History of Kerala:-
Salient Highlights:-
- The history of Kerala, is as interesting and striking as its varied geographical features that adds an awe-inspiring beauty and thus this place becomes a land of versatile appeal. Kerala is the melting pot of many cultures and civilizations – native as well as foreign and hence consists of a rich heritage.
- Historians are of different view regarding ancient history of Kerala. The history regarding its origin is masked in myths and guess. One such myth centres around the legend Parasurama. This warrior-sage is regarded as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. After destroying the Kshathriya kings, the warrior-sage asked an assembly of learned men a way of penance for his past misdeeds. He was advised to hand over the lands he had conquered to the Brahmins. He agreed and sat in penance at Gokarnam. Parasurama was blessed by Lord Varuna, the God of the Oceans and by Bhumidevi, the Goddess of earth. Thereafter he went to Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) and threw his battle axe northwards across the waters. The water subsided and whatwas left over was called the land of Parasurama. That is today’s Kerala. That was only a story.
- Geologists believe that the ocean currents bring in large quantities of sand towards the shore. The coastal portions could well be due to the accumulation of this silt over thousands of years.
- The history of Kerala can be traced back to 4000 B.C. Like any other region during that period, Kerala was also a kingdom from the first century and it did have a strong governance. Kerala was famous for its spices like cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, dried ginger etc….These attracted foreigners. Kerala had strong trade relation with many foreign countries from about 300 B.C. Spices were exported to countries like Assyria, Babylonia, Israel, Greece, Rome , China etc.. Around 300 B.C, Aryans started migrating from the North.
- Around 3000 BC trade started flourishing in the Malabar cost of Kerala. Cotton, ivory, sandalwood and spices were the favourite trade items. Muziris (kodungalloor or Cranganore) was a great trade centre.
- Before the beginning of Christian era the main natives of Kerala were Kuravas,Vetas and Pulayas. Buddhism and Jainism flourished during this period. Brahmins from the nearby areas started flowing in. The occupied most of the fertile lands from Payannur in North Kerala. By 10th century they were the powerful entity upto Cape Comorin. Buddhists and Jains retreated from Kerala. The Brahmins were wealthy and powerful, segregation of classes began and even they determined what distance a lower cast person should keep from the Brahmins.
The history of Kerala can be conveniently divided into various periods:-
Ancient Period:-
Ancient Period refers to the time before the Christian era. History of Kerala can be traced back to 4000 B.C., when Proto Australoid and Negrito race inhabited the land. Nothing definitely can be said about the original, early inhabitants of Kerala as there are no evidences or records, however according to the Archaeologists; the early inhabitants of Kerala were the hunters and food gatherers of Negrito tribe. Then came the the Austriches or the Austric people who resembled the present-day Aborigines of Australia and indulged in snake worship. The Austric people were followed by the Dravidians who migrated from the Mediterranean region. The Dravidians drifted away southwards but left behind their substantial cultural contribution on the Aryans (Indo – Iranians) who brought Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism along with them. Microlithic artifacts dating back to 4000 B.C. have been recovered from near Calicut. Megalithic monuments like various kinds of burial stones and urns and some man-made underground chambers have also been found. By around 3000 B.C., Kerala had trade relation with Sindhu Valley Civilization and its spices and commodities like Sandalwood, Ivory, Teakwood etc. were exported to many countries of the west. Kerala held a considerable position in the commercial map of the ancient world. It is believed that the Peacocks, Monkeys, Ivory and spices which King Solomon received, were imported from Kerala . It was by 700 B.C. that the Dravidians migrated to south India from the Mediterranean region. The Aryans entered Kerala from north India by 300 B.C.270 B.C. to 240 B.C. saw the spread of Buddhism in Kerala. The oldest record about Kerala is found in one of the rock edict by emperor Asoka dating back to B.C. 257.
The Mauryan Contact –
The first scripted history of Kerala is found the inscription of Ashoka the Great, the Mauryan Emperor (269-232 BC) who cited four independent territories in the south of his empire and Kerala was one of them. These four kingdoms were the Keralaputras, the Satiyaputras, the kingdom of Cholas and the kingdom of the Pandyas. Ashoka recorded Kerala as Keralaputra. Jainism was introduced in Kerala during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya and this fact is supported by the proof that some present day Hindu temples were originally Jain ones. During the third century B.C, Asoka sent numerous monks to preach and spread Buddhism to different parts of India including South India and other parts of the world such as Burma, Sri Lanka and also to Persia and Greece. These Buddhist monks established their monasteries in Kerala.
Sangham Period in Kerala History:-
This period can be dated from the beginning of the Christian era to the middle of the 7th century. ‘Sanghams’ were assemblies or groups of poets which were in existence in various parts of the Pandiyan Empire. The aim of these Sanghams was to encourage poetic arts. Three Sanghams are known to have existed during the period. Heppalus, a Roman-Greek sailor reached Musiris (Kodungalloore) in A.D. 45 and this enabled direct trade with Roman empire. The distance of sea voyages were reduced by the discovery of new routes. Many mariners like Heppalus, Panthenus, Huan Tsang, Cosmos Indicopleustes etc., landed at the coasts of Kerala during this period. By around 50 – 125 A.D., the Chera kings captured parts of northern Kerala. During this period also, Kerala had strong trade with the West. In A.D. 52, St. Thomas reached Kerala and Christianity began to flourish. With the demolition of Jerusalem church by the Romans, the Jews fled from Israel and some of them reached Kerala. As per the book Keralolpathy, the period up to 216 A.D. is known as ‘Parasurama period’ and the period 216 A.D. to 428 A.D. is known as age of ‘Perumals’. The Brahmin families which migrated to Kerala were settled to 64 villages. In 644 A.D., Malikben Dinar reached Kerala and he constructed Mosques and propagated Islam. 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. Cheran Chenguttuvan (125-180) was one of the famous rulers of this era. Poems like Akananuru, Manimekhalai ,Purananuru and Silappathikaram were composed in this age.
Chera Kingdom :-
The kingdoms of the Cheras were located to the south of the great Mauryan Dynasty and Keralaputra and Cheraputra were first mentioned in the inscriptions of Ashoka the Great and later from the poems of the Sangam literature we come to know many details. 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. 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:-
With the ending of the progressive Sangam Age that was beamed with the literary advance in South Indian literature, the light faded and Kerala underwent a dark phase that lasted almost for four centuries. This epoch is known as ‘Kalabhra Interregnum’ and has been referred as the Dark Age in the history of Kerala. The Kalabhra Kings created mayhem and disrupted the social and political order of the South Indian Peninsula by overthrowing and deracinating the Adhirajas of Chera, Chola and Pandya dynasties which were a part of present day Kerala and Tamil Nadu. These valorous Kalabhra Kings ruled with an upper hand, relentlessly for almost three hundred years from 300 AD to 600AD. The reign of Kalabhras of South India finally came to an end in the 8th Century AD when the Pallavas, Pandyas, Chalukyas and the Rashtrakutas extirpated them from South India.
Post-Sangham Period in the History of Kerala:-
The period ranging from the middle of 7th century to the early part of the 9th century is known as the Post – Sangham period. This was the period when Buddhism began to decline. The main rulers of this period were Cheraman Perumal and Kulasekara Alwar. Both these kings later abdicated their thrones. Kulasekara Alwar later became a Vaishnavite poet and Cheraman Perumal accepted Islam and went to Mecca. Adi Shankara (Sankaracharya, 788 – 820 A.D.) lived and propagated the Advaida philosophy during this period. Each king during the period was enthroned for a period of 12 years. After his term, a new king was selected following a festival or cultural event known as Mamankam. These type of events are unique to Kerala
The Second Chera Empire –
After the reign of the Kalabhras, Kerala emerged from the dark age and came under the Second Chera Empire (800 – 1102 A.D) founded by Kulasekhara Alvar. Kulasekara empire lasted for about 3 centuries beginning from 800 AD. These kings were known after their family name as Kulasekaras. The first Chera Empire waned in the 3rd century and was revived in the 9th century. It was only under the reign of the Kulasekhara kings that Kerala became an advanced civilization and a pre-eminent political power. The capital of this Chera Empire or Kulasekhara Dynasty, (known by the ancestral name of the kings) was Mahodyapuram- modern Kodangallur in Kerala. During this Kulasekhara era, the Quilon Calendar (Malayalam Calendar system) or Kolla Varsha was innovated and was issued on the25th of July, 825 A.D. Quilon city was reconstructed by Maruvan Sabareso. Bhaskara Ravi I, Bhaskara Ravi II and Sthanu Ravi Varma, the successor of Rajasekhara Varman ,were the prominent rulers of this period. The Second Chera Age of the Kulasekharas was called the “Golden Age” of Kerala. Between 1000 and 1019, Raja Raja Chola and Rajendra Chola attacked Kerala. Rajendra Chola seized vizhinjam. In 1070 Kerala was liberated from Chola control.
Rajasekhara Varman Rule:-
Rajasekhara Varman (AD820 – 844), the successor of Kulasekhara Alvar who founded the Second Chera Empire, 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. His demise ultimately marked the end of the Chera Empire.
The Venad Kingdom –
The kingdom of Venad, also known as ‘Velnad’, ‘Vanavarnadu’ or ‘Vanchidesam’ emerged from the fallen Cheran Empire. The royal family of the Cheras most probably mingled with the Venads and their successors came to be known as Venad Cheras. One of the most significant of theVenad rulers was Udaya Martanda Varma (1175-1195) who inherited the throne in the 18th century and took the Venad kingdom to its summit. He erected the majestic Sri Padmanabha Temple of Trivandrum and drove outrooted the Feudal Landlords. He was succeeded by Rama Varma who was widely known as Dharma Raja and was the greatest of all Venads. After the decease of Ravi Varma , there were not many significant rulers and the kingdom dawdled on before it crumbled down at the end of the 18th Century.