Cultural Encounters in Pre-Modern Kerala: A Historical Overview
Cultural trends in pre-modern Kerala were shaped by interactions with various civilizations including Greco-Romans, Chinese, Arabs, Europeans, Jews, Russians, Portuguese, Dutch, and British. Accounts from ancient travelers like Megasthanese, Chou-Ju-Kua, Sulaiman, Ibn Khurdabbeh, and European travelers provide valuable insights into Kerala's history as a hub of trade and cultural exchange.
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III SEM BA HISTORY CULTURAL TRENDS IN PRE-MODERN KERALA Module 1
Four main accounts: Greco-Romans Chinese Arabs European Jews Russians Portuguese Dutch British
Megasthanese- 4thc. BC-Greek Ambassidor- Indica- Chera Empire Strabo- 21 AD- Geography Pliny- 77AD- Natural History Ptolemy- 1stA.D- Geography Anonymous author-90 AD- Periplus of the Erythrian Sea Cosmos Indico Pleustes- 6thCentury- Topographia Indica Christiana The Peutinger Tables -225 250 A.D- Maps copied from the frescos of Rome
Chou-Ju-Kua-1225 AD Tao-i- Chili by Wang-ta-Yuan -eye witness account Ezhimala and Calicut Ying-Yai-Sheng -Lan by Ma-Huan (The Overall Survey of Ocean Shores-1433)- mentions- Port and Town of Calicut First traveler to mention about Kochi
Sulaiman -9thc- description of the Kollam as the most important port in India touched by the Chinese ships. Ibn Khurdabbeh- Muslim writer mention Malabar coast as a centre of export of rice. IDIRISI - information about the coastal towns of Malabar Masudi-974 AD Rashiyuddin-1281 AD Ibn Batutha-14thC- valuable accounts of Calicut, its King, people and port. Abdur Razak- 1443AD
The European Travelers began to visit the country from the 13thc Benjamin of Tudela, a Jewish traveler from Spain gives information of Kollam. Italian Marco Polo (Venice) traveled through Kerala to China (1294 A.D)- described about Mt. Eli John of Monte Corvine -first Roman Catholic missionary to China records the Commercial predominance of the Muslims of Kollam.
Friar Jordanus (1324) - Mirabilia Descriptia- mentions the extensive trade in spices and the prosperous Christian community- first foreign account of Marumakkathayam. Nicolo Conti, an Italian traveller (1440 A.D) about flourishing trade in ginger, pepper and Cinnammon at the port of Kollam. Athanasius Nikitin (1468 -74) the Russian traveller describes Calicut
Ludovic-Varthema- Itallian traveller-1504-1508 Duarte-Barbosa- 1516- Book of Barbosa Pyrard de Level & Petro Della Vele- 17thc Diego Gonzalves- Historia de Malabar 1615 Commentaries of Albuquerque Decrees of the Synod of Diamper Jornada by Roze
Van Rheede Nieuhoff, letters from Malabar by Visscher accounts of Tavernier Foster Hortus Malabaricus - on the Flora of the Malabar Coast.
Report of Joint Commissioners- 1793 Report of Buchanan-1800-1801- A Journey from Madras through the countries of Mysore, Canara and Malabar Ward an d Corner- Memoir of the Survey of the Travancore and Cochin States William Logan Malabar Manual, Treaties and Engagements etc Samuel Mateer- Land of Charity & Native life in Travancore Edgar Thurston- Caste and Tribes in Southern India
The description about Kerala and its people by foreigners are a valuable source of information to reconstruct the history of the region. They are corroborated and supplemented with the indigenous sources.
Works cited Additional supporting data
