KPSC - 02 - The Early Civilization of Kerala

The Early Civilization of Kerala

            The earliest natives of Kerala were the Pulayas, Kuravas and the Vetas. It is at a much later time that migratory Aryan populations from the north landed and subjugated them through caste system. By the beginning of the Christian era, the Chera Dynasty spread up to Western Ghats. As the armies of Maurya Dynasty could not enter the lands of the Cheras, and with time, the rule of the Cheras declined; coincided with the rise of the Brahmins in Kerala. By the 10th century, they were powerful entity from Gokarna (North Kerala) to the Cape Comorin and these land owning class of Brahmins were well on their way to great wealth and power consolidating their power, developed caste system. Lands were leased out to next higher castes for share-cropping, and these in turn would further be leased out to those lower on the caste hierarchy and to non-Hindus. The lowest castes of course were only laborers and were traded along with the land. In such a rigid hierarchy, the all-powerful Namboothiris were the unquestioned rulers.

            The Christians who had arrived from the Middle East in the 3rd century AD and the Muslims who arrived in the 8th century were in this social segregation and generally kept aloof from the ambit of caste politics. The Jews, who arrived Kerala in the early years of the Christian era were given privileges to trade generally traders and were not involved in the social segregation and generally kept aloof from the ambit of the caste politics. They became an influential part of the melting pot of the localpopulation. Gradually when Kerala entered a phase of feudal chieftains or warlords (Naduvazhis), and at the turn of the 11^th century AD, there was a power struggle in the caste system supported by the Landlords and ruled by the warlords which in turn gave rise to instability in the absence of strong central leadership. Wars and conflicts were common. Ultimately three warlords emerged with some semblance of authority in their regions the Zamorin of Calicut (Samuthiri of Kozhikode) to the North, Moopans of Perimpadappu (near modern day Kochi) in the central regions and chieftain of Kollam. This is, precisely what the Europeans, who found a sea-lane to the fabled land of spices and gold did. There was nothing anyone could do to stop the next five centuries of colonial rule.