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History states that Kerala's
original inhabitants were animists, followed by the Dravidians. Later,
the Indo- Aryans with their military superiority drove the Dravidians down
east and south wards.The south was eventually dominated by three powerful
kingdoms - The Cheras, Cholas, Pallavas and pandyas.
The Dravidian-Aryan encounter
led to a complex social pattern in Kerala called "Marumakkathayam" or the
matrilineal system, which allowed women the right to inherit the family
property. The Brahmins or priestly class were called - Nambudiris.The former
chieftains displaced by the Aryan influx, were absorbed into the Kshatriya
or the princely class.
Regular Warfare among local chieftains led to the evolution of a special
community of warriors called Nairs.The Nairs were bred to be fighters.
Some of them were trained like the Samurai as suicide squads. Known as
'Chavers', these warriors would fight their way through an enemy attack
in an orgy of death, that astonished even the portugese.
The pepper vine has played
a vital role in shaping Kerala's history. When the queen of Sheba made
her celebrated entry into Jerusalem, she carried in her train "spices,gold,
precious stones and the wood of the almug tree" (sandalwood) from
Ophir. Scholars believe Ophir is the town of Puhar that existed close to
where the city of Thiruvananthapuram is today. Remnants from the temples
and palaces of Nebuchadnezzar included hardwoods, that must have come from
the tropical forest of Kerala. Pliny the Elder complained in the first
century, that the Roman nobility of his time had depleted the treasury
with their greed for pepper.
Almost upto the 16th century,
the Arabs monopolized the pepper trade. After Alexander's triumphant sweep
over Asia Minor, the greeks provided some competition. Gradually the ports
of Kerala became a link between the Middle East, the Mediterranean and
China. Remnants of the chinese influence include the giant fishing nets
at Kochi, Alapuzha and Kollam, the 'Cheena chutty', the use of flat copper
tiles on temple roofs and the shallow sampan-like boats.
In 1498, Vasco da Gama made
his historic Landing on the Malabar Coast. Throughout the next century,
the Danes, the Portugese, the French and the British went on a flag planting
spree to establish their rights. It was a Dutch hike in the price of pepper
by one shilling that led to the formation of the East India Company in
December, 1599. The Portugese passage through Kerala, was a stormy one.
They worked very hard at annoying the native Keralites, by stirring up
the local christian population and stopping rice shipments. In contrast,
the Dutch concentrated on trade and remained in the area for more than
130 years.
In 1723, the East India
Company signed a strategic treaty with King Marthanda Varma.
For a few decades, Hyder Ali and his son -Tipu sultan proved to be a thorn
in the flesh of the British, sweeping down several times into Kerala. Ultimately
Tipu's luck ran out and suffered a humiliating defeat. The British took
over and pensioned off the old rulers.
Finally, in 1947, it was
the turn of the British to pack their bags and leave.
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