Fort Kochi | |
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  Fort Kochi  Fort Kochi   Fort Kochi | |
| Coordinates:9°57′57″N76°14′32″E / 9.9658°N 76.2421°E /9.9658; 76.2421 | |
| Country | India |
| State | Kerala |
| District | Ernakulam |
| Elevation | 29 m (95 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 234,990 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Malayalam,English,Portuguese (historical) |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 682001 |
| Telephone code | 0484 |
| Vehicle registration | KL-43 |
Fort Kochi (/ˈkoʊtʃi/KOH-chee,Malayalam:[cò:çikō:tā];Cochin Portuguese:Cochim de Baixo,European Portuguese:[kuˈʃĩðɨˈβaʃu]), formerly also known asFort Cochin,[1] is a region ofKochi city inKerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from theFort Manuel of Kochi,[2] the first European fort on Indian soil, controlled by thePortuguese East Indies.[3] This is part of a handful of water-bound islands and islets toward the south-west of the mainland Kochi, and collectively known asOld Kochi orWest Kochi. Adjacent to this is thelocality ofMattancherry. In 1967, these threemunicipalities along with a few adjoining areas, were amalgamated to form theKochi Municipal Corporation.
Fort Kochi is rich in heritage and culture, and is a prominent tourist destination for both domestic and international travellers- being ranked as ninth among the top 25 in National Geographic’s Top Tourist Destinations To Explore In 2020.[4]
In theBC period, the region that is today known asKerala was covered by mangrove woods. Turf and sand banks were created with the rise in sea-level which formed the shape of the coastal area as we see it today. The origin of the name Kochi is thought to be the Malayalam word kochu azhi, meaning 'small lagoon'.Mattancherry is the nerve town of old historic Kochi. In oldMalayalam it isMaadan-cheri, fromcheri meaning town.Maad orcow was the stamp of Old Royal Fort of Rajah of Kochi, who built his palace after the fall ofKodungallur port due to a gigantictsunami in 1341AD.[citation needed] The Perumpadappu Swaroopam or the Fort of Rajah had its palace on the banks of the Calvathy River. Owing to frequent wars between King Zamorin of Kozhikode and the western colonial forces, the Rajah left the place forTripunithura. The king had hisvaishnav leanings and the cow ormaadu was his symbol.
Fort Kochi can be reached from Ernakulam through roadways and water ways. Private buses and government transport buses travel from different parts of the city to Fort Kochi. Owing to the high volume of tourists visiting the place dedicated low floor Volvo buses were introduced to this route by the government. Such buses are in use on the popular routes such as Cochin International Airport (CIAL), Vytila Mobility Hub and Kakanad Info Park.[citation needed]
The port atKozhikode held superior economic and political position in medieval Kerala coast, whileKannur,Kollam, andKochi were commercially important secondary ports, where the traders from various parts of the world would gather.[5] Fort Kochi was a fishing village in theKingdom of Kochi in the pre-colonial Kerala. The Portuguese arrived atKappadKozhikode in 1498 during theAge of Discovery, thus opening a direct sea route fromEurope toIndia.[6] The territory that would be later known as Fort Kochi was granted to thePortuguese in 1503 by theRajah of Kochi, after the forces ofAfonso de Albuquerque helped him fighting the forces ofSaamoothiri ofKozhikode. The Rajah also gave them permission to buildFort Emmanuel near the waterfront to protect their commercial interests. The first part of the name Fort Kochi comes from this fort, which the Dutch later destroyed. The Portuguese built their settlement behind the fort, including a wooden church, which was rebuilt in 1516 as a permanent structure, today known as theSt Francis Church. Fort Kochi remained in Portuguese possession for 160 years. In 1683 the Dutch captured the territory from the Portuguese, destroyed many Portuguese institutions, particularlyCatholic including convents. The Dutch held Fort Kochi in their possession for 112 years until 1795, when the British took control by defeating the Dutch. Foreign control of Fort Kochi ended in 1947 with theIndian independence.
A mix of old houses built by the Portuguese, Dutch and British in these colonial periods line the streets of Fort Kochi. St Francis Church was built in 1503 by the Portuguese as a Catholic church.Vasco da Gama was once buried in this church which now falls under theChurch of South India and is one of the national monuments. Catholic Diocese of Cochin was erected under Portuguese Padroado in 1558 with its headquarters in Fort Kochi.[7]Santa Cruz Basilica, also built by the Portuguese in the 16th century, was later destroyed by the British and rebuilt near the end of 19th century.[8] From this period there are other residential buildings and hotels such as theOld Harbour House, some of which have been renovated in more recent times. The landmark that causes more public and visitor interest is a series of precolonialChinese fishing nets on the waterfront, believed to have been introduced by Chinese traders in the early 14th century.
Since the beginning of the Common Era, Arabian and Chinese traders sourced spices, especially pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, sandal wood, etc. from the Kochi region. Cultivation and trade of these valuable goods shaped the history of the region. Even today, Kochi is an important centre of spice export. TheArabian traders were the first to know about these spices, and they carried the highly wanted merchandise to Europe. Centuries later, they were followed by the Portuguese, then the Dutch, and afterwards the British.
Written documents about theMalabar Coast show that this region had Hindus, Christians, and a Jewish minority.[9]
The natural harbour of Kochi was created by a flood that also destroyed the harbour of the townKodungallur. Thereafter, the town developed into one of the most important harbours on the West Coast of India. It concentrated on the spice trade with China and the Middle East.
During this period, Kozhikode was ruled by king Zamorin and Kochi was ruled by the Maharaja of Kochi. This was the time when the firstPortuguese ships berthed at the Malabar Coast:Vasco da Gama in Kozhikode andPedro Álvares Cabral in Kochi. The Maharaja of Kochi felt threatened by the Zamorin of Kozhikode, and he hoped that the Portuguese would help him in his defense from the neighbouring king of Kozhikode. The Maharaja welcomed the Portuguese, and they founded their first trading center in Kochi. However, the Maharaja of Kochi was largely deprived of his power, and Kochi became the first European colony in India.[citation needed] The Portuguese put pressure upon the small Jewish community, and even the Syrian Christians as they were practisingNestorianism. The Portuguese tried to merge theSyrian Christian Church with theLatin Church. This created conflict as most of the Syrian Christians were associated with various churches of the East and rejected the authority of thePope and theLatin Church. This led to the famousCoonan Kurish Oath that took place at Coonan Kurish Church, MattancherryFrancis Xavier also baptised several thousand, which increased the Catholic population in Kochi.[10]
At the invitation of a deposed prince of Cochin Royal Family and the hereditary Prime Minister of Cochin, namely the Paliath Achan, the Dutch came to Kochi and conquered Kochi in 1663. The town became the capital ofDutch Malabar and belonged to the worldwide trading network of theDutch East India Company. The Dutch also destroyed many Catholic institutions in Kochi.[11]
Around 1760, there came uneasy times for Kochi because of trouble between the regional powers. Kochi was devastated byHyder Ali, then later by his son Tipu Sultan. Tipu Sultan subordinated the town temporarily to the kingdom of Mysore.
Kochi came under the influence of the British circa 1790.
In 1814, Kochi became a part of theMadras Presidency, becoming a part of the British colonial empire. The British shaped the country until the 20th century, and Kochi has always been an important harbour and trade center.
The municipality of Fort Kochi was formed on 1 November 1866 according to the Madras Act 10 of 1865 (Amendment of the Improvements in Towns act 1850)[12][13][14][15] of theBritish Indian Empire, along with the municipalities ofKozhikode,Kannur,Thalassery, andPalakkad, making them the first modern municipalities in the modern state of Kerala, as a part of theMalabar District.
In January 1889, theGreat fire of Cochin destroyed about 300 houses and commercial properties.
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Areas of Kochi | |
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