82-504: Kolathiri or Kolathiri Rājā ( Kannada: [koːlɐt̪ːiɾi ɾaːdʒaː] ) ( King of Kolathunādu or King of Cannanore in foreign accounts) was the title by which the senior-most male along the matrilineal line of the Mushika or Kolathunādu Royal Family (Kolaswarũpam) based in the North Malabar region was styled. It is a descendant of the Mushika dynasty . "Kolathiri" appears as
164-498: A battle, according to the Sangam works . Ezhimala kingdom was succeeded by the Mushika dynasty in the early medieval period, most possibly due to the migration of Tuluva Brahmins from Tulu Nadu . The Kolathunadu ( Kannur ) kingdom, who were the descendants of the Mushika dynasty, at the peak of its power reportedly extended from Netravati River (Mangalore) in the north to Korapuzha in
246-404: A character in a Malayalam film titled Urumi . The film was loosely based on Portuguese interference in north Kerala and the misdeeds committed by Vasco da Gama , who was hailed as a hero in the west but was actually a cold-hearted tyrant to other lands of the spice route ; his entry into Kerala politics and manipulating the kingpins and a young Indian who tries to kill Vasco da Gama. The movie
328-593: A clue that by this time, the capital of Kolathunadu had shifted from Ezhil mala to Balia Patanam, a town located south of Ezhil mala. In the 16th century, a Portuguese official Duarte Barbosa also mentions Balia Patanam ("Balia Patam" in European records) as the residence of the king of Cannanore. Until the 16th century CE, Kasargod town was known by the name Kanhirakode (may be by the meaning, 'The land of Kanhira Trees') in Malayalam . The Kumbla dynasty, who swayed over
410-685: A copper slab within the Madayi Mosque in Kannur records its foundation year as 1124 CE. The Mushika-vamsha Mahakavya , written by Athula in the 11th century, throws light on the recorded past of the Mushika Royal Family up until that point. Between the 9th and 12th centuries, a dynasty called "Mushaka" controlled the Chirakkal areas of northern Malabar (the Wynad-Tellichery area was part of
492-705: A deal with Vāzhunor. 1720s Ali Raja of Arackal Raja attacked the then Prince Regent of Kolathunād, Cunhi Homo and he approaches the British for succour in return for the privileges and factory granted to them by his uncle the Kolathiri. August 1727 : Chief of Thalassery informs the Prince Regent that it is the policy of the Bombay Presidency to supply local potentates with ammunition to wage wars at their own expense. 1728 Chief of Thalassery, Adams ,
574-754: A famous Buddhist vihara in central Kerala. Presence of Jewish merchants is also speculated in the ports of Mushika kingdom. A location in Madayi is still known as "the Jew's pond" (the Jutakkulam). Tamil name "Ezhimalai" (the Ezhil Kunram ) for the term "Mushika" or "Mushaka" in Sanskrit. The name was incorrectly pronounced as "Elimala" ("the Mountain of the Rats") also. The Ezhimala hill
656-453: A mixed lineage of Malayali Nairs and Tuluva Brahmins . They also claimed their origin from Cheraman Perumals of Kerala. Francis Buchanan-Hamilton states that the customs of Kumbla dynasty were similar to those of the contemporary Malayali kings, though Kumbla was considered as the southernmost region of Tulu Nadu . Entire Tamilakam was a hub of Indian Ocean trade during the era. According to Kerala Muslim tradition, Kolathunadu
738-464: A mixture of Vatteluttu and Grantha scripts which dates back to the 10th century CE. It is a rare surviving document recording patronage by a Hindu king (Bhaskara Ravi) to the Muslims of Kerala. By the 8th century, the political atmosphere in southern India had changed rather dramatically as a new political culture based on settled agrarian exploitation took root in the region. As in other parts of
820-437: A monarchical polity (known as Kolla-desam ) in the early medieval period. The medieval Mushikas were considered as Kshatriyas of Soma Vamsa. The hereditary title of the Mushika kings in the medieval period was Ramaghata Musaka (Malayalam: Iramakuta Muvar). The Mushaka Vamsa Kavya , a dynastic chronicle composed in the 11th century by poet Athula , describes the history of the Mushika lineage. Mushika kingdom came under
902-517: A number of Mushaka kings such as Vikrama Rama, Jayamani, Vallabha II and Srikantha. Atula was the court poet of King Srikantha who ruled towards the end of the 11th century AD. King Vikrama Rama is said to have saved the famous Buddhist vihara of Sri Mulavasa from a terrible sea erosion on the Malabar Coast. Prince Vallabha II was dispatched by King Jayamani to assist the Chera forces during the invasion of
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#1732852375935984-533: A number of wars against Cannanore (Kolathunad). A prince of the Kolattiri royal family was stationed at Pantalayini Kollam as southern Viceroy. Pantalayini Kollam was an important port on the Malabar Coast. During his conquests, the Zamorin occupied Pantalayini Kollam as a preliminary advance to Cannanore. Kolattiri immediately sent ambassadors to submit to whatever terms Calicut might dictate. Cannanore officially transferred
1066-523: A platform outside the prakara of the temple, in old Malayalam mentions king "Utaiya Varma Ramakuta Muvar". The record give details of land set apart for the expenses of the Kannapuram Temple. The inscription can be attributed to the early years of the 12th century on the basis of script and language. (beginning of the 12th century) King Udayavarman of Karippattu palace in Kolattunadu is described as
1148-638: A powerful and warlike clan of the Bunt community of Tulu Nadu was called Kola Bari and the Kolathiri Raja of Kolathunadu was a descendant of this clan. The more famous Travancore royal family is a close cousin dynasty of the Kolathiris. Though the Kolattiris were generally credited with superior political authority over the zone between the kingdoms of Canara and Zamorin 's Calicut, their political influence
1230-597: A result 1737: Nayaks of Bednur plan another attack on Kolathunādu. Prince Cunhi Homo agreed to sign a peace treaty with the Kanarese which fixed the northern border of Kolathunād on the Madday . The factors of Tellicherry also signed their own treaty with the Nayak of Bedanur which guaranteed the integrity of British trading concessions in Malabar in the event of future conflicts between
1312-418: A vast area of land including (Anjarakkandy, Chembilod, Mavilayi, Edakkad, and Dharmadam) up to New Mahe was ruled by achanmaar of Randuthara. Randuthara Achanmār is a conglomerate of 4 Nambiār families (Kandoth, Palliyath, Āyilliath and Arayath) who were descendants of Edathil Kadāngodan and Ponnattil Māvila and were chieftains of Poyanādu. The "Achanmar's" later came under
1394-836: A war against the Vāzhunor of Badagara with a view to establishing a factory in Māhe which was only three miles south of Thalassery . Kolattiri through a royal writing granted to the East India Company ’all the trades and farms’ within his ’territory from Canharotte down the Pudupatnam river ’, excluding the areas where concessions were held by the Dutch who were based at Kannũr. The British were also authorized to ’punish, prevent and driveaway’ ’any other stranger’ who interfered with their concessions. 1725 : French established factory at Māhe by making
1476-576: Is described as the hunter chieftain of the vetar descent group ("vetar-ko-man"). Early Tamil poems contain several references to the exploits of Ezhimalai Nannan (who was also known as the lord of Konkanam). The ancient port of Naura , which is mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea as a port somewhere north of Muziris is identified with Kannur . Pliny the Elder (1st century CE) states that
1558-570: Is described in Mushaka Vamsa Kavya as the "Mushaka Parvata". The ancient ruling family of the Ezhimala seems to have existed in northern Kerala at least from early historic (pre-Pallava) period. Ancient Tamil poems also describe th chiefdom of Ezhimalai (also Ezhilmalai ) on the northern edge of Tamilakam on its west (Malabar) coast. The rulers of Ezhilmalai were the most prominent hill chieftains of ancient Kerala. The port known as Naravu
1640-621: The Masjids at Kodungallur, Kollam, Madayi , Barkur , mMangalore, Kasaragod , Kannur , Dharmadam , Panthalayani , and Chaliyam , were built during the era of Malik Dinar , and they are among the oldest Masjid s in Indian Subcontinent . It is believed that Malik Dinar died at Thalangara in Kasaragod . Most of them lie in the erstwhile region of Ezhimala. The Koyilandy Jumu'ah Mosque contains an Old Malayalam inscription written in
1722-399: The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea as a port somewhere north of Muziris is identified with Kannur . Pliny the Elder (1st century CE) states that the port of Tyndis was located at the northwestern border of Keprobotos ( Chera dynasty ). The North Malabar region, which lies north of the port at Tyndis , was ruled by the kingdom of Ezhimala during Sangam period . According to
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#17328523759351804-521: The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea , a region known as Limyrike began at Naura and Tyndis. However the Ptolemy mentions only Tyndis as the Limyrike ' s starting point. The region probably ended at Kanyakumari ; it thus roughly corresponds to the present-day Malabar Coast. The value of Rome's annual trade with the region was estimated at around 50,000,000 sesterces . Pliny the Elder mentioned that Limyrike
1886-669: The Chandragiri river in the north and the Korappuzha river in the south. The Kolathunadu ( Kannur ) kingdom at the peak of its power, reportedly extended from the Netravati River ( Mangalore ) in the north to Korapuzha ( Kozhikode ) in the south with the Arabian Sea on the west and Kodagu hills on the eastern boundary, also including the isolated islands of Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea . The ruling house of Kolathunādu, known as
1968-823: The Cheras , the Pandyas and the Cholas , and also might have given rise to the royalties of the Lakshadweep and the Maldives . The Mushaka family has found mention in surviving mythical Indian texts like the Vishnu Purana and also in Greek accounts like that of Strabo . The Kolathiris are praised as Vadakkan Perumals ("Kings of the North") by the noted " Keralolpathi ". The socio-cultural uniqueness of
2050-611: The Kavvayi river . They engaged in frequent rivalry with their powerful neighbors in the south, the Zamorins of Calicut—a permanent feature of Kerala history. The caste restrictions and Korapuzha boundary between North Malabar and the Zamorin's kingdom were established after their rivalry. Some historical accounts also suggest that the Kolathunad kingdom was friendly with the Travancore kingdom and
2132-692: The Kolathiris , were descendants of the Mushaka royal family , an ancient dynasty of Kerala, and rose to become one of the major political powers in the Kerala region, after the disappearance of the Cheras of Mahodayapuram and the Pandyan Dynasty in the 12th century AD. The Kolathiris trace their ancestry back to the ancient Mushika kingdom (Ezhimala kingdom, Eli-nadu) of the Tamil Sangam age. After King Nannan of
2214-548: The Nair caste was called Kola Swaroopam and had a parallel in the Bunt community of Tulu Nadu which was called Kola Bari and the Kolathiri Raja of Kolathunadu was a descendant of this clan. The Kolla-desam (or the Mushika-rajya) came under the influence of the Chera /Perumals kingdom during eleventh century AD. The Chola references to several kings in medieval Kerala confirms that
2296-430: The Sangam works . The Ezhimala/Mushika Kingdom at the peak of its power, reportedly extended from Netravati River ( Mangalore ) in the north to Korapuzha ( Kozhikode ) in the south with Arabian Sea on the west and Kodagu hills on the eastern boundary, also including the isolated islands of Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea . Until the 16th century CE, Kasargod town was known by the name Kanhirakode (may be by
2378-599: The Tulu kingdom. Cherusseri Namboothiri (c. 1375-1475 AD), the author of Krishna Gatha , a landmark in the development of Malayalam literature , lived in the court of Udayavarman Kolattiri, one of the kings of the Kolathiri Dynasty. The origin of the Ezhimala rulers, the Mushaka kingdom, and Kolathunad is unclear in terms of conventional history. Christian missionary Samuel Mateer opined: "There seems reason to believe that
2460-478: The 11th century, the Mushaka kings followed patrilineal system of succession, and thereafter they gradually switched over to the matrilineal system. In his book on travels ( Il Milione ), Marco Polo recounts his visit to the area in the mid 1290s. Other visitors included Faxian , the Buddhist pilgrim and Ibn Batuta , writer and historian of Tangiers . Mushika-vamsha , a Sanskrit poem written by Atula, describes
2542-636: The Battle of Vagai Perum Turai. According to Agananuru , Nannan was killed in the battle. After his death, the control of the Ezhimala kingdom came under the Cheras. The city of Pazhi, the later capital of the Ezhil mala kingdom, was famous for its rich treasures of gold and precious stones. They had close trade relations with the ancient Romans on Malabar Coast. North Malabar was a hub of Indian Ocean trade during this era. According to Kerala Muslim tradition, Kolathunadu
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2624-606: The Buddhist pilgrim and Ibn Batuta , writer and historian of Tangiers . The Arabic inscription on a copper slab within the Madayi Mosque in Kannur records its foundation year as 1124 CE. Medieval Kolla-desam stretched on the banks of Kavvai, Koppam and Valappattanam rivers. (Huzur Treasury Plates) (beginning of the 12th century) Corrections by M. G. S. Narayanan on K. A. Nilakanta Sastri and Elamkulam P. N. Kunjan Pillai are employed. (c. 1040 AD) (c. 1089 AD) (c. 11th century) (c. 11th century) An inscription discovered from Kannappuram Temple, found fixed on
2706-477: The Chera, Pandya and Chola chieftains. The Kolathunadu ( Kannur ) Kingdom, which was the descendant of Mushika dynasty, at the peak of its power, reportedly extended from Netravati River ( Mangalore ) in the north to Korapuzha ( Kozhikode ) in the south with Arabian Sea on the west and Kodagu hills on the eastern boundary, also including the isolated islands of Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea . The Mushika/Ezhimala kingdom/chiefdom gradually developed into
2788-454: The Cheras. King Narmudi Cheral, the successor of Sel Kelu Kuttuvan, sent Chera forces under General Migili against Nannan. But, he was defeated in the Battle of Pazhi against the Ezhil mala forces. But later, Nannan was defeated in a series of subsequent engagements. He was forcesd to flee his capital Pazhi and seek asylum in Wynad hills. The battles ended when Narmudi Cheral crushed Nannan's forces in
2870-483: The Chola ruler Kulottunga. However, before he could join with the Chera army, he heard the death of his father and he returned to the capital to prevent the usurpation of the Mushaka throne by his enemies. On reaching the capital, he defeated his rivals and ascended the throne. Vallabha II also founded the port of Marahi (Madayi) at the mouth of Killa river and the port of Valabha Pattanam (Valiaptam). The city of Valabha Pattanam
2952-636: The Eramam inscription. The kingdom survived the Chera/Perumal state, and came to be known as Kolathunad ( Kannur - Kasaragod area) in the post-Chera/Perumal period. The Mushika kings appear to have encouraged a variety of merchant guilds in their kingdom. Famous Indian guilds such as the anjuvannam , the manigramam , the valanchiyar and the nanadeshikal show their presence in the kingdom. The kings are also described as great champions of Hindu religion and temples. Some Mushika rulers are known for their patronage to
3034-462: The Indian sub-continent, Brahmanism provided the ideological support for these newly emerging regional, primarily agrarian states. An Old Malayalam inscription ( Ramanthali inscriptions ), dated to 1075 CE, mentioning king Kunda Alupa, the ruler of Alupa dynasty of Mangalore , can be found at Ezhimala (the former headquarters of Mushika dynasty ) near Cannanore , Kerala. The Arabic inscription on
3116-458: The Kanarese and the rulers of Kolathunād. 1739-42 Prince Ockoo, a French supported adversary of the Prince regent and his followers were killed by the factors of Tellichery. Mushika kingdom Mushika dynasty, also spelled Mushaka , was a minor dynastic power that held sway over the region in and around Mount Ezhi ( Ezhimala ) in present-day North Malabar, Kerala , India. The country of
3198-484: The Kolathiri Rājā is presented as the custodian of legitimized political power, and the actual working of power relations in the region. It appears the Kolathiris never exercised a monopoly of authority in the realm. Authority was a decentralized, shared, and pluralistic entity. The kingly status attributed to the Kolathiris remained more or less a nominal one. The Kolathiris had to sustain their political dignity within
3280-405: The Kolathiris to exercise considerable influence over the people of the region. Instead, there emerged a fluctuating field of powerful taravādus of Nāyars exercising control over the resources from their respective landed properties and the dependent labour-service classes. The inability of the Kolathiris to monopolize the use of force in the realm on account of their weak economic position meant that
3362-408: The Kolattiri family and had rulers of the respective parts or Kũrvāzhcha (part-dominions) namely Kolattiri, Tekkālankũr, Vadakkālankũr, Naalāmkũr, and Anjāmkũr. The administration of Kolattunādu was divided into various segments of authority each of which performed functions similar to those of the superior powers but on a smaller scale. The administration was conducted through chiefs-in-tenant under
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3444-493: The Kolattiri. This included dignitaries called "nāduvazhis", "desavazhis" and "mukhyastans". The nāduvazhis, who were heads of "nādus" or districts headed Nair militias of 500 -20,000. Below the nāduvazhis in the administrative hierarchy were desavazhis who were heads of hamlets called "desams". These were divisions of nādus. Desavazhis headed Nair militias ranging from 100 to 500 men. Below the desavazhis were other local potentates called mukhyastans. However, as in any feudal society,
3526-519: The Kolattiris were unable to centralize their state and the inability of the Kolattiris to monopolize the use of force in the realm on account of their weak economic position meant that the outward appearance of regal authority remained more or less nominal. There appears to have been a significant discrepancy between the ideal type of polity presented in Brahmanical texts such as the Keralolpathi, where
3608-519: The Mushika dynasty was killed in a battle against the Cheras, the chronicled history of the dynasty is obscure, except for a few indirect references here and there. However, it is generally agreed among conventional scholars that the Kolathiris are descendants of King Nannan, and later literary works point towards kings such as Vikramaraman, Jayamani, Valabhan and Srikandan of the Mushika Dynasty. The Indian anthropologist Ayinapalli Aiyappan states that
3690-525: The Mushikas, ruled by an ancient lineage of the Hehaya clan of the same name, appears in early historic (pre-Pallava) south India and it is believed that Mushika dynasty has their descents from Heheya Kingdom . Early Tamil poems contain several references to the exploits of Nannan of Ezhimalai. Nannan was known as a great enemy of the pre- Pallava Chera chieftains. The clan also had matrimonial alliances with
3772-456: The Nambũdiris refused. Consequently, Udayavarman brought 237 Brahmin families (Sāgara Dwijas) from Gokarnam and settled them in five Desams. (Cheruthāzham, Kunniriyam, Arathil, Kulappuram and Vararuchimangalam of Perinchelloor Grāmam). The latter adopted Nambũdiri customs and performed Hiranya-garbhā and conferred Kshatriyahood on the former. The ancient port of Naura , which is mentioned in
3854-464: The beginning of the 1st century AD, the kingdom of Ezhil mala rose to political prominence under Nannan with his capital at Pazhi. Nannan was a warrior king who conducted expeditions deep into the interior regions and brought the Wynad-Gudalur region and a part of Kongunadu (Salem-Coimbatore region) under his control. According to Tamil poets he made several victories (including the Battle of Pazhi) over
3936-461: The constraints set by the limits of their economic resource base as the geographical features of Kolathunādu did not guarantee a large-scale agricultural surplus. Shaped by the limited agrarian economy in Kolathunādu, the possibility of a centralized political structure to emerge was limited. This constricted opportunity to exploit the limited agricultural surplus obviously restricted the chances of
4018-609: The customs of Kumbla dynasty were similar to those of the contemporary Malayali kings, though Kumbla was considered as the southernmost region of Tulu Nadu . During the 17th century, Kannur was the capital city of the only Muslim Sultanate in the Malabar region - Arakkal - who also ruled the Laccadive Islands in addition to the city of Kannur. The port at Kozhikode held the superior economic and political position in medieval Kerala coast, while Kannur , Kollam , and Kochi , were commercially important secondary ports, where
4100-706: The early Christian era make no sharp cultural or social distinction between the Pandyas, the Cheras, or the Cholas, and the Velir chiefs, all operating within a common cultural and geographical milieu. Also later, the Hindu temples on the western coast were also included in the sacred geography of the Tamil Bhakti movement and were profusely praised by the Alwars and Nayanars , the main proponents of
4182-429: The early centuries of the Christian era. The Ezhil mala kingdom (Konka-nam, a part of the Puzhi-nadu) comprised practically the whole of the ypresent Kannur and Wayanad districts and a portion of the Tulu country and parts of Coorg and Gudalur as well. This was the north-westernmost Tamil speaking area of the ancient Tamil country. Ezhimala kingdom based at Ezhimala had jurisdiction over two Nadus - coastal Poozhinadu and
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#17328523759354264-421: The erstwhile region of Ezhimala kingdom. The Koyilandy Jumu'ah Mosque contains an Old Malayalam inscription written in a mixture of Vatteluttu and Grantha scripts which dates back to the 10th century CE. It is a rare surviving document recording patronage by a Hindu king (Bhaskara Ravi) to the Muslims of Kerala. The Indian anthropologist Ayinapalli Aiyappan states that a powerful and warlike clan of
4346-431: The hilly eastern Karkanadu. According to the works of Sangam literature , Poozhinadu consisted much of the coastal belt between Mangalore and Kozhikode . Karkanadu consisted of Wayanad - Gudalur , a hilly region with parts of Kodagu (Coorg). It is said that Nannan, the most renowned ruler of Ezhimala dynasty, took refuge at Wayanad hills in the 5th century CE when he was lost to Cheras , just before his death in
4428-412: The influence of Chera/Perumal kingdom in the 11th century AD. Mushika royals seem to have assisted the Chera/Perumal kings in their struggle against the Chola Empire . Two subsequent Chola inscriptions (c. 1005 AD, Rajaraja I and c. 1018–19, Rajadhiraja ) mention the defeat of the Kolla-desam and the fall of the Iramakuta Muvar. The presence of the Cholas in north Kerala (1020 AD) is confirmed by
4510-408: The invitation of the Arackal Raja . Under the command of Gopalaji , 30,000 strong Kanarese soldiers, easily overran Cunhi Homo 's forts in northern Kolathunād. Early in 1734 the Kanarese soldiers captured Kudali and Dharmapatanam 1736 : Kanarese army was driven out of the whole of North with assistance from the British but the Prince Regent incurs a huge debt with the factors at Tellichery as
4592-519: The kingdoms of the deep South of India, and is grouped with the Cheras, Pandyas and Cholas. It is identified both as the Ay/Venad/Thiruvithamkur dynasty as well as the Nannan/Mushika/Kolathiri dynasty. Nannan was a chieftain of Ezhimalai ("the Ezhil Kunram"). Nannan is known as a great enemy of the early (pre- Pallava ) Chera chieftains (western Tamil Nadu and central Kerala). He appeas in Akananuru and Purananuru poems, and also in Natrinai , in Pathitruppathu and in Kurunthokai . He
4674-509: The land of southern Tulu Nadu wedged between Chandragiri River and Netravati River (including present-day Taluks of Manjeshwar and Kasaragod ) from Maipady Palace at Kumbla , had also been vassals to the Kolathunadu kingdom of North Malabar , before the Carnatic conquests of Vijayanagara Empire . The Kumbla dynasty had a mixed lineage of Malayali Nairs and Tuluva Brahmins . They also claimed their origin from Cheraman Perumals of Kerala. Francis Buchanan-Hamilton states that
4756-404: The latter from his adversary Kurangoth nāyar , sent an ultimatum to the then British interlopers in Malabar to let them know that they could continue to trade in north Malabar only if they agreed to build a factory in the area. 1708 : Completion of Thalassery fort . 1722 : The French claim for a factory was staked at Māhe to protect their interest in Malabar . They started to wage
4838-431: The meaning, 'The land of Kanhira Trees') in Malayalam . The Kumbla dynasty, who swayed over the land of southern Tulu Nadu wedged between Chandragiri River and Netravati River (including present-day Taluks of Manjeshwar and Kasaragod ) from Maipady Palace at Kumbla , had also been vassals to the Kolathunadu / Kolathiri rulers, before the Carnatic conquests of Vijayanagara Empire . The Kumbla dynasty had
4920-529: The movement, in their verses. In the Tamil Sangam Age , northern Malabar like the rest of present-day Kerala, Tulu Nadu , Coorg , and some parts of Tamil Nadu was under the rule of the Cheras. A branch of the Cheras (and others like the Pandyas and Cholas) with its capital at Ezhil mala (and with second capital at Pazhi), known as the Mushika dynasty ruled the area on behalf of the Cheras. Ezhil mala (Mount Deli in European accounts) and its neighboring regions became dynamic centers of sociopolitical activities in
5002-414: The outward appearance of regal authority remained more or less nominal. The Kolathiri Dominion emerged into independent 10 principalities i.e., Kadathanadu ( Vadakara ), Randathara or Poyanad ( Dharmadom ), Kottayam ( Thalassery ), Nileshwaram , Iruvazhinadu ( Panoor , Kurumbranad etc., under separate royal chieftains due to the outcome of internal dissensions.The Poyanad (Randu Thara) and
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#17328523759355084-496: The port of Tyndis was located at the northwestern border of Keprobotos ( Chera dynasty ). The region, which lies north of the port at Tyndis , was ruled by the kingdom of Ezhimala during Sangam period . According to the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea , a region known as Limyrike began at Naura and Tyndis . However the Ptolemy mentions only Tyndis as the Limyrike ' s starting point. The region probably ended at Kanyakumari ; it thus roughly corresponds to
5166-415: The power of the Chera /Perumal was restricted to the country around capital Kodungallur . The Perumal kingship remained nominal compared with the power that local rulers (such as that of the Mushika in the north and Venatu in the south) exercised politically and militarily. In his book on travels ( Il Milione ), Marco Polo recounts his visit to the area in the mid 1290s. Other visitors included Faxian ,
5248-415: The present-day Malabar Coast . The value of Rome's annual trade with the region was estimated at around 50,000,000 sesterces . Pliny the Elder mentioned that Limyrike was prone by pirates. The Cosmas Indicopleustes mentioned that the Limyrike was a source of peppers. Ezhimala dynasty had jurisdiction over two Nadu s - The coastal Poozhinadu and the hilly eastern Karkanadu . According to
5330-405: The regions already occupied to Calicut and certain Hindu temple rights. Foreign accounts also corroborate the distinct identity of Kolathunadu. Marco Polo , who visited Malabar coast in the 12th century, noticed the independent status of the king of this region. The 14th century narrative of Ibn Battuta refers to the ruler of this region as residing at a city called Balia Patanam . This offers
5412-428: The ruler Vikrama Rama who appears in the Mushika Vamsa . Another inscription from 10th century AD mentions a chieftain, Udaya Varma, who bore the title "Rama Ghata Muvar"— an epithet used by the Mushaka kings. An inscription from the Tiruvattur temple mentions an Eraman Chemani (Rama Jayamani) who is identifiable with the king who appears as the 109th ruler in the Mushika Vamsa . They intermarried very frequently with
5494-407: The second Chera kingdom). The Mushakas were probably the descendants of the ancient royal family of Nannan of Ezhi mala and were perhaps a vassal of the Cheras. Some scholars have expressed the view that Mushakas were not under the Cheras, since the ruler of Mushaka does not figure along with the rulers of Eralnadu and Valluvanadu as a signatory in the famous Terisappalli and Jewish Copper Plates. Up to
5576-411: The south with Arabian Sea on the west and Kodagu hills on the eastern boundary. Nannan of Ezhil mala was the most celebrated ruler of this dynasty. Surviving Tamil anthologies draw a brilliant picture of Nannan and describe his engagements with ruling elites such as the Cheras . He was more of a tribal chieftain who engaged primarily in plundering raids in the neighboring territories. However, in
5658-412: The special care of the English East India Company. The Nileshwaram dynasty on the northernmost part of Kolathiri dominion, were relatives to both Kolathunadu as well as the Zamorin of Calicut , in the early medieval period. Important Events between 1689 and 2000 leading to British colonization of Kolathunādu. 1689 : Kolattiri Rājā and his prince regent (Vadakkālankũr), to protect
5740-402: The state called Kolathunadu became more distinctive only after the disappearance of the Second Cheras by the early 12th century. The Indian anthropologist Ayinapalli Aiyappan states that a powerful and warlike clan of the Bunt community of Tulu Nadu was called Kola Bari and the Kolathiri Raja of Kolathunadu was a descendant of this clan. Before the arrival the Portuguese, Calicut fought
5822-440: The traders from various parts of the world would gather. The Portuguese arrived at Kappad Kozhikode in 1498 during the Age of Discovery , thus opening a direct sea route from Europe to India . The St. Angelo Fort at Kannur was built in 1505 by Dom Francisco de Almeida , the first Portuguese Viceroy of India. The political lordship of the original kingdom of Kolattiri was partitioned along various matrilineal-divisions of
5904-461: The whole of the kings of Malabar also, notwithstanding the pretensions set up for them of late by their dependents, belong to the same great body, and are homogeneous with the mass of the people called Nairs, So Namboodiris were reluctant to give Kshtriyahood to all the Nair lords, In 1617 A.D Kolathiri Rāja, Udayavarman, wished to further promote himself to Soma Kshatriya by performing Hiranya-garbhā, which
5986-412: The works of Sangam literature , Poozhinadu consisted much of the coastal belt between Mangalore and Kozhikode . Karkanadu consisted of Wayanad - Gudalur hilly region with parts of Kodagu (Coorg). It is said that Nannan, the most renowned ruler of Ezhimala dynasty, took refuge at Wayanad hills in the 5th century CE when he was lost to Cheras , just before his execution in a battle, according to
6068-461: Was prone by pirates. The Cosmas Indicopleustes mentioned that the Limyrike was a source of peppers. During the Sangam period , the early centuries of the Christian era, both present-day Kerala and Tamil Nadu were considered part of a common cultural realm and a common geographical settlement pattern, in spite of being under distinct political entities. More specifically, Tamil anthologies of
6150-517: Was home to several oldest mosques in the Indian subcontinent . According to Qissat Shakarwati Farmad , the Masjids at Kodungallur, Kollam , Madayi , Barkur , Mangalore , Kasaragod , Kannur , Dharmadam , Panthalayani , and Chaliyam , were built during the era of Malik Dinar , and they are among the oldest Masjid s in the Indian subcontinent . It is believed that Malik Dinar died at Thalangara in Kasaragod town. Most of them lies in
6232-525: Was home to several of the oldest mosques in the Indian subcontinent . According to the Legend of Cheraman Perumals , the first Indian mosque was built in 624 AD at Kodungallur with the mandate of the last ruler (the Cheraman Perumal) of Chera dynasty , who left from Dharmadom to Mecca and converted to Islam during the lifetime of Muhammad (c. 570–632). According to Qissat Shakarwati Farmad ,
6314-500: Was located in Ezhimalai chiefdom (Akam, 97). The "Muvan" chieftain of the early Tamil poems, described as an adversary of the early Chera chieftains, is also identical with the Muvan of Ezhimalai. The early historic Ezhimala clan had matrimonial alliances with the Chera, Pandya and Chola chieftains. Mahabharata , the Sanskrit epic poem of ancient India, also mention the Mushika as one of
6396-610: Was more or less confined to Kolattunādu. Ezhimala, their ancient capital, was one of the most important trading centres on the Malabar coast along with Quilon and Calicut, and found mention in the writings of Ibn Battuta , Marco Polo and Wang Ta-Yuan. In the course of time, their territories were divided into a number of petty vassal principalities, chief among them Cannanore and Laccadives , Cotiote and Wynad, Cartinad (Badagara), Irvenaad, and Randaterra. The so-called "Five Friendly Northern Rulers" (Nilesvaram, Kumbla, Vitalh, Bangor, and Chowtwara) were contiguous to Kolattnad, north of
6478-629: Was one of the four most powerful kingdoms on the Malabar Coast during the arrival of the Portuguese Armadas in India, along with Zamorin , the kingdom of Cochin and Quilon . Kolattunādu had its capital at Ezhimala and was ruled by the Kolattiri royal family and roughly comprised the North Malabar region of Kerala state in India. Traditionally, Kolattunādu is described as the land lying between
6560-505: Was protected with lofty towers and high walls. He also annexed Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi islands in the Arabian sea. Srikantha (also known as Raja Dharma), his younger brother, succeeded Vallabha II. According to the Mushika Vamsa , Rama Ghata Mushaka established the lineage of Kola Swarupam. In addition, an inscription dating to 929 AD mentions about one Vikrama Rama, identifiable with
6642-481: Was recalled to Bombay and Prince regent asks for military assistance from Dutch at Cochin . The Dutch demanded the port of Dharmapatanam in return. The East India Company fearing Dutch influence supplied Kolathunād with 20,000 fanams of military stores and Ali Rājā was silenced. The British in return were given exclusive permission over other Europeans to buy spices in Kolathunādu by Prince Udaya Varman . 1732-34 : Kanarese invaded North Malabar in 1732 at
6724-944: Was released on 31 March 2011. Kolathunadu Maritime contacts Sangam period Tamilakam Cheras Spice trade Ays Ezhil Malai Confluence of religions Mamankam festival Calicut Venad - Kingdom of Quilon Valluvanad Kolattunadu Cochin Arakkal kingdom Minor principalities Age of Discovery Portuguese period Dutch period Rise of Travancore Mysorean invasion British Period Battle of Tirurangadi Malabar District North Malabar South Malabar Battle of Quilon Communism in Kerala Lakshadweep Economy Architecture Kolattunādu ( Malayalam: [koːlɐt̪ːun̪aːɖə̆] ) ( Kola Swarupam , as kingdom of Cannanore in foreign accounts, Chirakkal (Chericul) in later times)
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