The Medieval / European Colonization History

Kerala at the turn of the 11th century AD had power triangle in the caste system supported by the Landlords and ruled by the warlords. This in turn gave rise to instability in the absence of strong central leadership. Wars and conflicts were common for control of turfs.

Ultimately three war lords emerged with some semblance of authority in their regions - the Zamorin of Calicut (Samuthiri of Kozhikode) to the North, Moopins of Perimpadappu (near modern day Kochi) in the central regions and chieftain of Kollam.

These kingdoms are centered around the ancient ports of Kozhikode, Kochi ( a small harbor appeared in present day Kochi in 1341 after a natural calamity closed the ancient port of Muziris or Kodungalloor. The name Kochi comes from the word kochu thura meaning small port or opening out to the sea !), and Kollam.

The Combination of Luxury among the Lords coupled with feudalism took its toll on both the peasants who toiled to keep them happy and the countryside which became impoverished and was ripe for picking for the Europeans who ruled it for the next five centuries.

This is precisely what the Europeans who found a sea lane to the fabled land of spices and gold did. There was nothing anyone could do to stop them.

For centuries the Europeans had chaffed under the Arab monopoly in trade with the East. Just when Europe was stirring out of its deepest of dark ages, there were many sponsors for journeys to the unknown Orient, not the least being the kings and queens of Europe. The Papal proclamation then had roughly divided the world into two spheres of influence between the Spanish and the Portuguese. In stepped an adventurous Vasco de Gama, a capable naval Captain and a fortune hunter. He found the easiest way to India by bribing the Arab pilot when his ship anchored off Kenya at Port Malindi. Following the centuries old route taken by the Arab traders and riding on a monsoon wind, he sailed the Sao' Gabriel to land at Kappad near the town of Calicut or Kozhikode. The entire history of the East was to change from that day.

The Zamorin or Samuthiri received the Portuguese, known locally as parungees warmly. Trade concessions were granted to the Portuguese. But sensing the rivalries of the local kings, the Portuguese immediately set about engaging themselves in consolidating their positions. Through all this, what struck the otherwise peaceful people of this land was the extreme cruelty of the Portuguese. Cabral Alvarez believed in the supremacy of the Portuguese on the sea-lanes and killed anyone dared to break it.

There was some organized resistance to the Portuguese expansionism, particularly at sea from the Samuthiris of Kozhikode. Notable among the Samuthiri's Admirals is Kunjali Marakkar, still a revered hero in Kerala. He achieved some sort of victory in checking the Portuguese expansionism, but against better weapons, technology and cunning, it was a losing battle.

An interesting sidelight is the Portuguese behavior towards the thriving community of Christians in Kerala. Tradition has it that these Christians were converted by St. Thomas the Apostle in the 1st Century AD . The Portuguese were a little annoyed that the local Christians were more Hindus in their outlook, culture and traditions and never heard of the Pope in Rome. The famous Synod of Diamper (present day Udayamperoor near 14 Kms from Kochi) in 1599, decreed that all Christians henceforth revert to the Pope in Rome as the Supreme Spiritual head and not the Pontiff at Antioch.

This is the course of time led to a revolt by a section of the Syrian Christians . Legend has it that they took an oath - by tying themselves to a Cross at Kochi on 15 January 1653. This is known as the "Koonan Cross Oath" and is still revered as a turning point among the Syrian Christians who constitute about 23 percent of the population of Kerala. But the Portuguese had some success in proselytizing and did manage to convert some communities along the coast to Christianity. They are the Latin Catholics and have become an influential section in Kerala.

The Dutch known locally as Lanthakar, was in the race for evicting the Portuguese from the lucrative Eastern spices trade. Strategic alliance with the Samuthiri helped them drive out the Portuguese once and for all by 1663. But from then on it was the same old story of the former allies falling out. This phase ended with the Dutch gaining undue advantages and gaining foothold over most of the coastal areas and towns, prominent being Kannur and Kochi. By 1717 there was some sort of a treaty established between them. But these could not save the Dutch from defeat in 1741 at the hands of a resurgent king of Thiruvithanmkur , Marthanda Varma in the battle of Kolachel. By 1795, the Dutch were so weakened, that the British did not have much trouble evicting them permanently from the Kerala landscape once and for all.

The Portuguese and the Dutch will be remembered for introducing many novel agricultural crops to Kerala, notable among them being pineapple, papaya, tapioca, rubber and scientific farming methods for coconuts. To this day, the Kerala farmers are critically dependent on these crops for survival in the agrarian economy of the state. The Bolgatty palace at Kochi, the Dutch Governor's mansion (later the British Resident's mansion) is a much recognized landmark of Kochi. The renovation of the palace at Mattancherry ( known as the Dutch palace) at Kochi also is a reminder of the brief Dutch colonial presence in Kerala.

The French also had brief moments of glory in Kerala. But a resurgent Britain put paid to their hopes of empire building and managed to confine them to a small enclave Mahe near Kannur.

Notable in this time was the king of Thiruvithamkur, Marthanda Varma in the 18th century. His success started with the subjugation of the local warlords. Then in a move at consolidating his kingdom, he subjugated all principalities the southern tip of Kerala upto Kodungalloor up in the North.

His notable achievements of converting these captured lands into state lands, centralizing foreign trade and hence improving government incomes, improving conditions of farmers, and most importantly reducing the powers of the government servants who till then were exclusively from certain castes and families set the foundation of modern day Kerala. He also took the rather unusual step of employing competent people from all castes and for the first time recognized competence over birth right. For his army he employed a European De Lanoy. For administration he employed people like Raja Kesava Das, Mallan Govindan etc who were men of proven ability. His defeat of the Dutch at Kolachel in 1741 is the high point of the reign of one of the most colorful kings of Kerala.

It was after him that the British were trying to extend their influence in South India and they came across Tipu, the Sultan of Mysore. Thiruvithamkur was forced into a common alliance with the British against Tipu.

The Mysore war was over in 1799 and the British were de facto rulers of North Kerala, which until then were part of Tipu's kingdom. Both Thiruvithanmkur and Kochi were browbeaten with threats of war and huge war debt payments, that they were forced to accept British residents for the rest of their history.

Also Read About Famous Personalities in the History of Kerala &
Interesting Sidelights of Kerala
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