Pre-Historic Kerala | Kerala State PSC (KPSC) Preparation - Kerala PSC KAS PDF Download

 Page 1


KERALA HISTORY
Pre-Historic Kerala
? The meglithic monuments include the dolmens, cists,
rock-cut caves, thopikallu, pulachikallu, kudakkallu
etc.  All of them are associated with burial system.
‘Nannangadi’ was the burial jar.
? The important palaeolithic sites are valuvasseri
(Nilambur) and Tenkara (Palaghat)
? The mesolithic sites are Walayar (Palaghat), Mankara,
Tenmalai (Kollam)
? Kerala is believed to have originated by the with-
drawal of sea, when Parasurama threw his axe from
Gokarnam to Kanyakumary .
? The oldest book which mentions about kerala is
‘Ithareyaranyakam’.
? The author of Keralappazhama is Dr.Gundert.
? Kalidasa’s Reghuvamsam mentions about Kerala.
? Parasurama divided Kerala into 64 villages and do-
nated them to Brahmins.
? Famous Rock-cut caves in the Ambukuthi hills in
the Wayanad district is known as Edakkal Caves.
It is the greatest example of megalithic culture in
Kerala.  It was Fred Foset who first studied about
the pictures on these caves in 1901.  Later this re-
search was continued by Dr.M.R.Raghava Warrior
and Dr.Rajan Gurukkal.  Archeological excavations
conducted in 2009 September on this site discov-
ered the figure of ‘a man holding a vessel’ which
resembles the Indus valley seal.  It shows the rela-
tionship of megalithic culture of Kerala with Indus
valley culture
? Writings in the Edakkal Caves belonged to the
Dravida Brahmi script.
? The prehistoric people of Kerala belonged to the
Negrito race and Proto Australoids.
? From 3000 BC onwards Kerala had trade relations
by sea with the Indus Valley people
? Early inhabitants of Kerala belonged to the last
phase of Middle Stone Age.
? Chathanparambu near Farrokh is a famous prehis-
toric site in the Malabar region.
Sangham Age
? Roman coins referred to in Chera and Chola inscrip-
tions as pazhankasu.
? The period from I
st
century AD - 5
th
century AD is
known as Sangham Age.
? Ashokan inscriptions mention about the early
Cheras with the name Cheralamputra.
? V anchi, Karur, Thrikkariyur and Thiruvanchikkulam
were the capitals of Early Cheras.
Sources of Kerala History
Keralolpathi, Kerala Mahatmyam,
Raghuvamsam, Mooshaka vamsam, Unnuneeli
Sandesham, Unniyadi charitham,
Chandrolsavam, Unnichiruthevi charitham,
Malabar Manual, Hortus Malabaricus.
Muziris
Kodungalloor is the present name of ancient port,
Muziris.  It was also the trade centre with Romans.
It was known by different names such as
‘Murichipathanam’ in Ramayana, ‘Muchiri’ in Tamil
works, ‘Muyiricode’ in Jewish Plate etc.  The an-
cient historian plini mentions that Muziris was an
important  port in ancient India.  It is also believed
that the birth place of Aryabhatta (the ancient as-
tronomer), Ashmakam is in Kodungalloor.  Muziris
lost its importance due to the flood in Periyar in the
year 1341.  This lead to the coming up of Cochi port.
Page 2


KERALA HISTORY
Pre-Historic Kerala
? The meglithic monuments include the dolmens, cists,
rock-cut caves, thopikallu, pulachikallu, kudakkallu
etc.  All of them are associated with burial system.
‘Nannangadi’ was the burial jar.
? The important palaeolithic sites are valuvasseri
(Nilambur) and Tenkara (Palaghat)
? The mesolithic sites are Walayar (Palaghat), Mankara,
Tenmalai (Kollam)
? Kerala is believed to have originated by the with-
drawal of sea, when Parasurama threw his axe from
Gokarnam to Kanyakumary .
? The oldest book which mentions about kerala is
‘Ithareyaranyakam’.
? The author of Keralappazhama is Dr.Gundert.
? Kalidasa’s Reghuvamsam mentions about Kerala.
? Parasurama divided Kerala into 64 villages and do-
nated them to Brahmins.
? Famous Rock-cut caves in the Ambukuthi hills in
the Wayanad district is known as Edakkal Caves.
It is the greatest example of megalithic culture in
Kerala.  It was Fred Foset who first studied about
the pictures on these caves in 1901.  Later this re-
search was continued by Dr.M.R.Raghava Warrior
and Dr.Rajan Gurukkal.  Archeological excavations
conducted in 2009 September on this site discov-
ered the figure of ‘a man holding a vessel’ which
resembles the Indus valley seal.  It shows the rela-
tionship of megalithic culture of Kerala with Indus
valley culture
? Writings in the Edakkal Caves belonged to the
Dravida Brahmi script.
? The prehistoric people of Kerala belonged to the
Negrito race and Proto Australoids.
? From 3000 BC onwards Kerala had trade relations
by sea with the Indus Valley people
? Early inhabitants of Kerala belonged to the last
phase of Middle Stone Age.
? Chathanparambu near Farrokh is a famous prehis-
toric site in the Malabar region.
Sangham Age
? Roman coins referred to in Chera and Chola inscrip-
tions as pazhankasu.
? The period from I
st
century AD - 5
th
century AD is
known as Sangham Age.
? Ashokan inscriptions mention about the early
Cheras with the name Cheralamputra.
? V anchi, Karur, Thrikkariyur and Thiruvanchikkulam
were the capitals of Early Cheras.
Sources of Kerala History
Keralolpathi, Kerala Mahatmyam,
Raghuvamsam, Mooshaka vamsam, Unnuneeli
Sandesham, Unniyadi charitham,
Chandrolsavam, Unnichiruthevi charitham,
Malabar Manual, Hortus Malabaricus.
Muziris
Kodungalloor is the present name of ancient port,
Muziris.  It was also the trade centre with Romans.
It was known by different names such as
‘Murichipathanam’ in Ramayana, ‘Muchiri’ in Tamil
works, ‘Muyiricode’ in Jewish Plate etc.  The an-
cient historian plini mentions that Muziris was an
important  port in ancient India.  It is also believed
that the birth place of Aryabhatta (the ancient as-
tronomer), Ashmakam is in Kodungalloor.  Muziris
lost its importance due to the flood in Periyar in the
year 1341.  This lead to the coming up of Cochi port.
? Agriculture was the major occupation of the people
in the Sangham Period.
? On the basis of physiography, the land was divided
into five thinas (Ainthina)
? They were Palai (dry land), Marutham (fertile land),
neithal (coastal area), mullai (forest area) and kurinji
(hilly area)
? More people were settled in the land area called
‘marutham’.
? The term ‘sangha’ was first used by the saiva saint,
Appa.
? Venadu, Kuttanadu, Kudanadu, Puzhinadu and
Karkanadu were the five divisions of Kerala in the
Sangham Age.
? Kottavai (a form of Durga) was the chief diety of
people during the Sangham Age (war goddess)
? Avvayar was the most famous poetess of the
Sangham period.
? Manram was the famous socio-political institution
of the Sangham Kerala.
? The distinctive feature of social life in this period
was the absence of caste system.
? Kapilar and Paranar were famous poets of Sangham
Age, belonged to the ‘Pana’ community.
? Utiyan Cheralathan of first Chera Empire had the
title ‘vanavarampan’.
? Chera ruler Nedum Cheralathan adopted the title
ImayaV arampan
? Palyanai  Chel Kezhu Kuttuvan defeated the Ay
kings of V enadu in battle.
? Narmudi Cheralathan defeated the Ay Ruler Nannan
in the Battle of  Vagai Perumthurai
? V el kezhu Kuttuvan had the title ‘Kadal  pira kottiya’.
He was popularly known as Chenkuttuvan.
? During the period of  Chenguttuvan,  Kerala had
trade relations with Sri Lanka.
? The Royal symbol of Chera was bow and Chola’s sym-
bol was Tiger and that  of the Pandyas was fish (Carp)
? Aryans began to dominate Kerala from the 4th Cen-
tury BC.
Ezhimala, Ay kingdoms
? Ezhimala ruler Konkanam Nannan was believed to
be a contemporary of Bindhusara.
? The dynasty which existed in the Ezhimala was the
‘Mushika Vamsa’.
? Mushika Vamsa Mahakavya written by poet Athula
describes about Ezhimala rulers.
? Ay dynasty belonged to the Yadava race.
? Paliyam Copper Plate (925 AD) of Vikramaditya
Varaguna mentions about the Ay rulers.
? Early capital of Ays was Pothiyil Mountain or
Ayakkudi.
? Vizhinjam was the Capital of Ays in later period.
? Sri Padmanabha was the tutelary diety of Ays.
? The major Ay provinces were Pozhi Chiozhnadu
(Kantalur Sata, Thiruvananthapuram and Kulathur),
Changazhanadu (Kunnathur), Valluvanadu
(Kalkkulam) Iraniyal Muttam etc.), Thenkanadu
(Panaiyur, Vilappil etc.) and Meynadu.
? Ay Kings followed marumakkthayam.
? Ay Antiran is believed to be the first Ay king.
? The second Ay king Titiyam was a contemperory of
Kapilar, Paranar and Bhootha Pandyan.
? The Partivasekharapuram temple (Kanyakumari) was
built by the Ay king, Karunanthadakkan.
? The Paliyam Plate issued by Vikramiditya V araguna
shows his religious tolerance (His land grants to
sree Moolavasam, the famous Buddha Vihara)
? Elephant was the symbol of Ay kings.
? Kollam Era was started in AD 825 (August 15)
(Chingam 1) by Rajashekhara Varman Kulasekhara.
‘Swrupas’
Nediyiruppu Swarupam .................... Kozhikkodu
Perumpadappu Swarupam ..........................Cochi
Ilayidathu Swarupam ...................... Kottarakkara
Thrippappur Swarupam ............. Thiruvithamcore
Elangalloor Swarupam .......................... Edappalli
Padinjattedathu Swarupam ............ Kodungalloor
Arangottu Swarupam ....................... V alluvanadu
Tharoor Swarupam ............................. Palakkadu
Thanoor Swarupam ........................ V ettathunadu
Page 3


KERALA HISTORY
Pre-Historic Kerala
? The meglithic monuments include the dolmens, cists,
rock-cut caves, thopikallu, pulachikallu, kudakkallu
etc.  All of them are associated with burial system.
‘Nannangadi’ was the burial jar.
? The important palaeolithic sites are valuvasseri
(Nilambur) and Tenkara (Palaghat)
? The mesolithic sites are Walayar (Palaghat), Mankara,
Tenmalai (Kollam)
? Kerala is believed to have originated by the with-
drawal of sea, when Parasurama threw his axe from
Gokarnam to Kanyakumary .
? The oldest book which mentions about kerala is
‘Ithareyaranyakam’.
? The author of Keralappazhama is Dr.Gundert.
? Kalidasa’s Reghuvamsam mentions about Kerala.
? Parasurama divided Kerala into 64 villages and do-
nated them to Brahmins.
? Famous Rock-cut caves in the Ambukuthi hills in
the Wayanad district is known as Edakkal Caves.
It is the greatest example of megalithic culture in
Kerala.  It was Fred Foset who first studied about
the pictures on these caves in 1901.  Later this re-
search was continued by Dr.M.R.Raghava Warrior
and Dr.Rajan Gurukkal.  Archeological excavations
conducted in 2009 September on this site discov-
ered the figure of ‘a man holding a vessel’ which
resembles the Indus valley seal.  It shows the rela-
tionship of megalithic culture of Kerala with Indus
valley culture
? Writings in the Edakkal Caves belonged to the
Dravida Brahmi script.
? The prehistoric people of Kerala belonged to the
Negrito race and Proto Australoids.
? From 3000 BC onwards Kerala had trade relations
by sea with the Indus Valley people
? Early inhabitants of Kerala belonged to the last
phase of Middle Stone Age.
? Chathanparambu near Farrokh is a famous prehis-
toric site in the Malabar region.
Sangham Age
? Roman coins referred to in Chera and Chola inscrip-
tions as pazhankasu.
? The period from I
st
century AD - 5
th
century AD is
known as Sangham Age.
? Ashokan inscriptions mention about the early
Cheras with the name Cheralamputra.
? V anchi, Karur, Thrikkariyur and Thiruvanchikkulam
were the capitals of Early Cheras.
Sources of Kerala History
Keralolpathi, Kerala Mahatmyam,
Raghuvamsam, Mooshaka vamsam, Unnuneeli
Sandesham, Unniyadi charitham,
Chandrolsavam, Unnichiruthevi charitham,
Malabar Manual, Hortus Malabaricus.
Muziris
Kodungalloor is the present name of ancient port,
Muziris.  It was also the trade centre with Romans.
It was known by different names such as
‘Murichipathanam’ in Ramayana, ‘Muchiri’ in Tamil
works, ‘Muyiricode’ in Jewish Plate etc.  The an-
cient historian plini mentions that Muziris was an
important  port in ancient India.  It is also believed
that the birth place of Aryabhatta (the ancient as-
tronomer), Ashmakam is in Kodungalloor.  Muziris
lost its importance due to the flood in Periyar in the
year 1341.  This lead to the coming up of Cochi port.
? Agriculture was the major occupation of the people
in the Sangham Period.
? On the basis of physiography, the land was divided
into five thinas (Ainthina)
? They were Palai (dry land), Marutham (fertile land),
neithal (coastal area), mullai (forest area) and kurinji
(hilly area)
? More people were settled in the land area called
‘marutham’.
? The term ‘sangha’ was first used by the saiva saint,
Appa.
? Venadu, Kuttanadu, Kudanadu, Puzhinadu and
Karkanadu were the five divisions of Kerala in the
Sangham Age.
? Kottavai (a form of Durga) was the chief diety of
people during the Sangham Age (war goddess)
? Avvayar was the most famous poetess of the
Sangham period.
? Manram was the famous socio-political institution
of the Sangham Kerala.
? The distinctive feature of social life in this period
was the absence of caste system.
? Kapilar and Paranar were famous poets of Sangham
Age, belonged to the ‘Pana’ community.
? Utiyan Cheralathan of first Chera Empire had the
title ‘vanavarampan’.
? Chera ruler Nedum Cheralathan adopted the title
ImayaV arampan
? Palyanai  Chel Kezhu Kuttuvan defeated the Ay
kings of V enadu in battle.
? Narmudi Cheralathan defeated the Ay Ruler Nannan
in the Battle of  Vagai Perumthurai
? V el kezhu Kuttuvan had the title ‘Kadal  pira kottiya’.
He was popularly known as Chenkuttuvan.
? During the period of  Chenguttuvan,  Kerala had
trade relations with Sri Lanka.
? The Royal symbol of Chera was bow and Chola’s sym-
bol was Tiger and that  of the Pandyas was fish (Carp)
? Aryans began to dominate Kerala from the 4th Cen-
tury BC.
Ezhimala, Ay kingdoms
? Ezhimala ruler Konkanam Nannan was believed to
be a contemporary of Bindhusara.
? The dynasty which existed in the Ezhimala was the
‘Mushika Vamsa’.
? Mushika Vamsa Mahakavya written by poet Athula
describes about Ezhimala rulers.
? Ay dynasty belonged to the Yadava race.
? Paliyam Copper Plate (925 AD) of Vikramaditya
Varaguna mentions about the Ay rulers.
? Early capital of Ays was Pothiyil Mountain or
Ayakkudi.
? Vizhinjam was the Capital of Ays in later period.
? Sri Padmanabha was the tutelary diety of Ays.
? The major Ay provinces were Pozhi Chiozhnadu
(Kantalur Sata, Thiruvananthapuram and Kulathur),
Changazhanadu (Kunnathur), Valluvanadu
(Kalkkulam) Iraniyal Muttam etc.), Thenkanadu
(Panaiyur, Vilappil etc.) and Meynadu.
? Ay Kings followed marumakkthayam.
? Ay Antiran is believed to be the first Ay king.
? The second Ay king Titiyam was a contemperory of
Kapilar, Paranar and Bhootha Pandyan.
? The Partivasekharapuram temple (Kanyakumari) was
built by the Ay king, Karunanthadakkan.
? The Paliyam Plate issued by Vikramiditya V araguna
shows his religious tolerance (His land grants to
sree Moolavasam, the famous Buddha Vihara)
? Elephant was the symbol of Ay kings.
? Kollam Era was started in AD 825 (August 15)
(Chingam 1) by Rajashekhara Varman Kulasekhara.
‘Swrupas’
Nediyiruppu Swarupam .................... Kozhikkodu
Perumpadappu Swarupam ..........................Cochi
Ilayidathu Swarupam ...................... Kottarakkara
Thrippappur Swarupam ............. Thiruvithamcore
Elangalloor Swarupam .......................... Edappalli
Padinjattedathu Swarupam ............ Kodungalloor
Arangottu Swarupam ....................... V alluvanadu
Tharoor Swarupam ............................. Palakkadu
Thanoor Swarupam ........................ V ettathunadu
? Kollam Era is also known as Malayalam Era.
? Earliest available inscription dated in the Kollam Era
is the Mampalli plate (149) of Sri V allabhan Kotha of
V enadu.
? The Battle of Venni was fought between Uthiyan
Cheralathan and Karikala Chola
Kulasekharas of Mahodayapuram
(800-1102 AD)
? Kulasekharas of Mahodaya puram is also known
as the Second Chera Empire.
? Kulasekhara Varman / Ramarajasekharan /
Kulasekhara Alwar was the founder of Second
Chera Empire.
? The age of Kulasekharas is known as the ‘Golden
Age of Kerala.
? The first king of this dynasty was Rajasekhara
devan.
? Vazhappalli plate (AD-832) is the oldest plate of
cheras.
? Kulasekhara Alwar wrote Perumal Thirumozhi
in Tamil and Mukundamala in Sanskrit.
? The Terisapalli Copper Plate of 849 AD was  is-
sued by Ayyan Adikal Thiruvadikal of Venad for
the Kulasekhara ruler Sthanu Ravi V arman.
? It was also known as Kottayam plates.
? Sthanu Ravi established a planetarium at
Mahodayapuram.
? The Arab traveller Sulaiman (851AD) visited
Kerala during the reign of Sthanu Ravi Varman.
? The Jewish Copper plate of 1000AD (175 Kollam
Era) was issued by Bhaskara Ravi V arman I.
? This plate granted the right to collect taxes and
the position of ‘Anchuvannam’ to the Jewish
noble, Joseph Rabban.
? Raja Raja Cholan attacked Vizhinjam and Kantalur
Sala during the period of Bhaskara Ravivarman
(AD 962-1021)
? Kulasekhara empire began to disintegrate during
this period.
? The famous ‘‘Hundred Years War’’ between the
Cholas and Cheras began during the reign of
Bhaskara Ravi V arman I.
? Shift from Makkathayam to Marumakkathayam
took place during this period of Hundred Years
War.
? VeeraRaghava Pattayam (Iravikorthan Cheped)
was given to a Christian noble by V eera Ravi V arma.
This plate was discovered by Lord Macauley from
Cochi.
? Devadasi system came to be popular during the
period of Second Chera Empire.
? Chokkur plate (Kozhikode) has the earliest histori-
cal mention of the devadasis in Kerala.
? Koothu and Koodiyattom were two artforms de-
veloped during the period in Kerala
? Ramavarma Kulasekhara (1090-1102) was the last
of Kulasekharas of Mahodayapuram.
? Ramavarma Kulasekhara shifted his capital from
Mahodayapuram to Quilon and Quilon came to be
called ‘Ten Vanchi’ (Vanchi of the South)
? The Cheraman Legend says that the last Chera Em-
peror (Cheraman Perumal) received Islam and went
to Arabia and met Prophet Muhammed at Jeddah.
? The ‘‘Tuhafat-ul-Mujahidin’ of Sheik Zainuddin
refers about the Cheraman legend.
? ‘Munnuttuvar’ and ‘Arunnuttuvar’ were local as-
semblies to look after the administration.
? Manigramam, Anchuvannam and ‘Valanchiur’
were famous merchant’s guilds of the period.
? Sankaracharya founded four mutts in four corners
of  India; Badrinath in the North (Jyotir Mutt) Puri
in the east (Govardhan) Dwaraka in the West
(Sarada Mutt) and Sringeri in the south.
? Malayalam became an independent language,
freed from Tamil during the period of the
Kulasekharas (9th Century AD).
‘Kulasekhara’ literature
Aattaprakarm, Kramadeepika ....................Tholan
Y udhishtira vijayam, Thripuradahanam ...............
.......................................... Vasudeva Bhattathiri
Subhadra Dhananjayam, Vichinnabhishekam ......
.............................................. Kulsekhara V arma
Sankara narayaneeyam, Gauri Kathodayam .........
.............................................. Sankaranarayanan
Sivananda lahari, Saundarya lahari .....................
.................................................. Sankaracharyar
Page 4


KERALA HISTORY
Pre-Historic Kerala
? The meglithic monuments include the dolmens, cists,
rock-cut caves, thopikallu, pulachikallu, kudakkallu
etc.  All of them are associated with burial system.
‘Nannangadi’ was the burial jar.
? The important palaeolithic sites are valuvasseri
(Nilambur) and Tenkara (Palaghat)
? The mesolithic sites are Walayar (Palaghat), Mankara,
Tenmalai (Kollam)
? Kerala is believed to have originated by the with-
drawal of sea, when Parasurama threw his axe from
Gokarnam to Kanyakumary .
? The oldest book which mentions about kerala is
‘Ithareyaranyakam’.
? The author of Keralappazhama is Dr.Gundert.
? Kalidasa’s Reghuvamsam mentions about Kerala.
? Parasurama divided Kerala into 64 villages and do-
nated them to Brahmins.
? Famous Rock-cut caves in the Ambukuthi hills in
the Wayanad district is known as Edakkal Caves.
It is the greatest example of megalithic culture in
Kerala.  It was Fred Foset who first studied about
the pictures on these caves in 1901.  Later this re-
search was continued by Dr.M.R.Raghava Warrior
and Dr.Rajan Gurukkal.  Archeological excavations
conducted in 2009 September on this site discov-
ered the figure of ‘a man holding a vessel’ which
resembles the Indus valley seal.  It shows the rela-
tionship of megalithic culture of Kerala with Indus
valley culture
? Writings in the Edakkal Caves belonged to the
Dravida Brahmi script.
? The prehistoric people of Kerala belonged to the
Negrito race and Proto Australoids.
? From 3000 BC onwards Kerala had trade relations
by sea with the Indus Valley people
? Early inhabitants of Kerala belonged to the last
phase of Middle Stone Age.
? Chathanparambu near Farrokh is a famous prehis-
toric site in the Malabar region.
Sangham Age
? Roman coins referred to in Chera and Chola inscrip-
tions as pazhankasu.
? The period from I
st
century AD - 5
th
century AD is
known as Sangham Age.
? Ashokan inscriptions mention about the early
Cheras with the name Cheralamputra.
? V anchi, Karur, Thrikkariyur and Thiruvanchikkulam
were the capitals of Early Cheras.
Sources of Kerala History
Keralolpathi, Kerala Mahatmyam,
Raghuvamsam, Mooshaka vamsam, Unnuneeli
Sandesham, Unniyadi charitham,
Chandrolsavam, Unnichiruthevi charitham,
Malabar Manual, Hortus Malabaricus.
Muziris
Kodungalloor is the present name of ancient port,
Muziris.  It was also the trade centre with Romans.
It was known by different names such as
‘Murichipathanam’ in Ramayana, ‘Muchiri’ in Tamil
works, ‘Muyiricode’ in Jewish Plate etc.  The an-
cient historian plini mentions that Muziris was an
important  port in ancient India.  It is also believed
that the birth place of Aryabhatta (the ancient as-
tronomer), Ashmakam is in Kodungalloor.  Muziris
lost its importance due to the flood in Periyar in the
year 1341.  This lead to the coming up of Cochi port.
? Agriculture was the major occupation of the people
in the Sangham Period.
? On the basis of physiography, the land was divided
into five thinas (Ainthina)
? They were Palai (dry land), Marutham (fertile land),
neithal (coastal area), mullai (forest area) and kurinji
(hilly area)
? More people were settled in the land area called
‘marutham’.
? The term ‘sangha’ was first used by the saiva saint,
Appa.
? Venadu, Kuttanadu, Kudanadu, Puzhinadu and
Karkanadu were the five divisions of Kerala in the
Sangham Age.
? Kottavai (a form of Durga) was the chief diety of
people during the Sangham Age (war goddess)
? Avvayar was the most famous poetess of the
Sangham period.
? Manram was the famous socio-political institution
of the Sangham Kerala.
? The distinctive feature of social life in this period
was the absence of caste system.
? Kapilar and Paranar were famous poets of Sangham
Age, belonged to the ‘Pana’ community.
? Utiyan Cheralathan of first Chera Empire had the
title ‘vanavarampan’.
? Chera ruler Nedum Cheralathan adopted the title
ImayaV arampan
? Palyanai  Chel Kezhu Kuttuvan defeated the Ay
kings of V enadu in battle.
? Narmudi Cheralathan defeated the Ay Ruler Nannan
in the Battle of  Vagai Perumthurai
? V el kezhu Kuttuvan had the title ‘Kadal  pira kottiya’.
He was popularly known as Chenkuttuvan.
? During the period of  Chenguttuvan,  Kerala had
trade relations with Sri Lanka.
? The Royal symbol of Chera was bow and Chola’s sym-
bol was Tiger and that  of the Pandyas was fish (Carp)
? Aryans began to dominate Kerala from the 4th Cen-
tury BC.
Ezhimala, Ay kingdoms
? Ezhimala ruler Konkanam Nannan was believed to
be a contemporary of Bindhusara.
? The dynasty which existed in the Ezhimala was the
‘Mushika Vamsa’.
? Mushika Vamsa Mahakavya written by poet Athula
describes about Ezhimala rulers.
? Ay dynasty belonged to the Yadava race.
? Paliyam Copper Plate (925 AD) of Vikramaditya
Varaguna mentions about the Ay rulers.
? Early capital of Ays was Pothiyil Mountain or
Ayakkudi.
? Vizhinjam was the Capital of Ays in later period.
? Sri Padmanabha was the tutelary diety of Ays.
? The major Ay provinces were Pozhi Chiozhnadu
(Kantalur Sata, Thiruvananthapuram and Kulathur),
Changazhanadu (Kunnathur), Valluvanadu
(Kalkkulam) Iraniyal Muttam etc.), Thenkanadu
(Panaiyur, Vilappil etc.) and Meynadu.
? Ay Kings followed marumakkthayam.
? Ay Antiran is believed to be the first Ay king.
? The second Ay king Titiyam was a contemperory of
Kapilar, Paranar and Bhootha Pandyan.
? The Partivasekharapuram temple (Kanyakumari) was
built by the Ay king, Karunanthadakkan.
? The Paliyam Plate issued by Vikramiditya V araguna
shows his religious tolerance (His land grants to
sree Moolavasam, the famous Buddha Vihara)
? Elephant was the symbol of Ay kings.
? Kollam Era was started in AD 825 (August 15)
(Chingam 1) by Rajashekhara Varman Kulasekhara.
‘Swrupas’
Nediyiruppu Swarupam .................... Kozhikkodu
Perumpadappu Swarupam ..........................Cochi
Ilayidathu Swarupam ...................... Kottarakkara
Thrippappur Swarupam ............. Thiruvithamcore
Elangalloor Swarupam .......................... Edappalli
Padinjattedathu Swarupam ............ Kodungalloor
Arangottu Swarupam ....................... V alluvanadu
Tharoor Swarupam ............................. Palakkadu
Thanoor Swarupam ........................ V ettathunadu
? Kollam Era is also known as Malayalam Era.
? Earliest available inscription dated in the Kollam Era
is the Mampalli plate (149) of Sri V allabhan Kotha of
V enadu.
? The Battle of Venni was fought between Uthiyan
Cheralathan and Karikala Chola
Kulasekharas of Mahodayapuram
(800-1102 AD)
? Kulasekharas of Mahodaya puram is also known
as the Second Chera Empire.
? Kulasekhara Varman / Ramarajasekharan /
Kulasekhara Alwar was the founder of Second
Chera Empire.
? The age of Kulasekharas is known as the ‘Golden
Age of Kerala.
? The first king of this dynasty was Rajasekhara
devan.
? Vazhappalli plate (AD-832) is the oldest plate of
cheras.
? Kulasekhara Alwar wrote Perumal Thirumozhi
in Tamil and Mukundamala in Sanskrit.
? The Terisapalli Copper Plate of 849 AD was  is-
sued by Ayyan Adikal Thiruvadikal of Venad for
the Kulasekhara ruler Sthanu Ravi V arman.
? It was also known as Kottayam plates.
? Sthanu Ravi established a planetarium at
Mahodayapuram.
? The Arab traveller Sulaiman (851AD) visited
Kerala during the reign of Sthanu Ravi Varman.
? The Jewish Copper plate of 1000AD (175 Kollam
Era) was issued by Bhaskara Ravi V arman I.
? This plate granted the right to collect taxes and
the position of ‘Anchuvannam’ to the Jewish
noble, Joseph Rabban.
? Raja Raja Cholan attacked Vizhinjam and Kantalur
Sala during the period of Bhaskara Ravivarman
(AD 962-1021)
? Kulasekhara empire began to disintegrate during
this period.
? The famous ‘‘Hundred Years War’’ between the
Cholas and Cheras began during the reign of
Bhaskara Ravi V arman I.
? Shift from Makkathayam to Marumakkathayam
took place during this period of Hundred Years
War.
? VeeraRaghava Pattayam (Iravikorthan Cheped)
was given to a Christian noble by V eera Ravi V arma.
This plate was discovered by Lord Macauley from
Cochi.
? Devadasi system came to be popular during the
period of Second Chera Empire.
? Chokkur plate (Kozhikode) has the earliest histori-
cal mention of the devadasis in Kerala.
? Koothu and Koodiyattom were two artforms de-
veloped during the period in Kerala
? Ramavarma Kulasekhara (1090-1102) was the last
of Kulasekharas of Mahodayapuram.
? Ramavarma Kulasekhara shifted his capital from
Mahodayapuram to Quilon and Quilon came to be
called ‘Ten Vanchi’ (Vanchi of the South)
? The Cheraman Legend says that the last Chera Em-
peror (Cheraman Perumal) received Islam and went
to Arabia and met Prophet Muhammed at Jeddah.
? The ‘‘Tuhafat-ul-Mujahidin’ of Sheik Zainuddin
refers about the Cheraman legend.
? ‘Munnuttuvar’ and ‘Arunnuttuvar’ were local as-
semblies to look after the administration.
? Manigramam, Anchuvannam and ‘Valanchiur’
were famous merchant’s guilds of the period.
? Sankaracharya founded four mutts in four corners
of  India; Badrinath in the North (Jyotir Mutt) Puri
in the east (Govardhan) Dwaraka in the West
(Sarada Mutt) and Sringeri in the south.
? Malayalam became an independent language,
freed from Tamil during the period of the
Kulasekharas (9th Century AD).
‘Kulasekhara’ literature
Aattaprakarm, Kramadeepika ....................Tholan
Y udhishtira vijayam, Thripuradahanam ...............
.......................................... Vasudeva Bhattathiri
Subhadra Dhananjayam, Vichinnabhishekam ......
.............................................. Kulsekhara V arma
Sankara narayaneeyam, Gauri Kathodayam .........
.............................................. Sankaranarayanan
Sivananda lahari, Saundarya lahari .....................
.................................................. Sankaracharyar
Bhakti Movement
? Sankaracharya (788 - 820 AD) the great Advaita
philosopher was a younger contemporary of
Kulasekhara Alwar.
? Sankaracharya was a Namboothiri Brahmin born
at Kaladi on the banks of river Periyar.
? Sankaracharya propagated the Advaita philosophy
which had its roots in Upanishadic teachings.
? V adakke Madam, Naduvil Madam, Edayil Madam
and Thekke Madam are the four mutts founded by
Sankaracharya in Trichur.
? Sankaracharya wrote commentaries on the
Brahmasutras, the Bhagavat Gita and the princi-
pal Upanishads. He also composed poems like
Vivekachoodamani, Updeshasahasri,Atmabodha,
Mohamudra, Sivanandalahari and Saundarya
Lahari.
? Bhakti movement became prominent under the
Kulasekharas.
? Vedic schools attached to the temples during the
Kulasekhara period were known as Salais. The
Kanthalur Salai is popularly known as Nalanda
of the South (Dakshina Nalanda).
? Kadavallur Anyonyam, three proficiency tests in
the Rigveda, was conducted during the
Kulasekhara period related to the Brahmins.
Early Foreign Contacts
? Assyrians and Babylonians were the first to have
trade relations with ancient Kerala.
? In 1500 BC the Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut, (first
woman ruler in the world), sent an expedition to
Kerala for spices.
? It is believed that Hippalus, a Greek navigator, came
to Muziris (Kodungallur) by sea in 45AD.
? Hippalus discovered Monsoon winds in 45 AD.
? Quilon was an important centre of Chinese trade.
? Pepper got the name ‘Yavana priya’ because of its
high demand by the Romans and Greeks.
? Italian (V enetian) traveller Marcopolo reached
Kerala in 1292 (13th Century).
? Muziris, Tyndis, Barace and Nelcynda were the
famous sea ports in ancient Kerala.
? African (Morocco) Traveller , Ibn Batuta reached
Kerala during 1342-1347.
? Nicolo Conti reached Kerala in 1440.
? The Cranganore port (Muziris) declined as a result
of the floods in the Periyar river in 1341.
Coming of Religions to Kerala
? Ancient religion in Kerala was Dravidian in Nature.
? Jainism reached Kerala in the 3rd Century BC.
? Jainism in Kerala was introduced by the disciples
of Bhadrabhanu.
? Jainism was popular in Wayanad, Palakkad and
the island regions of Travancore.
? It has influenced the architecture of the temples
and mosques of Malabar.
? The Koodalmanikyam Temple at Irinjalakkuda,
dedicated to Bharata was a famous Jain temple.
? It is assumed that Buddhism reached Kerala during
the period of Ashoka in the 3rd century BC (232 BC).
? The Sangham work Manimekhalai mentions about
the spread of Buddhism in Kerala.
? A large number of Buddha images have been found
from Kunnathur and Karunagappally taluks of
Quilon district.
? Famous Buddhist image Karumadikuttan has been
discovered from Karumadi near Ambalappuzha.
? The Indilayappam idols found in different parts of
Kerala were originally Buddhist idols.
? The Paliyam Copper Plate of Vikramaditya
Varaguna bears evidence of the patronage ex-
tended to the temple of Sri Mulavamsam, the main
Buddhist pilgrim centre in South India.
? Naga worship, Kettu Kazhcha and Chakkiar Kuthu
of the Hindus have traces of Buddhist influences.
Major Treaties
? Kannur Treaty of 1513 between Kozhikodu
Zamorin and the Portughese.
? Ponnani Treaty of 1540 between Kozhikodu
and Protughese.
? Azheekodu Treaty of 1661 between the Dutch
and the Kozhikodu
Page 5


KERALA HISTORY
Pre-Historic Kerala
? The meglithic monuments include the dolmens, cists,
rock-cut caves, thopikallu, pulachikallu, kudakkallu
etc.  All of them are associated with burial system.
‘Nannangadi’ was the burial jar.
? The important palaeolithic sites are valuvasseri
(Nilambur) and Tenkara (Palaghat)
? The mesolithic sites are Walayar (Palaghat), Mankara,
Tenmalai (Kollam)
? Kerala is believed to have originated by the with-
drawal of sea, when Parasurama threw his axe from
Gokarnam to Kanyakumary .
? The oldest book which mentions about kerala is
‘Ithareyaranyakam’.
? The author of Keralappazhama is Dr.Gundert.
? Kalidasa’s Reghuvamsam mentions about Kerala.
? Parasurama divided Kerala into 64 villages and do-
nated them to Brahmins.
? Famous Rock-cut caves in the Ambukuthi hills in
the Wayanad district is known as Edakkal Caves.
It is the greatest example of megalithic culture in
Kerala.  It was Fred Foset who first studied about
the pictures on these caves in 1901.  Later this re-
search was continued by Dr.M.R.Raghava Warrior
and Dr.Rajan Gurukkal.  Archeological excavations
conducted in 2009 September on this site discov-
ered the figure of ‘a man holding a vessel’ which
resembles the Indus valley seal.  It shows the rela-
tionship of megalithic culture of Kerala with Indus
valley culture
? Writings in the Edakkal Caves belonged to the
Dravida Brahmi script.
? The prehistoric people of Kerala belonged to the
Negrito race and Proto Australoids.
? From 3000 BC onwards Kerala had trade relations
by sea with the Indus Valley people
? Early inhabitants of Kerala belonged to the last
phase of Middle Stone Age.
? Chathanparambu near Farrokh is a famous prehis-
toric site in the Malabar region.
Sangham Age
? Roman coins referred to in Chera and Chola inscrip-
tions as pazhankasu.
? The period from I
st
century AD - 5
th
century AD is
known as Sangham Age.
? Ashokan inscriptions mention about the early
Cheras with the name Cheralamputra.
? V anchi, Karur, Thrikkariyur and Thiruvanchikkulam
were the capitals of Early Cheras.
Sources of Kerala History
Keralolpathi, Kerala Mahatmyam,
Raghuvamsam, Mooshaka vamsam, Unnuneeli
Sandesham, Unniyadi charitham,
Chandrolsavam, Unnichiruthevi charitham,
Malabar Manual, Hortus Malabaricus.
Muziris
Kodungalloor is the present name of ancient port,
Muziris.  It was also the trade centre with Romans.
It was known by different names such as
‘Murichipathanam’ in Ramayana, ‘Muchiri’ in Tamil
works, ‘Muyiricode’ in Jewish Plate etc.  The an-
cient historian plini mentions that Muziris was an
important  port in ancient India.  It is also believed
that the birth place of Aryabhatta (the ancient as-
tronomer), Ashmakam is in Kodungalloor.  Muziris
lost its importance due to the flood in Periyar in the
year 1341.  This lead to the coming up of Cochi port.
? Agriculture was the major occupation of the people
in the Sangham Period.
? On the basis of physiography, the land was divided
into five thinas (Ainthina)
? They were Palai (dry land), Marutham (fertile land),
neithal (coastal area), mullai (forest area) and kurinji
(hilly area)
? More people were settled in the land area called
‘marutham’.
? The term ‘sangha’ was first used by the saiva saint,
Appa.
? Venadu, Kuttanadu, Kudanadu, Puzhinadu and
Karkanadu were the five divisions of Kerala in the
Sangham Age.
? Kottavai (a form of Durga) was the chief diety of
people during the Sangham Age (war goddess)
? Avvayar was the most famous poetess of the
Sangham period.
? Manram was the famous socio-political institution
of the Sangham Kerala.
? The distinctive feature of social life in this period
was the absence of caste system.
? Kapilar and Paranar were famous poets of Sangham
Age, belonged to the ‘Pana’ community.
? Utiyan Cheralathan of first Chera Empire had the
title ‘vanavarampan’.
? Chera ruler Nedum Cheralathan adopted the title
ImayaV arampan
? Palyanai  Chel Kezhu Kuttuvan defeated the Ay
kings of V enadu in battle.
? Narmudi Cheralathan defeated the Ay Ruler Nannan
in the Battle of  Vagai Perumthurai
? V el kezhu Kuttuvan had the title ‘Kadal  pira kottiya’.
He was popularly known as Chenkuttuvan.
? During the period of  Chenguttuvan,  Kerala had
trade relations with Sri Lanka.
? The Royal symbol of Chera was bow and Chola’s sym-
bol was Tiger and that  of the Pandyas was fish (Carp)
? Aryans began to dominate Kerala from the 4th Cen-
tury BC.
Ezhimala, Ay kingdoms
? Ezhimala ruler Konkanam Nannan was believed to
be a contemporary of Bindhusara.
? The dynasty which existed in the Ezhimala was the
‘Mushika Vamsa’.
? Mushika Vamsa Mahakavya written by poet Athula
describes about Ezhimala rulers.
? Ay dynasty belonged to the Yadava race.
? Paliyam Copper Plate (925 AD) of Vikramaditya
Varaguna mentions about the Ay rulers.
? Early capital of Ays was Pothiyil Mountain or
Ayakkudi.
? Vizhinjam was the Capital of Ays in later period.
? Sri Padmanabha was the tutelary diety of Ays.
? The major Ay provinces were Pozhi Chiozhnadu
(Kantalur Sata, Thiruvananthapuram and Kulathur),
Changazhanadu (Kunnathur), Valluvanadu
(Kalkkulam) Iraniyal Muttam etc.), Thenkanadu
(Panaiyur, Vilappil etc.) and Meynadu.
? Ay Kings followed marumakkthayam.
? Ay Antiran is believed to be the first Ay king.
? The second Ay king Titiyam was a contemperory of
Kapilar, Paranar and Bhootha Pandyan.
? The Partivasekharapuram temple (Kanyakumari) was
built by the Ay king, Karunanthadakkan.
? The Paliyam Plate issued by Vikramiditya V araguna
shows his religious tolerance (His land grants to
sree Moolavasam, the famous Buddha Vihara)
? Elephant was the symbol of Ay kings.
? Kollam Era was started in AD 825 (August 15)
(Chingam 1) by Rajashekhara Varman Kulasekhara.
‘Swrupas’
Nediyiruppu Swarupam .................... Kozhikkodu
Perumpadappu Swarupam ..........................Cochi
Ilayidathu Swarupam ...................... Kottarakkara
Thrippappur Swarupam ............. Thiruvithamcore
Elangalloor Swarupam .......................... Edappalli
Padinjattedathu Swarupam ............ Kodungalloor
Arangottu Swarupam ....................... V alluvanadu
Tharoor Swarupam ............................. Palakkadu
Thanoor Swarupam ........................ V ettathunadu
? Kollam Era is also known as Malayalam Era.
? Earliest available inscription dated in the Kollam Era
is the Mampalli plate (149) of Sri V allabhan Kotha of
V enadu.
? The Battle of Venni was fought between Uthiyan
Cheralathan and Karikala Chola
Kulasekharas of Mahodayapuram
(800-1102 AD)
? Kulasekharas of Mahodaya puram is also known
as the Second Chera Empire.
? Kulasekhara Varman / Ramarajasekharan /
Kulasekhara Alwar was the founder of Second
Chera Empire.
? The age of Kulasekharas is known as the ‘Golden
Age of Kerala.
? The first king of this dynasty was Rajasekhara
devan.
? Vazhappalli plate (AD-832) is the oldest plate of
cheras.
? Kulasekhara Alwar wrote Perumal Thirumozhi
in Tamil and Mukundamala in Sanskrit.
? The Terisapalli Copper Plate of 849 AD was  is-
sued by Ayyan Adikal Thiruvadikal of Venad for
the Kulasekhara ruler Sthanu Ravi V arman.
? It was also known as Kottayam plates.
? Sthanu Ravi established a planetarium at
Mahodayapuram.
? The Arab traveller Sulaiman (851AD) visited
Kerala during the reign of Sthanu Ravi Varman.
? The Jewish Copper plate of 1000AD (175 Kollam
Era) was issued by Bhaskara Ravi V arman I.
? This plate granted the right to collect taxes and
the position of ‘Anchuvannam’ to the Jewish
noble, Joseph Rabban.
? Raja Raja Cholan attacked Vizhinjam and Kantalur
Sala during the period of Bhaskara Ravivarman
(AD 962-1021)
? Kulasekhara empire began to disintegrate during
this period.
? The famous ‘‘Hundred Years War’’ between the
Cholas and Cheras began during the reign of
Bhaskara Ravi V arman I.
? Shift from Makkathayam to Marumakkathayam
took place during this period of Hundred Years
War.
? VeeraRaghava Pattayam (Iravikorthan Cheped)
was given to a Christian noble by V eera Ravi V arma.
This plate was discovered by Lord Macauley from
Cochi.
? Devadasi system came to be popular during the
period of Second Chera Empire.
? Chokkur plate (Kozhikode) has the earliest histori-
cal mention of the devadasis in Kerala.
? Koothu and Koodiyattom were two artforms de-
veloped during the period in Kerala
? Ramavarma Kulasekhara (1090-1102) was the last
of Kulasekharas of Mahodayapuram.
? Ramavarma Kulasekhara shifted his capital from
Mahodayapuram to Quilon and Quilon came to be
called ‘Ten Vanchi’ (Vanchi of the South)
? The Cheraman Legend says that the last Chera Em-
peror (Cheraman Perumal) received Islam and went
to Arabia and met Prophet Muhammed at Jeddah.
? The ‘‘Tuhafat-ul-Mujahidin’ of Sheik Zainuddin
refers about the Cheraman legend.
? ‘Munnuttuvar’ and ‘Arunnuttuvar’ were local as-
semblies to look after the administration.
? Manigramam, Anchuvannam and ‘Valanchiur’
were famous merchant’s guilds of the period.
? Sankaracharya founded four mutts in four corners
of  India; Badrinath in the North (Jyotir Mutt) Puri
in the east (Govardhan) Dwaraka in the West
(Sarada Mutt) and Sringeri in the south.
? Malayalam became an independent language,
freed from Tamil during the period of the
Kulasekharas (9th Century AD).
‘Kulasekhara’ literature
Aattaprakarm, Kramadeepika ....................Tholan
Y udhishtira vijayam, Thripuradahanam ...............
.......................................... Vasudeva Bhattathiri
Subhadra Dhananjayam, Vichinnabhishekam ......
.............................................. Kulsekhara V arma
Sankara narayaneeyam, Gauri Kathodayam .........
.............................................. Sankaranarayanan
Sivananda lahari, Saundarya lahari .....................
.................................................. Sankaracharyar
Bhakti Movement
? Sankaracharya (788 - 820 AD) the great Advaita
philosopher was a younger contemporary of
Kulasekhara Alwar.
? Sankaracharya was a Namboothiri Brahmin born
at Kaladi on the banks of river Periyar.
? Sankaracharya propagated the Advaita philosophy
which had its roots in Upanishadic teachings.
? V adakke Madam, Naduvil Madam, Edayil Madam
and Thekke Madam are the four mutts founded by
Sankaracharya in Trichur.
? Sankaracharya wrote commentaries on the
Brahmasutras, the Bhagavat Gita and the princi-
pal Upanishads. He also composed poems like
Vivekachoodamani, Updeshasahasri,Atmabodha,
Mohamudra, Sivanandalahari and Saundarya
Lahari.
? Bhakti movement became prominent under the
Kulasekharas.
? Vedic schools attached to the temples during the
Kulasekhara period were known as Salais. The
Kanthalur Salai is popularly known as Nalanda
of the South (Dakshina Nalanda).
? Kadavallur Anyonyam, three proficiency tests in
the Rigveda, was conducted during the
Kulasekhara period related to the Brahmins.
Early Foreign Contacts
? Assyrians and Babylonians were the first to have
trade relations with ancient Kerala.
? In 1500 BC the Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut, (first
woman ruler in the world), sent an expedition to
Kerala for spices.
? It is believed that Hippalus, a Greek navigator, came
to Muziris (Kodungallur) by sea in 45AD.
? Hippalus discovered Monsoon winds in 45 AD.
? Quilon was an important centre of Chinese trade.
? Pepper got the name ‘Yavana priya’ because of its
high demand by the Romans and Greeks.
? Italian (V enetian) traveller Marcopolo reached
Kerala in 1292 (13th Century).
? Muziris, Tyndis, Barace and Nelcynda were the
famous sea ports in ancient Kerala.
? African (Morocco) Traveller , Ibn Batuta reached
Kerala during 1342-1347.
? Nicolo Conti reached Kerala in 1440.
? The Cranganore port (Muziris) declined as a result
of the floods in the Periyar river in 1341.
Coming of Religions to Kerala
? Ancient religion in Kerala was Dravidian in Nature.
? Jainism reached Kerala in the 3rd Century BC.
? Jainism in Kerala was introduced by the disciples
of Bhadrabhanu.
? Jainism was popular in Wayanad, Palakkad and
the island regions of Travancore.
? It has influenced the architecture of the temples
and mosques of Malabar.
? The Koodalmanikyam Temple at Irinjalakkuda,
dedicated to Bharata was a famous Jain temple.
? It is assumed that Buddhism reached Kerala during
the period of Ashoka in the 3rd century BC (232 BC).
? The Sangham work Manimekhalai mentions about
the spread of Buddhism in Kerala.
? A large number of Buddha images have been found
from Kunnathur and Karunagappally taluks of
Quilon district.
? Famous Buddhist image Karumadikuttan has been
discovered from Karumadi near Ambalappuzha.
? The Indilayappam idols found in different parts of
Kerala were originally Buddhist idols.
? The Paliyam Copper Plate of Vikramaditya
Varaguna bears evidence of the patronage ex-
tended to the temple of Sri Mulavamsam, the main
Buddhist pilgrim centre in South India.
? Naga worship, Kettu Kazhcha and Chakkiar Kuthu
of the Hindus have traces of Buddhist influences.
Major Treaties
? Kannur Treaty of 1513 between Kozhikodu
Zamorin and the Portughese.
? Ponnani Treaty of 1540 between Kozhikodu
and Protughese.
? Azheekodu Treaty of 1661 between the Dutch
and the Kozhikodu
? The Ayurvedic system of treatment in Keala is
believed to be a gift of Buddhism.
? The source book of ayurveda is Ashtangahrudayam
written by Buddhist scholar V aghbhata.
? It was the Bhakti saints who checked the spread
of Buddhism and Jainism among the masses.
? The Bhakti movement had two branches ie the
Vaishnavites led by the Alwars and the saivites
led by the Nayanars.
? Kulasekhara Alwar (Kulasekhara V arma) was the
only Alwar from Kerala.  His great works were
Perumal Thirumozhi in Tamil and Mukundamala in
Sanskrit.
? Cherman Perumal Nayanar (Rajasekhara Varman)
was the second Kulasekhara ruler.  His story is
narrated by Sekkilar in his ‘Periyapuranam’.
Sundaramurthi Nayanar, the Saiva was his close
friend.
? Viralminda from Chengannur was also a
contemperory of Sundaramurthi.
? ‘Karuna’, ‘Chandala Bhikshuki’ and ‘Sri Bud-
dha Charitam’ of Kumaranasan are closely asso-
ciated with Buddhism.
? Christianity was introduced in Kerala in the first
century AD (52 AD) by St. Thomas. St. Thomas
founded seven churches in Kerala, ie, Maliankara,
Palayur, Kottakkavu, Kokkamangalam, Quilon,
Niranam and Nilakkal.
? St. Thomas Christians were called Syrian Christians.
? The Jews came to Kerala in 68 AD and first landed
at Kodungallur.
? The White Jews Synagogue at Mattancherri was
built in 1567.
? Islam was introduced to Kerala probably in
644  AD by Malik Ibn Dinar. He founded the
Cheraman Mosque at Kodungallur.
? One and only Muslim ruling dynasty in Kerala was
the Arakkal  Dynasty. It had its centre at Kannur. If
the ruler of this dynasty, is a male he is known as
Ali Raja and a female is known as Arakkal Beevi.
? Aadiraja Aysha Beevi is the new Arakkal Beevi.
Venad
? Venad was the name of ancient Travancore upto
the time of Marthandavarma.
? Vira Kerala V arma (Kulasekhara Perumal) was the
first ruler.
? The five swarupams named Venad,
Thiruvithamkodu, Trippappur, Desinganad and
Chiravi were later popularly called as Travancore.
? Venad had an important public body under the
name “Six Hundred” to supervise the working the
temples and charities.
? Ravivarma Kulasekhara (1299-1313) is called as
‘Samgramadhira’.  By defeating the cholas and
Pandyas, he accepted the title ‘Emperor of south’.
He was the first kerala ruler who issued coins in
his own name.
? Chera Udaya Marthanda Varma has the longest
period of reign in V enad.  ‘Leelathilakam’ was  pro-
duced during his period.  He was the architect of
the ‘Sabha mandapa’ of the Sucheendram temple.
? It was during the period of Ravivarma, Thirumala
Naik of Madurai invaded Nanjinad in 1634.  It was
the famous battle of Kaniyakulam between
Iravikutty Pillai (the commander of Venad and
Ramappayya (Madurai)
? In 1644, the English obtained permission from Ravi
Varma to build a factory at Vizhinjam, which was
the earliest settlement in Travancore.
? By a settlement made in 1050 AD, the administra-
tion of the Sreepadmanabha temple was vested in
the Ettarayogam.
? In course of time, the Yogakkar exercised all reli-
gious authority and the pillamar occupied all po-
litical power.
? Thus the medieval Venad kings had to fight against
Ettuveetil Pillaimar and Yogathil Pottimar.
? By the death of Aditya Varma, Aswathy Thirunal
(Umayamma Rani) came to power as the regent of
Prince Ravi V arma till 1684 AD.
Thirvithamcore
? Trippapur Swaroopam or Thiruvitamcode was the
early name of Travancore.