| After getting the booms from Varuna,
the God of the Oceans and Bhumidevi, the Goddess of
earth, he proceeded to Kanya Kumari (Cape Comorin) and
threw his battle-axe northwards across the waters. The
waters subsided and what was left over was called the
land of Parasurama, that is today's Kerala.
Scientific Theology
Geologists have pointed out that the elevation of
Kerala from the sea was the result of some seismic
activity, either suddenly or gradually.
Another Thoughts prevailing in scientific
society is the rivers of Kerala emptying into the Arabian
seas bring down enormous quantities of silt from the
hills. The ocean currents transport quantities of sand
towards the shore. The coastal portions could well be
due to the accumulation of this silt over thousands
of years. The earliest inhabitants of Kerala were the
Pulayas, Kuravas and 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 Cheran Dynasty was spread up to Western Ghats. The
armies of Mauryan Dynasty could not enter the lands
of the Cheras. With time the rule of Cheran Dynasty
declined, it coincided with the rise of the Brahmins
in Kerala. By the 10th century, they were powerful entity
from Gokurnum (North Kerala) to the Cape Comorin. These
land owning class of Brahmins were well on their way
to great wealth and power. To consolidate their power,
they developed Caste System (segregation between classes
of people). 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 Namboothiries
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 generally traders
and were not involved 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 and became
an influential part of the melting pot of Kerala's population.
Gradually Kerala entered a phase of
feudal chieftains or warlords (naduvazhis). The Namboothiries
anointed some. At the turn of the 11th century AD there
was a power struggle in the caste system supported by
the Landlords and ruled by the warlords. This 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, Moopins
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.
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