Eranad Ernad | |
|---|---|
Erstwhile Province | |
      Clockwise from top: Manjeri city,Chaliyar River atAreekode, Conolly's plot atNilambur,Maha Kavi Moyinkutty Vaidyar Smarakam atKondotty,Kadalundi River estuary atVallikkunnu,Karuvarakundu | |
  Eranad Location in Kerala, India Show map of Kerala Eranad Eranad (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:11°07′09″N76°07′11″E / 11.119198°N 76.119631°E /11.119198; 76.119631 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Kerala |
| District | Malappuram |
| Taluk Headquarters | Manjeri |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Malayalam,English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Vehicle registration | KL-10, KL-71 & KL-84 |
Eranad (Malayalam:[eːrɐnaːɖə̆]) also known asErnad refers to the erstwhile province in the midland area of Malabar, consisting ofMalappuram and nearby regions such as Anakkayam, Manjeri, Kondotty,Nilambur, etc. CurrentlyEranad Taluk is aTaluk inMalappuram district. Eranad was ruled by aSamanthan Nair clan known asEradis, similar to theVellodis of neighbouringValluvanad andNedungadis ofNedunganad. The rulers of Eranad were known by the titleEralppad/Eradi. They also used the titleThirumulpad.[citation needed]
Ernad had two capitals during various times,Nediyiruppu, inKondotty under Chera rule,[1] and Kottappadi, inMalappuram under Zamorin rule. Present-day Ernad taluk headquarters is atManjeri. The Ernad Taluk under BritishMalabar District was the land between two rivers,Chaliyar andKadalundi River.[2] On west it was bound by theNilgiri Mountains. It was the largest Taluk inMalabar District.[3] It had included the whole of present-dayEranad Taluk,Nilambur Taluk,Kondotty Taluk,Tirurangadi Taluk, and two villages inTirur Taluk (Kottakkal andPonmala), and three villages in present-dayKozhikode Taluk, (Feroke,Ramanattukara, andKadalundi).[4]
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TheZamorin was actually known asEradi (Ruler of Eranadu) before he shifted his headquarters fromNediyiruppu toKozhikode.
The ancient port ofTyndis which was located on the northern side ofMuziris, as mentioned in thePeriplus of the Erythraean Sea, was somewhere around Eranadu.[5] Its exact location is a matter of dispute.[5] The suggested locations arePonnani,Tanur,Beypore-Chaliyam-Kadalundi-Vallikkunnu, andKoyilandy.[5] Note that all the above regions excludingKoyilandy are located in or around Eranadu. Tyndis was a major center of trade, next only toMuziris, between the Cheras and theRoman Empire.[6]Pliny the Elder (1st century CE) states that the port ofTyndis was located at the northwestern border ofKeprobotos (Chera dynasty).[7] TheNorth Malabar region, which lies north of the port atTyndis, was ruled by the kingdom ofEzhimala duringSangam period.[8] According to thePeriplus of the Erythraean Sea, a region known asLimyrike began atNaura andTyndis. However thePtolemy mentions onlyTyndis as theLimyrike's starting point. The region probably ended atKanyakumari; it thus roughly corresponds to the present-dayMalabar Coast. The value of Rome's annual trade with the region was estimated at around 50,000,000sesterces.[9][10]Pliny the Elder mentioned thatLimyrike was prone by pirates.[11] TheCosmas Indicopleustes mentioned that theLimyrike was a source of peppers.[12][13]
Chaliyam in the northwestern end of Eranadu is also home to one of the oldest mosques inIndia. According to theLegend of Cheraman Perumals, the first Indian mosque was built in 624 AD atKodungallur with the mandate of the last the ruler (the Cheraman Perumal) ofChera dynasty, who converted to Islam during the lifetime ofMuhammad (c. 570–632).[14][15][16][17] According toQissat Shakarwati Farmad, theMasjids atKodungallur,Kollam, Madayi,Barkur,Mangalore,Kasaragod,Kannur,Dharmadam,Panthalayini, and Chaliyam, were built during the era ofMalik Dinar, and they are among the oldestMasjids in theIndian subcontinent.[18] It is believed thatMalik Dinar died atThalangara inKasaragod town.[19]
Eranad (from "Erala-nadu", the Land of the Cattle, according toWilliam Logan), was originally a province in theChera Kingdom (9th-12th century CE) ruled by a clan known as the Eradis.[2] Their provincial capital was atNediyiruppu, near present-dayKondotty.[1] The ruler of the Eralanadu was known as the Eralanadu Utaiyavar, Elar-thiri or Nediyiruppu Mooppan or Mooppil Nayar.[1] Manavepala Manaviyan, a governor of the Eralanadu, signs himself in the famousJewish Copper Plate (1000 CE).[1] The Viraraghava Copper Plate (1225 CE) is also signed by the Eralanadu ruler.[1]
After the fall of the Cheras, the region became an independent political entity.[1] Later, the Eradis expanded their kingdom to the west and moved their capital toCalicut while setting up a regional capital at Kottappadi,Malappuram with Paranambi as the chieftain.[1] The Eradis came to be known as the "Kings of the Oceans" (Samoothiri/Zamorin) in later times.[1]
The Ernad taluk existed during British Colonial rule in India was underMalappuram Revenue Division, along with the neighbouringValluvanad Taluk, a part ofMalabar District within theMadras Presidency.[3] The oldest teak plantation of the world atNilambur, and the first tile-manufacturing industry of India atFeroke, were in Eranad.
In the first decade after Independence, large-scale changes in the territorial jurisdiction of this region took place with the formation of new taluks.[3] On 1 January 1957Tirur Taluk was formed, by absorbing portions of Eranad andPonnani taluks.[20] Three more taluks, namelyTirurangadi taluk andNilambur taluk, andKondotty Taluk,[21] were formed later by bifurcating Tirur Taluk and Eranad taluk.[22]
William Logan, the author of Malabar Manual and a former District Collector of Malabar, described Eranad as the most typical Taluk of erstwhileMalabar District, having many smaller hills, valleys, Conolly Canal, long rivers and their tributaries (Chaliyar andKadalundi River), various plantations, paddy fields etc.[2] The highest peaks in the erstwhileMalabar District was located inNilambur region of Eranad (Eastern Eranad) on the vicinity ofNilgiri Mountains.[2] The 2,554 m highMukurthi peak, which is situated in the border of modern-dayNilambur Taluk andOoty Taluk, and is also the fifth-highest peak inSouth India as well as the third-highest in Kerala afterAnamudi (2,696 m) andMeesapulimala (2,651 m), was the highest point of elevation in Malabar district. It is also the highest peak in Kerala outside theIdukki district. The 2,383 highAnginda peak, which is located closer to Malappuram-Palakkad-Nilgiris district border is the second-highest peak.[2]Vavul Mala, a 2,339 m high peak situated on the trijunction of Nilambur Taluk of Malappuram,Wayanad, andThamarassery Taluk ofKozhikode districts, was the third-highest point of elevation in the district.[2] Apart from the main continuous range of Western Ghats, there were many small undulating hills in the lowland of the district.[2]
In the British records, Eastern Eranad region was collectively described asNilambur Valley.[23] The bank of riverChaliyar at Nilambur region is also known for naturalGold fields.[24] Explorations done at the valley of the riverChaliyar in Nilambur has shown reserves of the order of 2.5 million cubic meters of placers with 0.1 gram per cubic meter of gold.[25] Eranad is blessed with several tributaries ofChaliyar river andKadalundi river.
The region was the centre of theMalabar Rebellion of 1921. This armed uprising against British and feudal lords was put down by the Colonial government.[citation needed]
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TheAmsoms included in Ernad Taluk was classified into four divisions-Parappur (Southern Parappanad),Ramanad,Cheranad, andEranad. There were 52Amsoms in the Taluk.[2] (A part of Cheranad division was under Ponnani Taluk). The British Eranad Taluk was created in 1860-61by merging the erstwhile British Taluks of Southern Parappanad, Ramanad, Cheranad, and Eranad, which were vested between RiverChaliyar andKadalundi River.[2]
1.Parappur (Southern Parappanad)
SouthernParappanad was a vassal of theZamorin of Calicut.Parappanangadi, the headquarters of Parappanad royal family, was at Southern Parappanad.[2] It consisted of the following 7Amsoms:
2.Ramanad
Ramanad was directly ruled by theZamorin of Calicut.[2] It consisted of the following 7Amsoms:
3.Cheranad
Cheranad was also directly ruled by theZamorin of Calicut.[2]Cheranad was scattered in Eranad and Ponnani Taluks. The headquarters of Cheranad wasTirurangadi. It consisted of the following 17Amsoms:
Eranad Taluk
4.Eranad
Eranad was the original headquarters of theZamorin of Calicut. It was later changed toKozhikode with the conquest ofPolanad. It also was under the direct rule of the Zamorin.[2] It consisted of the following 26Amsoms:
The Ernad area connects with other parts of India through highway NH966. Multiple state highways connect the region with other parts of the district as well as the rest of the state. The nearest airport is atKaripur. The nearest major railway station is atTirur, which is also the oldest railway station in the state ofKerala.