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Christopher Columbus found out America accidentally when he sailed in the year 1491 to find out a sea-route to Kerala, the
land of spices. In Kerala varieties of spices grow abundantly. The Western world bought the spices from Kerala, that gave
flavor to the foods of the west.
Kerala is one of the 25 States comprising the Indian Union, which is the largest Democratic Republic in the world. This
is the southernmost state which is on the shores of the Arabian Sea. It has an area of 15,005 sq. miles or 38,863 sq. kms.
with 30 million people, and it is divided into 14 districts. The language of Kerala is Malayalam, which had originated from
Sanskrit and Tamil.
There is no unanimous opinion among the scholars as regards the origin of the name "Kerala". The earliest name
known of the tract was Chera associating with the kingdom of the Chera king who was known as "Keralaputra" at the
time of the edicts of Asoka (257 B.C.). Malayalam, another name of the state, which is also the name of the language, is probably
derived from mala (hill) and alam (dale) corresponding to the undulating physical feature of Kerala, the land of hills and
valleys. "Malabar" is a partially Arabicized form of the same word. The northern area of Kerala is still known as
Malabar. The word Malabar corresponds to the vernacular "Malayalam". Keram in vernacular means coconut tree. Coconut
trees grow here in abundance. So some scholars think that the word Kerala is derived from keram, meaning land of coconut trees.
It was only in November of 1956 that the three Malayalam speaking states of Travancore, Cochin and Malabar were integrated
into one political unit and given the name Kerala as one of the states of the Republic of India. The name more often used
by the European writers was "Malabar."
Extensive trade relations existed between Malabar and the Mediterranean countries even before the Christian Era. The numerous
golden coins of the Roman Empire which have been found all over the south, as well as many recent discoveries, offer abundant
proof that Roman trade centers existed along the southern coasts of India. While King Solomon was ruling over the Israelites
(B.C. 970-930), his warships brought back to his country valuable merchandise supposed to be from Muziris (Cranganore), a
defunct international port of Malabar. While discussing the dealings of the Phoenicians with Muziris, the Roman historian
Pliny (77 B.C.) complained that every year they were sending large sum of money to India for silk, pearls, gems and spices.
He also remarked that the Malabar ships were visiting the Persian Gulf, Aden, the Red Sea and Egypt. Pliny (A.D. 23-79), Ptolemy
(A.D. 100-160) and the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea give much detailed information about the trading centers of Malabar.
Diplomatic relations between Malabar and Roman Empire existed even before the Christian era.
If we look in the Guinness Book of World Records, we find that there is only one place on earth, which has attained 100
percent literacy, and it is Kerala! The state has set records in other areas too. It has the lowest birthrate in India. 100%
of its people get free education and medical help. Go to Kerala; no need of medical insurance. The govt. hospitals are all
free. Higher education is also virtually free. A post graduate student pays about $10 as fees for a year. It is the first
place where Communists came to power through the ballot box and the land where the great philosophical tradition of "Advaita"
or Pantheism of the extreme was born.
Christianity in Kerala is as old as Christianity itself, and it is the cradle of Christianity in India. Many Keralites
became Christians even before St. Peter reached Rome in 68 A.D. The traditional belief is that St. Thomas, one of the disciples
of Jesus, came to Kerala in 52 A.D., and converted several persons to Christianity, and founded seven churches there. He was
martyred in 72 A.D. by a fanatic at Little Mount (near Madras, which is the capital city of the nearby state of Tamilnadu)
and his body was brought to Mylapore (near Madras) and was buried there. His tomb is venerated until this day. So Kerala Christians
have a longer history and a higher ancestry than that of Christians of many of the European countries. Even the European missionaries,
when they first came, landed in Kerala. There are around 9 million Christians in Kerala at present.
Islam also came to Kerala after spreading in Arabia. The main reason for all this religious awakening was the trade connection
between Kerala and the outer world. Religious harmony is another focal point of Kerala, where three major religions - Hinduism,
Christianity and Islam - coexist without much quarrel. Sixty percent of the thirty million people are Hindus and Christians
and Muslims the remaining forty percent. Kerala even has a Jewish past and a beautiful Jewish synagogue, situated in Kochi,
the port city which is known as the Jewel of the Arabian Sea.
The peculiar geography, with a range of mountains, separated Kerala from the rest of India, but opened it to the foreigners
through sea. People from far and wide, came in search of the "black gold" (pepper) and other spices. Kerala culture
is very different from the rest of India. It is a land of great beauty with hills, rivers, forests and backwaters making it
a rare spectacle.
Kerala is a small, densely populated state in India. It occupies a long strip of land along the southwest coast of India.
Kerala is relatively poor in natural resources but rich in scenic beauty. It has a long literary and artistic tradition.
Kerala is famous for its poets and musicians, its traditional dance forms, and its distinctive architecture. Craftworkers
in Kerala continue the ancient arts of woodcarving and wall-painting.
People and Government
People: Kerala accounts for only 1 per cent of the total area of India; it contains about 3 per cent of the country's
population. The population density of the state is about 655 people per square kilometer, three times the national average.
About 16 per cent of the people live in the cities. Most of the others live in large, semi-urban villages.
Between 1961 and 1971, the population grew by more than 25 per cent. But in the 1970's, the growth was only 19 per cent,
because of an efficient family planning campaign.
In Kerala, women are better educated than women in many other parts of India, and enjoy a highly respected position in
society. In the past, it was common for a woman to be the head of a family.
Religion: Hindus form the largest religious group in Kerala. They make up about half the population. Christians account
for about a quarter of the population. There is a large Muslim minority. A tiny number of people are Buddhists, Jains, or
Jews.
The people of Kerala are known for their religious tolerance. The Hindu majority has lived peacefully alongside the Muslims
and other religious groups for hundreds of years. In 1936, Travancore opened its Hindu temples to all Hindu worshippers regardless
of their caste (social status). The city of Cochin followed Travancore's example in 1948. Temples remain closed to non-Hindus.
Languages: Most of Kerala's inhabitants speak Malayalam, a Dravidian language. Some people speak Tamil or Kannada (Kanarese),
Dravidian languages also spoken in the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu, and in Sri Lanka. Some of India's least modernized,
tribal peoples live in the hill regions of Kerala. Some of these tribes may be related to the Veddas, the nomadic (wandering)
woodland people of Sri Lanka. Others are probably the descendants of the region's first human inhabitants.
Arts: Kerala has a literary heritage dating from the A.D. 100's. There are a great many works of literature in the Malayalam
language, especially poetry. Kumaran Asan is a celebrated Keralan poet. Most Kerala dramas are a mixture of poetry, music,
and dance, featuring stories from the Indian folk epics. One of Kerala's best known dance forms is Kathakali. It is performed
by male dancers who train for about six years, learning its movements and gestures. For performances, the dancers' faces
are elaborately painted and they wear stylized costumes and tall headdresses.
Fine murals decorate churches, palaces, and temples throughout the state. A notable feature of Kerala's simple but beautiful
architecture is the Malabar gable, a triangular projection on the tops of tiled or thatched roofs.
Onam is a New Year festival and is one of the most important cultural events in Kerala. It takes place in August and
September.
Education is more advanced in Kerala than in many other parts of India. About 90 per cent of the people can read and
write. By law, boys and girls must attend school between the ages of 6 and 14. Education is free, and school attendance
is almost 100 per cent. The state has about 12,000 schools, 200 colleges, and 5 universities.
Government: Kerala has 20 elected members in the Lok Sabha (lower house) and 9 nominated representatives in the Rajya
Sabah (upper house) of the Indian national parliament. Kerala's state government is led by a governor and a chief minister.
The state legislative assembly has 140 elected members and one nominated member.
Economy : More than 50 per cent of Kerala's salaried and wage-earning population work for the state government. Many
work for Kerala's 21 state-owned manufacturing companies. Others work in education, local administration, and the health
service.
Agriculture: Rice and tapioca are the most important field crops, and together account for about half of the sown area.
Other important field crops are ginger, peanuts, millet, pulses (the seeds of various pod vegetables, such as beans, chickpeas,
and pigeon peas), sesame, and sugar cane. Kerala has long been famous for growing pepper, and supplies 98 per cent of India's
pepper production. It also produces about 95 per cent of the nation's rubber. Commercial poultry farming is also highly
developed, and eggs are an important export. In the central region of Kerala, between the coast and the inland plateau, commercially
important trees include the cashew, jackfruit, mango, and palm.
Kerala's rubber plantations are on the lower slopes of the state's highlands. The same area also has important plantations
of coffee, pepper, tea, and cardamom, a plant related to ginger and used as a spice and in medicines.
Forests cover a quarter of the land area of Kerala. From them, the state produces bamboo, ebony, rosewood, and teak.
The forests are also a source of charcoal, resin, and wood pulp.
Coconut groves cover most of the coastal lowlands of Kerala. Coconuts are an important part of the local way of life.
The people of Kerala make ropes and matting from coir (prepared coconut fibre). They use coconut oil to make soap and cosmetics,
use the meat (kernel) for food, and feed the copra (dried kernel) to livestock. In the past, people used the hollowed-out
trunks of coconut palms to make canoes. People still use the leaves of coconut palms for thatching houses, making baskets,
brooms, fans, and umbrellas, and as a fuel. Coconut milk is either consumed fresh or distilled to make an alcoholic beverage
or vinegar. It is also evaporated to make sugar.
Fishing is important along Kerala's extensive coastline. About a quarter of India's total fish catch comes from Kerala.
The state exports a number of marine products, especially frozen shrimp. Local farmers use fish waste as a fertilizer.
Mining: Kerala has a variety of mineral deposits. The sandy beaches contain ilmenite, the main ore of titanium, and
rutile (titanium oxide). There are extensive deposits of white clay and commercially valuable deposits of graphite, lignite
(brown coal), limestone, and mica. Iron ore has been found at Calicut, Monazite, sillimanite, and zircon deposits are largely
undeveloped.
Manufacturing: There is little manufacturing industry in Kerala, but the state has set up about 12,000 factories employing
about 300,000 people. Products of these factories include aluminium, cement, ceramics, chemicals, electrical equipment, fertilizers,
glass, handwoven textiles, matches, paper, pencils, plywood, synthetic fibres, telephone cables, transformers, and veneers.
The processing of sugar, tea, and sharkliver oil are also important.
Traditional crafts include processing cashews and coconuts, and weaving. Coconuts have long been used to produce fibres,
soaps, and cosmetics. Traditional manufacturing crafts still surviving in Kerala include making furniture, mats, and pottery,
rattan work, and brass and leather goods.
Tourism: Kerala's lively cultural activities and great scenic beauty attract many visitors. Most tourists come from
other Indian states. Visitors are drawn by Kerala's comfortable climate. They also come to see the animal life of Kerala.
The crowded coastlands support such birds as gulls and cranes. The forests of the interior are inhabited by bison, cobras,
elephants, panthers, and tigers.
Transportation and communication: Kerala has more than 100,000 kilometres of roads. A national highway and a coastal
road connect Kerala with neighbouring states. The density of motor vehicles on Kerala's roads is four times as great as the
Indian national average. A substantial rail network runs between the northern border and Trivandrum, linking main towns such
as Ernakulam and Alleppey. A railway through the Palghat Gap links Kerala to Chennai (formerly Madras) on India's eastern
coast.
Kerala has three major ports--Alleppey, Calicut, and Cochin. There are also ten smaller ports. The ports are served
by more than 1,770 kilometres of inland waterways. Both passengers and freight travel on these waterways. Passenger ferries
are still a major part of Kerala's transportation system, but carrying freight on the waterways has declined in importance.
The port at Cochin is a natural harbour and one of India's major ports. It is run by India's central government and,
since 1983, it has served as the main exit port for the Inland Container Depot at Coimbatore, in Tamil Nadu. There is an
international airport at Trivandrum. Another airport at Cochin handles domestic flights.
Kerala has a flourishing local press. Six daily newspapers are published in the state. There is also an English language
magazine.
Land
Location and description: Kerala occupies a 570-kilometre-long strip of coast on the western side of the Indian peninsula.
It lies along the Malabar coast, with the Arabian Sea to the west. It is bounded by the states of Karnataka in the north
and Tamil Nadu in the east and south. Kerala varies in width from west to east. It is about 120 kilometres at its maximum
and just 30 kilometres at its minimum.
Land features: Kerala is cut off from the rest of India by the mountains of the Western Ghats. Its highest point is
the summit of Anai Mudi, 2,695 metres above sea level. In the interior, these magnificent mountains contrast with green valleys.
In the west, Kerala consists of coastal plains and a shoreline of sandy beaches and lagoons.
There is almost no natural forest left, although the game reserve at Periyar has restored a limited area to something
like its original natural vegetation.
Kerala is so densely populated that there is little room for the region's original wildlife. Elephants, both wild and
domesticated, are common. Bison are found in the game reserves, but other wild species such as tigers and leopards have been
greatly reduced.
Climate: Kerala enjoys a pleasant climate, with hardly any temperature changes throughout the seasons. The average temperature
ranges from 21 °C in the upland areas of the interior to 32 °C in the coastal regions. The annual rainfall produced by the
monsoons is nearly 300 centimetres. This rainfall helps to account for Kerala's lush agricultural fertility. Most of the
rain falls in the northern region of the state. In the drier southern region, farmers have to use irrigation to supplement
the annual rainfall.
Rivers and lakes: The chief rivers of Kerala are the Periyar, the Pamba, and the Bharat. Their rapid flow has allowed
them to be used for hydroelectric schemes. But the generation of electrical power has not always been reliable.
Where the rivers flow into the sea, they produce sandbanks that protect the coast from the ravages of the Arabian Sea.
The sandbanks provide safe anchorages for small vessels using Kerala's minor sea ports. Artificial cuts (canals) link the
coastal lagoons. The Vembanad Lake, an important body of water in the state, is an enlarged lagoon.
History
A rock inscription dating from the reign of Emperor Asoka, who ruled India in the 200's B.C., refers to the Chera people.
It is probably the first historical mention of Kerala as a distinct region of India. The region was ruled by the Chera dynasty
until the A.D. 400's. Traders from as far away as Rome brought gold coins and took away pepper. During this period, Hinduism,
Buddhism, and Jainism were introduced to South India by monks and migrants.
St. Thomas, the Christian apostle, is traditionally said to have founded the "Syrian" Church at Muziris (Cranganore)
before A.D. 100. Jewish migrants established a settlement in Cochin in the 900's.
After the decline of the Chera dynasty, 200 years of confusion followed. During this time, Islam was introduced into
Kerala by Arab merchants, whose descendants are locally known as Moplahs. In 825, the Kulasekhara dynasty began a new calendar,
founded the city of Quilon, and set Kerala on a new path to greatness. Over the next 200 years, Malayalam developed as a
separate language, which was close to, but distinct from, Tamil. Arts and learning flourished.
A hundred years of conflict with the Chola dynasty of what is now Tamil Nadu destroyed Kerala's prosperity and split it
into small, warring states. Ravi Varma Kulasekhara, a local ruler, established a short-lived empire, uniting Kerala. His
sudden death in 1314 caused Kerala to fall apart once more into small, mutually hostile areas.
In 1498, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama landed at Calicut, and on Dec. 25, 1500, the Portuguese navigator Pedro
Alvares Cabral arrived and began the Portuguese dominance of trade on the Malabar coast. The Dutch pushed out the Portuguese
in the 1600's but were themselves decisively crushed in 1741 by King Martanda Varma of Travancore. Martanda Varma unified
Travancore under his control. Between 1766 and 1790, the region was devastated by invasions from Mysore led by Hyder Ali
and Tipu Sultan.
After the death of Tipu Sultan in 1792, the East India Company of Britain annexed Malabar. A series of treaties brought
the states of Travancore and Cochin also under their control. British control of Kerala was punctuated by rebellions. Pazhassi
Raja of Malabar led a five-year revolt against British rule which ended with his death in 1805. Another uprising, under Velu
Thampi of Travancore, also ended with the death of its leader in 1809. The Moplahs rose in rebellion from 1849 to 1855, and
again in 1921.
The positive aspects of British rule included the establishment of an education system and the extension of plantation
agriculture, especially tea. They improved Cochin as a major port and set up a network of communications, including better
links with the rest of India. These links became the basis of development after India gained its independence in 1947.
The move toward democracy in Kerala was first expressed through social reforms. The most influential reformer was Narayana
Guru, whose slogan was "One caste, one religion, one God for mankind." The Communists played an important part
in the anti-colonial movement in Kerala. Prominent among them were K. P. Kesava Menon, A. K. Pillai, E. M. S. Namboodiripad,
K. Kesavan, T. M. Varghese, P. Krishna Pillai, and A. K. Gopalan. In 1947, the Communists organized armed insurrections against
the state of Travancore in the villages of Vayalar and Punnapra.
In 1949, the two separate states of Travancore and Cochin were united. In 1956, the boundaries of the newly united states
were revised to include neighboring Malayalam-speaking areas, and the whole territory was officially named Kerala.
The state's history since independence has been dominated by efforts to raise living standards through economic development
and a successful family planning policy. Important economic changes have included the development of local hydroelectric
schemes, the modernization of the fishing-fleet with Norwegian assistance, and the development of manufacturing industry through
state sponsorship.
Kerala's political history since 1956 has been rather troubled, with rival parties holding power for short periods and
with interludes of rule from Delhi, India's capital. The Communist Party, which broke the control of the Congress Party over
the state in 1957, has shown itself to be restrained but effective in government. But Kerala's large number of political
parties has ensured that the state is more often than not governed by a coalition (group of parties).
FACTS IN BRIEF ABOUT KERALA
Capital city: Trivandrum.
Largest cities: Cochin, Trivandrum, Calicut, Alleppey.
Area: 38,863 sq. km.
Population: 1991 census--29,011,237.
Chief products: Agriculture--cashew nuts, coconuts, coffee, fruit, eggs, millet, pepper, rubber, tapioca, tea.
Fishing--many types of fish, especially shrimp.
Forestry--bamboo, rosewood, teak.
Manufacturing and processing--cement, chemicals, fertilizer. Mining--lignite (brown coal), graphite, ilmenite, iron ore,
mica, limestone, rutile.
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