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 Ancient Kerala occupied a unique place in the commercial world. Around 3000 BC trade flourished in Kerala. Cotton from this region was a favourite in Egypt, the Phoenicians visited the coast of Malabar around the same time to trade in ivory, sandalwood and spices. King Solomon is said to have sent his commercial fleet to Ophir which is said to be somewhere in Southern Kerala. Christianity may also have made an inroad, with some accounts suggesting that Thomas the Apostle arrived in 52 CE. Muziris (Kodungalloor or Cranganore) was reputed to be the ancient world's greatest trading centre in the East for such highly prized possessions as pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and other spices. Pliny , the younger is said to have lamented the fact that trade with the East was draining the treasury of Rome ! The trade flourished by ships riding on the monsoon winds from Africa and back to Arabia, from where the overland caravan took the prized items to the markets along the Mediterranean ports. By common consent among the historians, the earliest inhabitants of Kerala were the Pulayas, Kuravas and Vetas . It is at a much later time that migratory populations from the north subjugated them and ultimately enslaved them, a state to which they were in till the abolition of untouchability in the recent past. By the beginning of the Christian era, there was a noticeable increase in the influence of the Chera dynasty of across the Western Ghats and into the political and cultural life of ancient Kerala. The armies of the northern empires of the Mauryas could not enter the lands of the Cheras, but Buddhism and Jainism did enter in a big way. But it was the entry of Brahmins from the boundaries of modern day Karnataka which really changed the power structure of Kerala for the next millennium. At the turn of the 10th century, the second chera empire succumbed to a 35 year Chola offensive. By the time of the terminal decline of the Cheras started, it coincided with the rise of the Brahmins in Kerala. By the 10th century, they were powerful entity from Gokurnum (North Kerala ) to the Cape Comorin, divided into 32 Brahmin or 'Namboothiries' communities. Soon thereafter, the Buddhists and the Jains had to beat a retreat from the social landscape of Kerala. These land owning class of Brahmins were well on their way to great wealth and power. The arrival of the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama in 1498 seriously affected the economic and social customs of Kerala. The Portuguese has two aims: to secure sea trade routes and to curtail the commercial monopoly of the Ottoman empire. With its wealth of resources and strong Arab trade links, Kerala became an obvious target. Portuguese involvement was to result in massive internal and external conflict for Kerala. In the late 18th century, the region came under attack from the Muslim sultan of Mysore, Hyder Ali and later his son, Tipu Sultan. The Dutch, eager to protect their trade interests, failed to support Kerala and sought the favour of Mysore. He made changes in the Hindu social order by promoting former lower-caste people to influential positions. This developed animosity between the Muslim and Hindu populations, resulting in rebellion. Local rulers enlisted British support to remove the sultan, and in 1792 Tipu Sultan relinquished his claim on Kerala to the British. In 1800 Kerala became part of the Madras Presidency, the southern region of India under British control. Having attained control, however the British entered into treaties with the Cochin and Travancore rulers, assigning the local rulers limited power with the British retaining ultimate authority. The British implemented new legal, economic and transportation systems, established new schools and improved the roads and waterways. Many aspects of British rule created animosity: the British history of equivocal dealings with the rajas, their similar liaisons with the sultans, their assumed right to govern and their action to reinstate the former landlords. In 1885 the Indian National Congress was born to instigate discussions with the British about their rule. Many people from Kerala were involved in the political activity that ensued and which resulted in India becoming an independent nation on 15 August 1947. |
