the Arabian coast, is essentially a land of coconuts and rice. Fisheries and coir
industry constitute the major industries of this area. 
Kerala is a land of rivers and backwaters.
Forty-four rivers (41 west-flowing and 3 east-flowing)criss-cross the state physique along
with countless runlets. During summer, these monsoon-fed rivers will turn into rivulets
especially in the upper parts of Kerala. Backwaters are an attractive, economically
valuable feature of Kerala. These include lakes and ocean inlets which stretch irregularly
along the Kerala coast. The biggest among these backwaters is the Vembanad lake, with an
area of 200 sq km, which opens out into the Arabian Sea at Cochin port. The Periyar,
Pamba, Manimala, Achenkovil, Meenachil and Moovattupuzha rivers drain into this lake.The
other important backwaters are Veli, Kadhinam kulam, Anju Thengu, Edava, Nadayara,
Paravoor and Ashtamudi (Quilon).