Kerala History

Kerala is truly the undiscovered India. It is God's own country and an enchantingly beautiful, emerald-green sliver of land. It is a tropical paradise far from the tourist trial at the southwestern peninsular tip, sandwiched between the tall mountains and the deep sea. Kerala is a long stretch of enchanting greenery. The tall exotic coconut palm dominates the landscape.

There is a persistent legend which says that 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. And the land that emerged all from the waters became Kerala, the land of plenty and prosperity.

¤ Mauryan Empire
The first recorded history of Kerala appears in the inscriptions of the Mauryan Emperor, Ashoka (269-232 b.c.).In these inscriptions, Ashoka refers to four independent kingdoms that lay to the south of his empire. These were the kingdoms of the Cholas, the Pandyas, the Keralaputrasand the Satiyaputras. The four South Indian Kingdoms extended a hand of friendship towards the Mauryas. It was really Hobson’s choice for them, having already experienced the Mauryan onslaught during the reign of Ashoka’s predecessor, Bindusara (297-272 b.c.)

¤ The Sangam Age
The Sangam Age refers to the period during which Sangam literature was composed. Sangam literally means academy and these great works in Tamil were written in the first four centuries of the Christian era. Three political powers ruled the territories of the South which now represents present day Kerala during the Sangam Age. These were the Ezhimalas to the north, the Cheras in Central Kerala and the Ays in the south.

The Ays established a kingdom which in its halcyon days, extended from Tiruvalla in the north to Nagercoil in the south. Antiran, Titiyam and Atiyan were the most prominent of the Ay rulers. Cherakingdom extended over the Malabar Coast, Karur, Coimbatore and Salem Districts in South India. The Ezhimalas too ruled over an extensive area that covers the present Kannur and Wynad districts of North Kerala. However, the Cheras were the most conspicuous of the dynasties and founded a powerful kingdom in Kerala.

¤ The Chera Kingdom
The Chera dynasty was one of the ancient Tamil dynasties who reigned over south India from early times until the fifteenth century. Their kingdom extended over the Malabar Coast, Karur, Coimbatore and Salem Districts in South India, which now is a part of present day Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The first Chera ruler was Perumchottu Utiyan Cheralatan who founded the Chera dynasty. After suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Chola ruler at the battle of Venni, he committed suicide. He was succeeded by his son Imayavaramban Nedum Cheralatan. However, the greatest ruler of the Chera Dynasty was Kadalpirakottiya Vel Kelu Kuttuvan, whose reference has been made in the great Tamil epic- Silappadigaram.

¤ Kalabhra Interregnum
After the Sangam Age, Kerala passed through a dark period that lasted four centuries. This era is known as the ‘Kalabhra Interregnum’. This has been referred as the Dark Age in the history of Kerala. At the end of the eighth century A.D, South Indian kingdoms such as the Pallavas, the Chalukyas, the Rashtrakutas and the Pandyas succeeded in overthrowing the Kalabhras.

¤ The Second Chera Empire
Just after the eclipse of the Kalbhras, the Second Chera Empire made its appearance in the annals of Kerala history. Mahodyapuram (modern Kodangallur) was its capital. It was founded by Kulasekhara Alvar (a.d. 800-820), one of the 12 Alvars. It was only under the reign of the Kulasekhara kings that Kerala became an advanced civilization and a pre-eminent political power. Alvars were Tamil saints who composed and sang hymns in praise of Vishnu (The Preserver in the Hindu Holy Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer). They were exponents of the Bhakti (devotional) cult in South India. The Second Chera Age of the Kulasekharas was called the "Golden Age" of Kerala.

¤ Rajasekhara Varman Rule
Rajasekhara Varman (AD820 - 844), the successor of Kulasekhara Alvar, pioneered the Kollam Era in 825. He is also famous for issuing the Vazhappali Inscription which forms the first epigraphical record of the Second Chera Kingdom. He was succeeded by by Sthanu Ravi Varman (AD 844-55). Rama Varma Kulasekhara (1090-1102) was the last successor of the Chera Kings. He transferred his capital from Mahodyapuram to Quilon when the Cholas attacked it during his rule.

¤ The Venad Kingdom
After the fall of the Kulasekharas, Venad emerged as an independent power. The kingdom of Venad, also known as ‘Velnad’, ‘Vanavarnadu’ or ‘Vanchidesam’ emerged from the fallen Cheran Empire. The kingdom reached its zenith under Udaya Marthanda Varma (1175-1195) and Ravi Varma Kulasekhara (1299-1314).

Ravi Varma Kulasekhara was the most important ruler of the dynasty. He was a brave and active warrior. He brought peace and order to the strife-torn Pandya Empire. After the death of Ravi Varma Kulasekhara, the history of the Venad Kingdom is not of special interest. The kingdom lingered on until the middle of the 18th century before it disintegrated.

¤ Emergence of Calicut
During the medieval period, Calicut rose to prominence from the ashes of the mighty Kulasekhara Empire, in the northern part of Kerala. The Zamorins (literally Lord of the Sea) were the hereditary rulers of Calicut who traced their lineage to the old Perumal dynasty of Kerala.

Calicut emerged as a major seaport during the reign of the Zamorins. Trade with foreigners like the Chinese and Arabs was the main source of revenue for the Zamorins. But it was the Arabs who managed to establish stronger trade links with the rulers of Calicut. By the 15th century, clashes between Cochin and Calicut became increasingly frequent. The reigning Zamorin emerged as the undisputed monarch of the North Malabar area, extending up to Pantalayani Kollam.

¤ The Europeans Arrive
The arrival of Vasco da Gama at Calicut in 1498, was a landmark event in the annals of history. At that time, Kerala was in the throes of political turmoil. After Vasco da Gama, the most notable Portuguese to set foot on Indian soil, was Albuquerque. He managed to make peace with the Zamorin. A treaty was signed in 1513, which gave the Portuguese the right to construct a fort in Cochin and to carry on trade. However, the successors of Albuquerque were incompetent and corrupt. Naturally, that led to the decline of Portuguese power in Kerala. This period also saw the revival of the Bhakti movement.

¤ Trade Link With Dutch
The Dutch landed on the western coast. Various treaties signed in 1608 and 1610 ensured trading facilities for the Dutch. With the treaty of 1619, the Dutch joined hands with the British to eliminate competition from the Portuguese. The Dutch and the British jointly abolished the monopoly of the spice trade of the Portuaguese. The Dutch ascendancy in Kerala waned away when the ruler of Travancore, Marthanda Varma (1729-1758) defeated the Dutch powers in the conflict of Koiachel.

¤ Rise of Travancore
The modern history of Travancore starts with Marthanda Varma who after succeeding the throne, transformed and amplified the old kingdom of Venad into Travancore during his progressive tenure. Marthanda Varma was acknowledged as the Maker of Modern Travancore. Rama Varma, renowned as Dharma Raja (1758-98) inherited the throne after Marthanda Varma was also a remarkable ruler and an administrator. After his demise in 1768, Balarama Varma came to the throne and Velu Thampi was the notable Diwan or minister during his rule.

Balaram Varma was followed by by Rani Gowri Lakshmi Bai in AD (1810–1815) and after her death Rani Gouri Parvati Bai (1815-29) and Swati Tirunal (1829-47) proceeded the imperial tradition. Other important rulers were Maharajah Utharadam Tirunal Marthanda Varma AD (1847–1860), Sethu Lakshmi Bai and finally Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma AD (1931–1949) was the last king of this dynasty.

¤ Mysore Invades Kerala
In 1766, Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore invaded Malabar. In 1773, Haider Ali once again expanded his territory by invading Trichur. Haider Ali’s son, Tipu Sultan known as the tiger of Mysore inherited the throne in 1782 and took the possession of the whole of South Malabar in 1783. But in 1790 when Tipu just coped to transgress Travancore, the Third Mysore War broke out and this marked the doom of Tipu Sultan as he had to surrender his territories to the British authority. The Treaty of Serirangapatam in 8th March, 1792 made Tipu Sultan cede the kingdom of Malabar to the British.

¤ British Rule in Kerala
Like the other European powers, the British also came in as traders to India. The British fortified Calicut in 1664.In the years to follow, Travancore and Tellicherry also came under purview of the British. But the Keralites did not give in to the British without a whimper. Several revolts took place during the late 18th and early 19th century, which challenged British authority. Among them, the most important was the revolt of Velu Thampi and Paliath Achan who were Chief Ministers of Travancore and Cochin, respectively.

British ascendancy in India initiated in the seventeenth century and lasted for two centuries till the independence of India. By 1806 Cochin, Travancore and Malabar in the north were brought under the British Madras Presidency.

¤ The Growth of the National Movement
There was no dearth of patriotic fervour amongst the people of Kerala when India was going through the struggle for independence. Malabar was a centre of political agitation from the inception of the national movement. The early upheavals and clashes against the Colonial power, like the Mappila Rebellion of 1921, Pazhassi revolt were crushed effectively by the British. Mahatma Gandhi spearheaded the Salt Satyagraha of 1930 and the Civil Disobedience movement of 1932.

Finally Communist Party of India came into being in Kerala in 1939. The Quit India movement in 1942 had its affected Kerala. The Punnapra Vayalar revolt of 1946 led by the communists was a part of the nationalistic struggle. In 1956, 1st of November, modern Kerala emerged from Malabar which was a part of the Madras Presidency, Kochi and Travancore.