Ancient Kerala occupied a unique place in the commercial world. There are traces of teak found in the ruins of Ur,
which must certainly have come from the Malabar Coast. This means trade flourished around 3000 BC. 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.
Muziris (Kodungalloor or Cannonade) was reputed to be the ancient world's greatest trading center 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.
India was known as fabled land of spices and gold. It was during this time Europe was busy in exploration and Voyages
to unknown land. Route to India was a dream of most of the voyager. Many attempts were made, but most could reach
only up to "Cape of Good hope" in Africa. In 1498, Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese naval Captain 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 from the Arabs and the local kings, the Portuguese immediately
set about engaging themselves in consolidating their positions at sea. There was resistance from the local Kings.
Notable among the Samuthiri's Admirals is Kunjali Marakkar, still a revered hero in Kerala. He succeeded in checking
the Portuguese expansionism to certain extent. But could not hold for long against the supremacy of Portuguese
weapons and sea prowess. 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 annoyed that the local Christians were more Hindus in their outlook, culture
and traditions and never heard of the Pope in Rome. In 1599,the Synod of Diamper (present day Udayamperoor
near 14 Kms from Kochi) decreed that all Christians should revert to the Pope in Rome as the Supreme Spiritual
head and not the Pontiff at Antioch. This led to a revolt by a section of Syrian Christians. History depicts that the
revolters took 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.
But the Portuguese had some success in proselytizing and did manage to convert some communities into Latin Catholics.
Today this community is one of the influential sections in Kerala.
Arrival of Dutch
The Portuguese finally met their match in the Dutch. 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 the Dutch to drive out the
Portuguese once and for all by 1663.
They proclaimed the Kochi Maharaja as the titular head and drove the Portuguese out. With aim of total control over the
Eastern Spices trade, the Dutch East India Company was set up in 1602. Stefan Van Hegena set sail with 13 ships and
reached Kannur (Cannanore) in 1604.
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 a treaty was established. But it 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 introduced 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) and the Dutch
Palace at Mattancherry, Kochi are some of the reminder of Dutch conquest on India soil.
During this time, the most famous ruler was Marthanda Varma, King of Thiruvithamkur. His success started with the
subjugation of the local warlords and Dutch. Later he expanded his rule by subjugating all principalities of the southern
tip of Kerala up to Kodungalloor up in the North.
He was a great warrior and administrator. He carried out revolutionary reforms in his kingdom like converting the
captured lands into state lands, centralising foreign trade to generate government incomes, improving living conditions of
farmers, and most importantly reducing the powers of the government servants who till then were exclusively from certain
castes and families. He took an unusual step of employing competent people from all castes and for the first time recognised
competence over birthright.
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