Malabar Coast | |
|---|---|
Region | |
 Calicut coast 1572, painting byGeorg Braun | |
| Nicknames: | |
 Map showing the Malabar Coast | |
| Coordinates:12°01′00″N75°17′00″E / 12.0167°N 75.2833°E /12.0167; 75.2833 | |
| Country | India |
| State | Kerala,Karnataka,Goa,Puducherry (union territory) andTamil Nadu |
| • Density | 816/km2 (2,110/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Konkani,Malayalam,Tulu,Kannada,English,Tamil |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-KL, IN-TN, IN-PY and IN-KA |
| No. of districts | 14 (9 inKerala, 3 inKarnataka, 1 inPuducherry (union territory) and 1 inTamil Nadu) |
| Climate | Tropical(Köppen) |
TheMalabar Coast (Malayalam:[mɐlɐbaːr]) is the southwestern region of theIndian subcontinent. It generally refers to thewestern coastline of India stretching fromKonkan toKanyakumari. Geographically, it comprises one of the wettest regions of the subcontinent, which includes the southern tip ofGoa,Kanara region ofKarnataka, all ofKerala and Kanyakumari region ofTamil Nadu.[3]
Kuttanad, which is the point of thelowest altitude in India, lies on the Malabar Coast. Kuttanad, also known asThe Rice Bowl of Kerala, is among the few places in the world where cultivation takes place below sea level.[4][5] The peak ofAnamudi, which is also the point of highest altitude in India outside theHimalayas, lies parallel to the Malabar Coast on theWestern Ghats.
The region parallel to the Malabar Coast gently slopes from the eastern highland ofWestern Ghats ranges to the western coastal lowland. The moisture-laden winds of the Southwest monsoon, on reaching the southernmost point of theIndian subcontinent, because of its topography, divide into two branches; the "Arabian Sea Branch" and the "Bay of Bengal Branch".[6] The "Arabian Sea Branch" of the Southwest monsoon first hits the Western Ghats,[7] making Kerala the first state in India to receive rain from the Southwest monsoon.[8][9] The Malabar Coast is a source ofbiodiversity in India.
Malabar is reminiscent of the wordMalanad orMalavaram inMalayalam, which meansthe land of mountains. The earliest recorded use of 'Malabar' is byAl-Biruni (AD 973–1048), though the name had already been in use much earlier.[1] Authors such asIbn Khordadbeh andAl-Baladhuri mention Malabar ports in their works.[10][citation needed] According toWilliam Logan, the wordMalabar comes from a combination of the Dravidian wordMala (mountain) and thePersian/Arabic wordBarr (country/continent).[1][11] The first element of the name is first attested in theTopography written byCosmas Indicopleustes (6th century CE), which indicates thatArab sailors already call KeralaMale at that time. TheTopography mentions a pepper emporium calledMale, which clearly gave its name to Malabar ('the country of Male').[12][13] The second part of the name is thought by scholars to be the Arabic wordbarr ('continent') or its Persian relativebar ('country').
Until the arrival of theBritish, the termMalabar was used in foreign trade circles as a general name forKerala.[1] Earlier, the termMalabar had also been used to denoteTulu Nadu andKanyakumari, which lie contiguous to Kerala in the southwestern coast of India, in addition to the modern state of Kerala.[14][15] The people of Malabar were known asMalabars. The termMalabar is often used to denote the entire southwestern coast of India.
Additionally, European traders and scholars referred toTamils ofSri Lanka asMalabars. In the 18th century,J. P. Fabricius described his Tamil-English Dictionary as the "Dictionary of Malabar and English".[16]
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The termMalabar Coast, in historical contexts, refers to India's southwestern coast, which lies on the narrow coastal plain ofKarnataka andKerala between theWestern Ghats range and theArabian Sea.[17] The coast runs from south ofGoa toKanyakumari on India's southern tip. India's southeastern coast is called theCoromandel Coast.[18]
In ancient times the termMalabar was used to denote the entire south-western coast of the Indian peninsula. The region formed part of the ancient kingdom ofChera until the early 12th century. Following the breakup of the Chera Kingdom, the chieftains of the region proclaimed their independence. Notable among these were theZamorins ofKozhikode,Kolathunadu,Perumbadappu Swaroopam,Venad,Kingdom of Valluvanad ofKingdom of Valluvanad.[citation needed]
The nameMalabar Coast is sometimes used as an all-encompassing term for the entire Indian coast fromKonkan to the tip of the subcontinent at Kanyakumari.[17] It stretches approximately 845 kilometers (525 miles) along the southwestern coast of India. It extends from the southern tip of Goa toKanyakumari, encompassing the coastal regions of Karnataka and Kerala. It is flanked by the Arabian Sea on the west and the Western Ghats on the east. The southern part of this narrow coast is referred to as theSouth Western Ghats moist deciduous forests.[citation needed]
Malabar is also used by ecologists to refer to theTropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests of southwestern India (present-day Kerala).[citation needed]
Geographically, the Malabar Coast can be divided into three climatically distinct regions: the eastern highlands; rugged and cool mountainous terrain, the central mid-lands; rolling hills, and the western lowlands; coastal plains.[19]
TheWestern Ghats mountain range lie parallel to the coast on the eastern highland and separate the plains from theDeccan Plateau. These mountains are recognised as one of the world's eight "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity and are listed amongUNESCOWorld Heritage Sites.[20] The peak ofAnamudi inKerala, at an elevation of 2,695 m (8,842 ft), is the highest peak in India outside theHimalayas.[21] The chain's forests are considered to be older than the Himalaya mountains.[20]
Malabar's western coastal belt is relatively flat compared to the eastern region,[19]: 33 and is criss-crossed by a network of interconnectedbrackish canals, lakes,estuaries,[22] and rivers known as theKerala Backwaters.[23] TheKuttanad region, also known asThe Rice Bowl of Kerala, has thelowest altitude in India.[4][24] The country's longest lakeVembanad, dominates the backwaters; it lies betweenAlappuzha andKochi and is about 200 km2 (77 sq mi) in area.[25] Around eight percent of India's waterways are found in Kerala.[26]
The termMalabar Coast is sometimes used as an all-encompassing term for the entire Indian coast from the western coast ofKonkan to the tip of the subcontinent atCape Comorin. It is over 525 miles or 845 kilometers long. It spans from the south-western coast ofMaharashtra and goes along the coastal region ofGoa, through the entire western coast ofKarnataka andKerala and reaches tillKanyakumari. It is flanked by theArabian Sea on the west and theWestern Ghats on the east. The Southern part of this narrow coast is theSouth Western Ghats moist deciduous forests. Climate-wise, the Malabar Coast, especially on its westward-facing mountain slopes, comprises the wettest region of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden Southwestmonsoon rains.
TheMalabar rainforests include theseecoregions recognized bybiogeographers:
TheMonsooned Malabarcoffee bean comes from this area.
The Malabar Coast featured (and in some instances still does) several historic port cities. Notable among these were/areNaura,Vizhinjam,Muziris,Nelcynda,Beypore andThundi (nearPonnani orKadalundi) during ancient times, andKozhikode (Calicut),Kollam,Ponnani,Kannur (Cannanore), andCochin in the medieval period, and have served as centers of theIndian Ocean trade for millennia.
Because of their orientation to the sea and to maritime commerce, the Malabar coast cities feel verycosmopolitan, and have been home to some of the first groups ofJews (known today asCochin Jews), Syrian Christians (known asSaint Thomas Christians),Muslims (presently known asMappilas), andAnglo-Indians in India.[27][28]
A substantial portion of the Malabar Coast including the western coastal lowlands and the plains of the midland may have been under the sea in ancient times. Marine fossils have been found in an area nearChanganassery, thus supporting the hypothesis.[29] Pre-historical archaeological findings includedolmens of theNeolithic era in theMarayur area of theIdukki district, which lie on the eastern highland made byWestern Ghats. Rock engravings in theEdakkal Caves, inWayanad date back to the Neolithic era around 6000 BCE.[30][31]
The Malabar Coast has been a major spice exporter since 3000 BCE, according toSumerian records and it is still referred to as the "Garden of Spices" or as the "Spice Garden of India".[32][19]: 79 Kerala's spices attracted ancientArabs,Babylonians,Assyrians andEgyptians to the Malabar Coast in the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE.Phoenicians established trade with Malabar during this period.[33]Arabs andPhoenicians were the first to enter the Malabar Coast to tradeSpices.[33] The Arabs on the coasts ofYemen,Oman, and thePersian Gulf, must have made the first long voyage to Malabar and othereastern countries.[33] They must have brought theCinnamon of Malabar to theMiddle East.[33] The Greek historianHerodotus (5th century BCE) records that in his time the cinnamon spice industry was monopolized by the Egyptians and the Phoenicians.[33]
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-day Malabar Coast. The value of Rome's annual trade with the region was estimated at 50,000,000sesterces.[34]Pliny the Elder mentioned thatLimyrike was prone by pirates.[35] TheCosmas Indicopleustes mentioned that theLimyrike was a source ofMalabar peppers.[36][37] In the last centuries BCE the coast became important to the Greeks and Romans for its spices, especially Malabar pepper. The Cheras had trading links withChina,West Asia,Egypt,Greece, and theRoman Empire.[38] In foreign-trade circles the region was known asMale orMalabar.[39]Muziris, Tyndis, Naura (nearKannur), and Nelcynda were among the principal ports at that time.[40] ContemporarySangam literature describes Roman ships coming to Muziris in Kerala, laden with gold to exchange forMalabar pepper. One of the earliest western traders to use the monsoon winds to reach Kerala wasEudoxus of Cyzicus, around 118 or 166 BCE, under the patronage ofPtolemy VIII, king of theHellenisticPtolemaic dynasty in Egypt. Roman establishments in the port cities of the region, such as a temple ofAugustus and barracks for garrisoned Roman soldiers, are marked in theTabula Peutingeriana, the only surviving map of the Romancursus publicus.[41][42]
The termKerala was first epigraphically recorded asKetalaputo (Cheras) in a 3rd-century BCE rock inscription by emperorAshoka ofMagadha.[43] It was mentioned as one of four independent kingdoms in southern India during Ashoka's time, the others being theCholas,Pandyas andSatyaputras.[44] The Cheras transformed Kerala into an international trade centre by establishing trade relations across theArabian Sea with all majorMediterranean andRed Sea ports as well those of theFar East. The dominion of Cheras was located in one of the key routes of the ancientIndian Ocean trade. The early Cheras collapsed after repeated attacks from the neighboringCholas andRashtrakutas.
During the earlyMiddle Ages,Namboodiri Brahmin immigrants arrived in Kerala and shaped the society on the lines of thecaste system. In the 8th century,Adi Shankara was born atKalady in central Kerala. He travelled extensively across theIndian subcontinent founding institutions of the widely influential philosophy ofAdvaita Vedanta. The Cheras regained control over Kerala in the 9th century until the kingdom was dissolved in the 12th century, after which small autonomous chiefdoms, most notablythe Kingdom of Kozhikode, arose. The 13th century Venetian explorer,Marco Polo, would visit and write of his stay in the province.[45] The port atKozhikode acted as the gateway to medievalSouth Indian coast for theChinese, theArabs, thePortuguese, theDutch, and finally theBritish.[1]
In 1498,Vasco Da Gama established a sea route to Kozhikode during theAge of Discovery, which was also the first modern sea route fromEurope toSouth Asia, and raised Portuguese settlements, which marked the beginning of thecolonial era of India. European trading interests of theDutch,French and theBritish East India companies took centre stage during thecolonial wars in India.Travancore became the most dominant state in Kerala by defeating the powerfulZamorin ofKozhikode in the battle ofPurakkad in 1755.[46] Paliath Achan of Cochin and Travancore united to expel theZamorin of Calicut fromKochi territories. Under Martanda Pillai's leadership,Travancore's Nair forces, with General de Lannoy's guidance, successfully capturedThrissur in theBattle of Thrissur in 1763. Despite fierce resistance, the Zamorin's troops retreated, leading to their eventual evacuation from Cochin Territory. In pursuit of peace, the Zamorin agreed to indemnify Travancore for war expenses and vowed perpetual friendship, marking a triumph of strategy and valor led by Pillai.[47][48] After the Dutch weredefeated by Travancore kingMarthanda Varma, the British crown gained control over Kerala through the creation of theMalabar District in northern Kerala and by allying with the newly created princely state of Travancore in the southern part of the state until India was declaredindependent in 1947. The state of Kerala was created in 1956 from the former state ofTravancore–Cochin, theMalabar district and theKasaragod taluk ofSouth Canara District ofMadras state.[49]
After the Anglo-Mysore wars, the parts of the Malabar Coast, those became British colonies, were organized into a district ofBritish India. The British district included the present-day districts ofKannur,Kozhikode,Wayanad,Malappuram, much ofPalakkad (ExcludingChittur taluk), some parts ofThrissur (Chavakkad Taluk), and theFort Kochi region ofErnakulam district, besides the isolated islands ofLakshadweep. The administrative headquarters was at Kozhikode.
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Malabar District, a part of the ancient Malabar (or Malabar Coast) was a part of theBritish East India Company–controlled state. It included the northern half of the state ofKerala and the islands ofLakshadweep.[50] Kozhikode is considered as the capital of Malabar. The area was divided into two categories as North and South.North Malabar comprises presentKasaragod andKannur Districts, Mananthavady Taluk of Wayanad District andVatakara andKoyilandy Taluks of Kozhikode District. The left-over area isSouth Malabar akaKozhikode it's included present Kozhikode andThamarassery taluk,south wayanad it's included present kalpetta and sulthan battery places,Eranad Taluk which comes under presentMalappuram District,Palakkad District andChavakkad taluk ofThrissur district.
During theBritish rule, the Malabar's chief importance laid in producingpepper,tiles, and Coconut.[51] In the old administrative records of theMadras Presidency, it is recorded that the most remarkable plantation owned by Government in the erstwhile Madras Presidency was the Teak plantation atNilambur planted in 1844.[52] The District of Malabar and the ports atBeypore andFort Kochi had some sort of importance in the erstwhile Madras Presidency as it was one of the two districts of the Presidency that lies on the Western Malabar Coast, thus accessing the marine route throughArabian Sea. The first railway line of Kerala fromTirur toBeypore in 1861 was laid for it.
With India's independence, Madras presidency becameMadras State, which was divided along linguistic lines on 1 November 1956, whereuponKasaragod region was merged with the Malabar immediately to the north and the state ofTravancore–Cochin to the south to form the state of Kerala. Before that, Kasaragod was a part ofSouth Canara district ofMadras Presidency.Lakshadweep Islands were separated to form a new union territory.
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Malabar travel guide from Wikivoyage| International | |
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