| Home > Kerala > History |
Feedback |
| Surf Channels | |
|
- Kerala - History - Map - Culture - Places |
|
| Contact Zone | |
|
- Contact - Guestbook |
|
| History of Kerala |
|
|
||||
|
The first known mention of Kerala occurs on one of the rock inscriptions left by Ashoka, emperor of India ,
during the third century B.C. It was then an independent kingdom known as Kerala Putra, which was ruled by
the powerful Chera dynasty until the 5th century A.D. Isolated by land, the Malabar coast was open to the ancient world on all sides by sea and this explains the cosmopolitan aspect of present-day Kerala . The Phoenicians came here to trade for spices, ivory, and sandal wood. They were followed by traders from Egypt,Babylonia, Greece, Rome, Arabia, and China. This was the period when Aryans migrated to Kerala. There were many Jews, some of whom are supposed to have fled here when Nebuchadnezzar occupied Jerusalem in 587 B.C. For the native Christians, European missionaries and other post-medieval colonizers were late comers. Christianity in Kerala dates back from A.D. 52 when Apostle Thomas arrived in Kerala (Malabar Coast). St. Thomas was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. He is the founder of the Christian Church in India . He was assassinated in Madras, where St. Thomas Mount and San Thomas Cathedral are located. He was buried in Madras. Apostle Thomas established 7 and 1/2 churches in Kerala and converted many Brahmins to Christianity. A group of 400 Christians came from Syria in A.D. 345 under the leadership of Thomas of Cana. Christians are commonly called as Syrian Christians. They told the Portuguese,who followed Vasco De Gama,that they had never heard of the Pope and the native Christians were persecuted by the Portuguese. It is to the credit of the Hindus, however, that neither Christian nor Jew has ever suffered any persecution during 2000 years in Kerala . Kerala has a unique record in India for harmonious coexistence of diverse religions. Today in many places you can see Temples, Muslim mosques, and Christian Churches in close proximity and prayers are conducted harmoniously. Malayalees are proud of their cultural heritage. Hindus, Christians, Muslims, all form part of the human tide flowing through Kerala . They are good natured and famous for their hospitality. Kerala'S cultural heritage contains elements of ancient Hindu culture that have been enriched by the best in Sanskrit and has a prolific literature. The year 1498 when Vasco De Gama landed at Calicut marked the beginning of the era of foreign Intervention. The Dutch preceded the Portuguese, although, their stay was short. The British East India Company had been on the Malabar coast since 1684. The destructive invastion of Kerala between 1766 and 1790 by Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan, both of Mysore , paved the way for the establishment of British power. Two years after India'S independence in 1947, Travancore- Cochin states were united. In 1956 the present Kerala was constituted on a lingustic basis by uniting Travancore, Cochin and Malabar. |
|
|
|
|
News: Services: CoolSites: |
BBC | Indian News | Gulf |
Indian Express | MalayalaManorama | The Week
Yahoo | ICQ | Net Search | Real Music | Reminder | Download | Free Stuffs My Homepage | Malayalees Chat | Achayans | Kerala Cuisine |
|
|
|
 © Archie's Web Studio & Database Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
|
