Know about Kerela

INTRODUCTION:

           Kerala, regionally referred to as Keralam, is a state in the south-west region of India on the Malabar Coast.It was formed on 1 November 1956 as per the States Reorganisation Act by

combining various Malayalam-speaking regions.Spread over 38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi) it is

bordered by Karnataka to the north and north east, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Lakshadweep Sea to the west. With 33,387,677 inhabitants as per the 2011 census, Kerala is the twelfth largest state by population and is divided into 14 districts. Malayalam is the most widely spoken and official language of the state.

        The state capital is Thiruvananthapuram; other
major cities include Kochi, Kozhikode, Thrissur, and Kollam. The region was a prominent spice exporter from 3000 BCE to 3rd century.

History at a glance:

      The Chera Dynasty was the first powerful kingdom based in Kerala, though it frequently struggled against

attacks from the neighbouring Cholas and Pandyas.During the Chera period Kerala remained an

international spice trading center. Later, in the 15th century, the lucrative spice trade attracted

Portuguese traders to Kerala, and eventually paved the way for the European colonisation of the

whole of India.After independence, Travancore and Cochin joined the Republic of India andTravancore-Cochin was given the status of a state.

     Later, the state was formed in 1956 by
merging the Malabar district, Travancore-Cochin (excluding four southern taluks), and the taluk
of Kasargod, South Kanara. Kerala is the state with the lowest positive population growth rate in India (3.44%) and has a density of 819 people per km2

PHYSIOGRAPHY :

         The state has the highest Human Development Index (HDI) (0.790) in the country according to the Human Development Report 2011.It also has the highestliteracy

rate 95.5,the highest life expectancy (Almost 77 years) and the highest sex ratio (as defined by number of women per 1000 men: 1,084 women per 1000 men) among all Indian states.                    Kerala has the lowest homicide rate among Indian states, for 2011 it was 1.1 per 100,000. A survey in 2005 by Transparency International ranked it as the least corrupt state in the country.Kerala has witnessed significant emigration of its people, especially to the Gulf states during the Gulf Boom during the 1970s and early 1980s, and its economy depends significantly onremittances from a large Malayali expatriate community. Hinduism is practised by more than. half of the population, followed by Islam andChristianity.

       The culture of the state traces its roots from 3rd century CE.It is a synthesis of Aryan and Dravidian cultures, developed over centuries under influences from other parts of India and abroad.

             Production of pepper and natural rubber contributes to a significant portion of the total national output. In the agricultural sector, coconut, tea, coffee, cashew and spices are important.The state's
coastline extends for 590 kilometres (370 mi), and around 1.1 million people of the state are dependent on the fishery industry which contributes 3% of the state's income.

Transportation :

      The state's 145,704

kilometres (90,536 mi) of roads, constitute 4.2% of all Indian roadways. There are three existing

and two proposed international airports.Waterways are also used as a means of transportation.The

state has the highest media exposure in India with newspapers publishing in nine different

languages; mainly English and Malayalam.Kerala is an important tourist destination, with backwaters, beaches, Ayurvedic tourism, and tropical greenery among its major attractions.

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GEORAPHICAL ENTITY:

       Kerala has had the distinction of being an independent geographical and political entity from the early days. Its unique geographical position and peculiar physical features

have invested Kerala with a distinct individuality. The land of Kerala comprises the narrow coastal strip bounded by the Western Ghats on the east and the Aribian Sea on the west in

the southern part of the Indian Peninsula.Paradoxical as it might seem, this geographical position has helped to ensure, to some extent, its political and cultural isolation from the

rest of the country and also facilitated its extensive and active contacts with the countries

of the outside world.A study of the geographical factor in relation to                  Kerala history assumes special significance.Here we are going to know the more important physical or
geographical features of the land like mountains, rivers, backwaters, wind and climate.We
shall also try to find out the influence exerted by each of these factors on our history and
culture.

GEOGRAPHICAL FACTORS:

The geographical factors that have influenced and moulded Kerala culture may be

classified into the following:

 Position, location and shape of the state
Mountains, Hills and Passes.
Rivers, backwaters and the sea.
Climate, Fauna and Flora.

1. Position, Location and Shape.

        Kerala is situated in the extreme south west corner of the Indian Sub- Continent.The land of Kerala comprises the narrow coastal strip surrounded by the Western Ghats in the
East and the Arabian Sea in the West. Kerala comprises three natural divisions. They are:

A.The High land – The Western Ghats constitute this region

B.The Low land – it stretches along the coastal plain in the West

C.Mid land – in between the High land and the Low land.It is rich in agricultural products. Now, let us see how this peculiar position and division influenced our History. Kerala was free from invasions, which shook North India through centuries because

of her insular position.This enabled the growth of peculiar social institutions like the Marumakkathayam in Kerala. It was a hindrance for friendly contacts with the North.It took longer time for north Indian religions to penetrate in to Kerala than foreign ones.It enabled Kerala to evolve its own styles of art, architecture and sculpture like Kathakali

and Kudiyattam.However this did not prevent intellectuals like Sankaracharya to propagate his philosophy outside Kerala.It was not a hindrance to the Chola,Vijaya Nagar,

Mysore and other South Indian powers to raid the Kerala territory.It did not prevent Tamil,

Kannada and Tulu languages to influence our dialect and writing languages.

Mountains, Hills and Passes.:

The Sahya Mountains which form part of the Western Ghats is the main mountain range in Kerala.It influenced our History in more ways than one.It provides the ‘body’ to

the state of Kerala.It protected the state from political invasions that hit South India till the 18th century. It guards the eastern frontier.In this sense,Sahya range may be called as the

Great Sentinel of the East.It safeguarded the territorial integrity of the land.It was the

source of most of the rivers of Kerala.It provided mountain passes for traffic between Kerala and neighbouring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

      The forest in the Ghat is a
source of wealth to the state.Some of the peaks important from the political and religious points of view are situated in the Western Ghats.The Anamudi peak (8841) in the Ghat
represents the highest point in India-south of the Himalayas. The Agastyakutam, the southernmost peak in the Western Ghats figures in the popular legend of Agastya.

          The Hills are so many in Kerala.From Ezhimala in the north to Mahendragiri in the South, we have innumerable hills. Among the hills, mention may be made ofVavvimala,

Vatamala, Puralimala,KalladiKotan, Nelliampathy, Pothundi, Anamala, Elamala, Peerumedu, Sabarimala, Ponmudi, Agastykutam and Aruvamozhi.These hills have

influenced our history in more ways than one. Ezhimala was the seat of a flourishing kingdom during the early centuries of the Christian era.As it is jutting in to the sea, it was a well known land mark for ancient mariners.

     The Puralimala was the headquarters of Pazhassi Raja for a long time and is
hailed as the ‘Aravallis of Malabar’.The Brahmagiri in Wayanad is important as Thirunelli
temple is located here.The Sabari hills are famous for the Sastha shrine, one of the most important centers of Hindu pilgrimage in the state.The Malayattur hills is famous as a centre of Christian pilgrimage associated with St. Thomas.

. Passes/Gaps.:

As you know, the mountains provide a number of passes/gaps to facilitate

contacts. There are a number of mountain passes in Kerala which influence our, History.The Palakkad Gap is perhaps the major one with its enormous width of, 36KMs.Through it, the South West winds bring pleasant moist air and grateful showers to

the thirsty plains of, Coimbatore.Through it, many a stream from the higher mountains find, their way to the Arabian Sea.The gap is of great economic value to Kerala and Tamil, Nadu.

      The Tamarasseri and Perambadi gaps promote contacts between Kerala and

Karnataka.They have also served as routes of invasion.The Perambadi gives access to Coorg while Tamarasseri provide access from Wayanad to Mysore.

  The Bodinaykannur pass in the Travancore area (Central Kerala) connects Madurai with the High Ranges.Through the Kamban pass was transacted most of the trade from central Kerala (Todupuzha).The Aryankavu pass gives easy access to Tirunelveli.The Tamils used this route for most of their raids and trade to South Kerala.

     The Arambadi pass (Aruvamozhi),
though presently situated outside Kerala is crucial.Early man with his microliths entered Kerala through this gap; This route had been the highway of traffic between Kerala and its
eastern neighbours. Many raids and invasions, the last being that of Chanda Saheb in 1740 had taken place through the Arambadi.Numberless battles had been fought in this region.The Arambadi – Kottar region is rightly called the cockpit of Kerala.

. The Sea, Rivers, and Backwaters.

The Arabean Sea has been a permanent geographical factor in our History.In fact Kerala has been the gift of the Arabean Sea.Kerala depended for its prosperity on the sea

and the sea borne trade.The Jews,Christian, Muslims and Parsees came here following a sea route and first landed here.The Europeans anchored at Kerala coast.The Portuguese

were the first in this endeavour followed by the Dutch.French and the English, all followed

a sea route to reach Kerala and landed on the Kerala coast and built their settlements here. The Arabian sea had been the field of activity for the Kunjalis, the Admirals of the

Calicut fleet.The imperialists first set their foot here and met with their first rebuff here.The commercial and cultural contacts that Kerala has had in the past immensely

benefited the princes and peoples of Kerala.The extensive sea coast of Kerala has provided a number of harbours both in the ancient and modern times.In ancient times we have such ports as Muziris,Tyndis,Barace and Nelcynda. In medieval times we have Kollam, Kozhikode and Kodungallur, and in modern times we have Kochi, Alapuzha and Ezhimala. If Kerala was isolated from the rest of India by the mountains, she was opened

to the rest of the world by the sea.

Rivers of Kerala.

There are 44 rivers in the state – 41 west flowing and 3 (Kabini, Bhavani and Pampar) east flowing.The state is rich in water potential, but no long rivers.          The major rivers are Nila (Bharata puzha or Perar), Periyar and Pampa; Kunthipuzha, Chandragiri

puzha, Korapuzha and Chaliyar.The rivers perform a two-fold function.

     They provide uninterrupted water transport through the length and breadth of the state. They add to the

land area forming backwaters and ports.They make the land fertile and the country prosperous.Inland trade has been mainly through the rivers.They are arteries of trade and communication. The harbours at the mouth of the rivers provide safe anchorage to

ships.

      Kerala Rivers have been the cradles of early civilisations. 24 out of the 32 Brahmin settlements are on the banks of rivers. A number of historic and religious temples and
churches are situated on the banks of rivers.Most of the literary and artistic forms originated on the river valleys.

        The rivers have influenced our political and military history.The Periyar flood of 1341 made Muziris useless for trade and brought in to existence the Vaipin Island.The

flood of 1789 in the same river forced Tippu Sultan to abandon his further conquest of

Thiruvitamkur.Several places of historical and cultural importance are located on the

riverbanks.We have. Chittur,Palakkad, Thiruvillamala,Pattambi,Thirunavaya and Chamravattam on the banks of Bharatapuzha.Ayiramalai,Malayattur,Kaladi, Aluva and

Kodungallur on the banks of Periyar; Aanmala, Sabarimala, Chengannur, Maramon,

Edathwa on the banks of Pamba.

It was on the rivers that major hydro-electric and irrigation projects were constructed in modern times.The hydro-electric projects like Pallivasal, Sengulam,

Peringal kuthu and Sabarigiri have quickened the industrialization of Kerala.The irrigation

project like Peechi, Malampuzha, Periyar Valley became, to adapt the words of Pandit

Nehru, centre of modern pilgrimage.

Climate, Fauna and Flora.

There was a diversity of climate in Kerala. Kerala alone has the two monsoons- Edavapathi and Thulavarsham.Thus we get rainfall both from the south west and north

east monsoons.We have an average rainfall of 116”, average temperature of 81o and an

average humidity of 82o.The abundance of rainfall enabled the people to choose

agriculture as their main occupation.

Agriculture, as often said, is a gamble in the monsoon. The variations in climate and seasons had their impact on vegetation and agriculture.The two main crops-Virippu and Muntakan-were dependent on rain fall.The climatic factors have influenced our History also. The epoch making discovery of S.W.

monsoon by Hippalus, the Egyptian pilot in 45 AD facilitated the direct see voyage from the Persian gulf to Kerala.The climatic factors also condition the military operations in

Kerala (e.g) Tippu’s retreat due to Periyar flood in 1789. The monsoon has caused floods in rivers.It was uncle monsoon who saved the Cochin Raja and his Portuguese allies from

the Zamorins attack in 1503.

The fauna and flora has made Kerala ‘the God’s own country’.The forests of Kerala are rich in woods, animals and birds of rare varieties.In ancient times, Kerala seems to have

exported the elephant, the peacock and the monkey to the west. It also exported aromatic plants, spices, ivory, teak and coir.It was the demand for spices, especially the Black Gold

(pepper) that brought the Europeans to Kerala, leading to the Da Gama Epoch of Asiatic

History. 

     Kerala is rich in mineral resources and white clay and graphite deposits. Kautilya

refers to River Churni from where pearls arefound.The fertile soil has facilitated the growth of agricultural villages.In short, geographical factors have influenced our history

deeply.It is one of the eyes of Kerala History.

Features:

The physical features of Kerala have contributed to settlement patterns. Kerala is a thickly populated state.Kerala has had a continuous settlement pattern with each settlement

bordering up on the next settlement.

      Forest areas, waste lands, water reservoirs and streams
form part of the settlement.The charter grant testifies to this pattern. Houses are built in the
centre of the plot and not in clusters as seen in other parts of India.Thus a village consists of a number of house sites around which there are gardens and food crop areas (Elas or Patasekharams) held by the villagers.

        River valleys were the cradle of these settlements.Most of the Brahmin settlements in

Kerala are found on the banks of rivers like Churni, Nila, Korapuzha and Pampa.The settlements were called Ur and Cheri, the former belonging to the Brahmins and the latter

of the common man.There was no separation or demarcation between the settlements of the upper and low castes.Brahmin and non Brahmin.The fisherman community has however their settlement in the coastal region.(Tura) while the tribesmen had their

settlements in the highlands; the artisans lived near the temple (Teruv).The Christians and

Muslims lived as part of the village settlement and had their churches and mosques in the

villages.

SOURCE MATERIALS

          Sources are the raw materials to reconstruct the past.Here we shall describe the vast range of source materials available to rebuild and reinterpret the history of Kerala.We shall
begin with a critical survey of the legendary or traditional sources,then pass over to a
discussion on archaeological and literary sources with special emphasis on monumental,
inscriptional, and numismatic evidence.

      The Sources of Kerala History may be classified

into

 1.Traditional and non- traditional

 2.Primary and Secondary 

3.Literary and

Archaeological.

Traditional Sources. The traditional sources are those derived from legends,traditions, myths,puranas.They

include

(a)Legendary accounts of the origin and evolution of Kerala Society.(b)Traditions,both oral and written of the heroes and events of Kerala History.(c)Sthalapuranas or place legends of  localities.

(d) Kshetramahatmyas regarding the origin and functions of theTemples.

(e)Keralolpathi and Keralamahatmyam are the two legendary works regarding the early history of Kerala

Athula’s Mushakavamsa Kavya gives a semi-legandary semi factual account of the Ezhimala

Kings The accounts of Joseph Kathanar, a priest from Kodungallur gives a contemporary

descriptions of the existing legends on the origin of Kerala and the growth of Christianity

(f)Don Gonsalves, Bishop of Kollam (17th C) has written a book ‘Historia de Malavar’ giving information on the origin and growth of Kerala people, their customs and

traditions

(g)Granthavaris are yet another form of traditional history.

Non- Traditional Sources.

      The non-traditional sources include archaeological evidence epigraphy, numismatics

and literary sources.They are classified into primary and secondary sources.Primary

Sources are those evidences that directly signify a historical event or situation.

    They ranges from relics of specific events and personalities to materials remains of the past.

   Archaeological monuments,epigraphs or inscriptions, edicts, cadjan records, coins and seals belong to this category. Secondary Sources are mainly indirect evidence

supporting and using primary sources.They are mostly written sources.Written histories,

accounts of travellers, manuals,Gazetters,monographs all comes under this category.The

information cited in the secondary sources are to be checked with the evidence from primary sources.Researchers are mainly concerned with primary sources.

     Archaeological and Literary Sources.

  A convenient classification of sources is archaeological and literary. Archaeological
sources are classified into monuments 
-historic and pre-historic – inscriptions and coins.
Literary sources are further classified into indigenous and foreign.

Indigenious Kavus or shrines demonstrate the local tradition, art and culture.

eg.Valliyurkavu (Wayanad district).The churches, Mosques and synagogues are also

important from the historical and artistic points of view.The churches of Udayamperur and Kanjur bear evidences of indigenous and foreign styles of architecture.Udayamperur was the venue of the historic synod while Kanjur church has a lamp donated by Shakthan

           Thampuran and also a mural painting.The churches of Mulanthurathi and Chepad have

mural paintings.The Catholic churches on the Kerala coast show traces of Portuguese style. Vasco-da-gama was buried at the St. Francis church, fort Cochin.

           The Mosques at Matayi, Kasargod and Kodungallur are of great historical interest.The
Muchuntipalli at Calicut and the Cheraman Masjid at Kodungallur are the most ancient and shows the influence of indigenous architecture.Of the eight synagogues in Kerala, the
white Jews synagogue of Mattanchery has the rare distinction of possessing the Jewish
copper plates other synagogues are situated at Mala, Parur and Chennamangalam.

            The Palaces and forts are of later origin than the temples.The Palaces of Makotai and

Kollam are things of the past.Among the existing historical palaces of Kerala, the most  notable are the Dutch palace (not built by the Dutch, but by the Portuguese) at Mattancherry, the Krishnapuram palace at Kayamkulam and the Padmanabhapuram palace

at Thucklay (Tamil Nadu).They are best specimens of Kerala style of architecture and have mural paintings of inestimable value. The Kovilakams of Pazhassi Raja, Kadathanad

Raja, Nilambur Raja and the Samutiri are also of importance.The houses of the Nair & Nambatri Chieftains like Kavalappara, Desamangalam, Kollenkode, Pumulli are also

notable.

Forts:

            The important forts are built by the Europeans and a few others by the local Rajas.The
Portuguese built the Pallippuram fort (Aykotta) in 1503, St.Angelo in Kannur, Fort manual
at Kochi and Kottappuram at Kodungallur.Aykotta is the oldest surviving European
structure in India.

      The Bednore Naiks built the forts at Bekal, hosdurg, Kumble and

Kalnad; (Chandragiri).Haidar Ali built the Palakkad fort in 1766.The English built theTellicherry fort.The remnants of the Vattakotta, of Marthanda Varma,(the

Nedumkotta).Travancore Lines of Dharmaraja, Udayagiri fort of D’Lannoy, the Chaliyan

fort of the zamorins etc are also seen.

Historical Sites.:

A few historical sites which are of interest are the Cheraman Parambu(Kodugallur),
Thrikkanar Mathilakam (Kodungallur),
 Karikode (Ernakulam), Kottaparambu
(Kozhikode),
 Kappad, 
Mananthavady, (pazhassi)inWayanad,Kottakkal (Kunjali Markkar)
and Lokanarkave in Badagara.The first two are associated with the Cheras,the second with

the Zamorin, third with Vasco-da-gama. Pattanam Excavation

Pattanam is a landlocked rural hamlet located in the Periyar Delta in Eranakulam district in the southern Indian state ofKerala. It is located 2 km north of North Paravur, 9 km south of Kodungallur and 25 km north of Kochi. Pattanam, a name which means "coastal town", has ancient origins. It is said to have been first occupied around 1000 BCE and continued to be active till the 10th century CE. 4 m thick soil of this village conceals the ancient maritime history of the world. 

     The recent archaeological excavations undertaken by the Kerala Council for Historical Research [KCHR] at Pattanam suggests
that the legendary seaport Muziri Pattanam, better known as Muziris, could have been located at this small village.

      Mucciri Pattanam was situated where Periyar River was cleft into two. 

      The word

Mucciri means Cleft Palate and Pattanam, a name derived fromPrakrit and Pali, means

coastal town in almost all Indian languages. Thus this place got its name Mucciri Pattanam.

        It is not clear however, why Mucciri Pattanam ended its activities as a major trade port

around the middle of the 14th century CE. One theory attributes it to a great flood of 1341 that caused the change of the Periyar River. This resulted in the shifting of this centre of commerce to other areas like Kochi and Kozhikode. Following this Muciri Pattanam went

into a slumber for many years. Slowly even its position was forgotten. But the name lived,

through writings of ancient mariners and records, through many centuries.

        The search for the legendary town Muziris on the Malabar Coast had been focused on

the northern banks of the Periyar river, basing on the literary evidence from Sangam literature and Periplus of the Erythrean Sea, among others. But nothing had been found to

identify Muziris.

Inscriptions from Tempels, Churches, Mosques etc.

The temples,churches,mosques,synagogues of Kerala have inscriptions of historical value.Temple records: The important temple records of a general nature are the Thiruvilla copper plates.Vadakkumnathan temple records and Kumaranallur temple
records.

       The temple records of Guruvayur, Kozhikode Tali temple are also of historical

value.TheThiruvalla copper Scrolls mention several institutions and customs of Kerala.The Thrissur Temple records testifies to the ascendancy of the Namputiris.The Pattazhi copper scroll (1796 AD) throws light on the temple administration in the 18th

century. Church & Other Inscriptions: Of the Church inscriptions, mention may be made of the Pallavi cross inscription from the Kadamatam Church & Kottayam Valiyapalli.From Kerala mosques, we have such inscriptions as the Arabic inscription from Matayi mosque.

   The synagogues too have

yielded epigraphic evidence. The Jewish copper plate record of Bhaskararavivarma (1000

AD) from the white Jew synagogue at Mattancherry and the Chennamangalam record in

Hebrew dated 1265 AD are the most important in this category.

Inscriptions from outside the State.

There are number of stone inscriptions and copper plates relating to Kerala found from

outside the state.They are 1.Asoka’s Rock Edict II (GIRNAR) is the earliest epigraphical record found from outside Kerala.It mentions the ruler of Kerala as Keralaputta..

   The
Aranattumalai inscription from Karur in Tamil Brahmi character mentions three Chera
kings and provides valuable clue to Chera genealogy.The Chalukya inscriptions of the
6th and 7th C. refer to the subjugation of Kerala by the Chalukyas.

.Similarly the Chola and

    

Pandya inscriptions (Anamalai) throw light on the Chola raids.The Thiruvilangadu plates

of Rajendra Chola refer to the Chola raids on Vizhinjam. 5.A number of records have been found from Kanchi, Srirangam and Poonamala relating to the exploits of Ravi Varma

Kulasekhara.Thus inscriptions are of in estimable value for the reconstruction of the

history of kerala.Pam Leaf.

When the stone records began to disappear by the 15th century, Palm leaf and cadjan documents replaced them.Temples, palaces and Tharavadus began to yield a number

NUMISMATICS

Numismatics is the study of coins which are interesting and at times an intriguing sources of History. It is of great value in reconstructing the history of our land.The coins contain dates,symbols and legends, which furnish valuable due to the historian.Ancient

Kerala coins bear neither date clue or legend.No Chera coin with the bow emblem have been found so far.The Venad coins bearing the emblem of the elephant are found.

  The chronograms in the coins indicate public events of importance and hence are

valuable.Coins are also valuable to know the nature of commercial transactions in Kerala.They also reveal the nature of social and economic formation in different periods of

history.

         Coins of different types are discovered from various part of Kerala. We have the earliest
known indigenous coins in India the punch marked coins.They are found from Ankamali,Eyyal,Mala and other places.Roman coins have been discovered from Kurumbranad,Eyyal,Edamaruku,Niranam,Pala and other places.The collection from Eyyal contains 13 gold coins.71 Roman Dinorus extending to a period of more than a century.

      The abundance of Roman coins indicates the prevalence of trade.Coins are used as both treasure and ornament.The foreign coins of the caliphate are discovered from

Kothamangalam.The Ceylonese coins–Ezhakasu coins issued by Cholas (Anaichu), Pandyas, Madhura Sulthans (Tulukkakasu) are also found in Kerala.

The history of Kerala Coins goes back to Parasuram who issued a gold coin called Rasi and arranged for its circulation.Kaliyugarajan was the name of another coin prevailed in ancient Kerala.The Cholas issued Rasi, Anaichu and Panam, the Madurai Sultans issued

Tulukasu. From the 9th Century onwards, we have such coins as Pon,Achu Panam,Kasu,Tiraman,Alkasu,etc.The Kolathiri and the zamorin issued their own Panams.The Travancore Rajas issued the gold coins Ananta Narayanan and Ananta Varahan Panams.The Cochin Raja issued the Puthan.The coins of the Ali Rajas contain figures and dates in the Hijira era. In the colonial era we have the Dutch copper coins,

Paranki Varahan, Ikkaeri Honnu, the Mahe Panam, Surat Rupee (English) and the company rupee. Tippu invasion brought Sulthan Kasu to Malabar .Literary works like

Unniachi charitam and inscriptions like Vazhappilly refer to some of these coin

EARLY HISTORICAL CONSCIOUSNESS:

Mushaka Vamsa Kavya. Mushaka Vamsa Kavya, a Sanskrit poetical work written by Atula, the court poet of Srikanta, the Mushaka king of Ezhimala.It was composed in the 11th century.It describes

the history of the Mushaka kingdom from its foundation to the time of Srikanta, the patron

(11th C.) Divided in to 13 Sargas, Mushakavamsa describes in detail the chronology, genealogy and history of the Mushaka kings.It also refers to the establishment of cities and

temples, conduct of wars, suppression of revolts, marriage alliance, rule of succession and

the king’s patronage of arts and letters and religion.The Kavya is important as the earliest

survival of an independent work of dynastic and regional history in Sanskrit literatureproduced almost a century before Kalhana’s Rajatarangini.It is also valuable as a source

book for the reconstruction of Kerala History

        .It is worth as proof of a native
historiographic tradition.The author of this work, Atula may be regarded as the Morning star of Kerala Historiography.Ballads.

    The Northern Ballads (Vatakkan Pattukal) deal with the exploits of medieval heroes and heroines.They give us interesting glimpses of the social customs and institutions of medieval Kerala.The Thacholi vallads describe the fortunes of Thacholi Othenan while the

Puthuram Pattukal narrates the adventures of Aromal Chekavar.Just like that of the Northern Ballads,we have the Southern Ballads.They include the prayers to God and certain historical subjects.The important Southern Ballads are the Anchutampuram Pattu

and Iravikutty Pillai Pattu.The former is about the internal problems of the royal family of

Travancore during the 16th century and the latter is about the hero Iravikutty Pillai,the

minister to the King of Travancore,who had fought heroically against the army of the

Madurai Naiks at the time of their attack against Travancore during the 17th century. 

     Granthavaris. Granthavaris are sets of documents. They deal with transactions in temples and
royal households.The Mathilakam record is one such document.It relates to Padmanabha temple.

    Thiruvananthapuram.We have also Kozhikode Granthavari, which relates to the Zamorin.There are records relating to Vanneri Illam, Peruvanam Temple Pattazhi temple and Nilampur Kovilakan. Documents of feudal chieftains like Kavalappara Nair and

Paliath Achan are also to be included in this category.The Payyannur Pattola describes

incidents in North Kerala.