The Panniyur Sukapuram conflict– The Kurmatsaram
A backdrop to the Zamorin’s Tirunavaya conquest The Zamorin annexed Tirunavaya, followed by the Valluvanad and Vettam territories, and with this the chasm between the two feuding dynasties of...
View ArticleHiranyagarbha – Elevation of the Royal caste
When royals were reborn from the golden womb The sacrifices like Hiranyagarbha which had lost relevance in Northern India, remained in vogue for a longer time in the South, if only to Brahmaṇize the...
View ArticleIbn Battuta, the Tangerine
Ibn Battuta’s Rihala – A product of oral history I have realized along the way, after some 35 years of global travel that – you can never understand an Arab sitting and studying books and power points...
View ArticleThe Devil of Calicut - A Misconception
Varthema in Calicut In Christian evangelical discussions concerning the advent of the devil, there is frequent mention of the so-called ‘Calicut Devil’, and when I recently came across it, I decided to...
View ArticleThe Konkani’s of Cochin
A look at the community’s history (with particular reference to the GSB) All of us have had some interaction with a GSB (Goud Saraswat Brahmin) Konkani, be it in college or at the workplace, and for...
View ArticleThe Zamorin’s seat at Ponnani
At the Thrikkavil KovilakomWhile most people associate the Zamorin mainly with Calicut, avid historians opine that Ponnani was a temporary military capital of the Zamorin during the medieval years, as...
View ArticleMackenzie Manuscripts – Malabar and Travancore collections – Part 1
Colin Mackenzie’s assistants involved with Malabar & Travancore In the previous article about Montrose’s heart and its connection to Napierian logarithms, we read that Colin Mackenzie had succeeded...
View ArticleThe heart of Montrose
Madurai’s peculiar connection to Scotland, Logarithms, Colin Mackenzie, and a hero’s heartMadurai has a great cultural history, and for a long time was Tamil Nadu’s cultural capital, and the ‘Toonga...
View ArticleThe Kalpathi furor
Untouchability, caste rigors, and a turbulent period at Palghat, Knapp & Sir CP Villages in Palghat followed caste-based rules as well as the prescribed segregation strictly during the...
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Conceição – Our new book
The Sad Story of the Conceição – Published by the Chagos Conservation Trust (CCT)Sometimes I wonder at the surprising turns that life takes. I was researching for material to add meat to the article...
View ArticleVolkart Brothers – The Swiss connection
Cochin & Tellicherry, through the eyes of AF AmmannKayalinarike…goes the old Mehaboob song written by Meppalli Balan, brought to life a decade ago by the sonorous Shahbaz Aman. The song takes you...
View ArticleThe Cholas, the Zamorin, and the Perumal’s
The Chola interregnum 1036-54 – A discussion One of the popular sources referred to when it comes to the history of the Zamorins of Calicut is the seminal work by KV Krishna Ayyar titled - Zamorins of...
View ArticleCalicut’s SM Street – and its everlasting allure
Its influence on the city’s inhabitants, writers, and a new book by Nadeem Naushad This little, but busy street in Calicut still has a tremendous influence on the inhabitants of Calicut. A street which...
View ArticleParsee families of Calicut
Some of the prominent families In the 19th century and until the 21st, there were several Parsi merchant families resident in Calicut. I had written about them briefly some years ago, but it needed...
View ArticleBrown of Mahe -The Rascally Adventurer
Murdoch Brown – The Valia Saheb of Anjarakandy History enthusiasts and the inhabitants of North Malabar though familiar with this name, may not know much about this Scotsman. Many myths and legends...
View ArticleT. H. Baber and the Cochin Jews
The White and the Black Jews of Cochin Several books and papers feature the white and the Black Jewish community which lived in Cochin. Many of the descendants have since taken up their Aliyah and...
View ArticleSituating Histories
Calicut and the two battles of 1503 and 1790, Dr Noone’s new book Some years ago, I wrote about the famous sea battle of Calicut fought during the early months of 1503, preparations having been made...
View ArticleKodaikanal – Amidst the Palani Hills
The princess among hill stations and the many stories it hides. I will always remember the hill station and the few times I have visited the place. At that time, I did not know any of these stories,...
View ArticlePower brokers and Saints – The case of Sayyid Fadl – The Mambram Pookoya Thangal
Malabar & Istanbul – Late 19th Century Two things made me pick up this topic for study. One - the fact that Sayyid Fadl spent his last years in Istanbul, a city I love, and two -the remark made by...
View ArticlePulappedi, Mannappedi or Parappedi
A sanctioned ritual, a social evil, or disciplining? I still remember that in our younger days, women going to temples or neighboring houses in the village always took along – or were told by the...
View ArticleThe Zamorin and the Betel Leaf ceremony
Taking charge at Kallayi… It has been said that in the distant past, a new Zamorin taking charge of his kingdom would make a ceremonial procession from one of his residential kovilakoms (usually at...
View ArticleHigginbotham’s Madras – And the mystery behind its origins
And it's Cannanore connection!! Many articles have been written about Higginbotham’s in the past and the consensus is that the founder and original owner was Abel Joshua Higginbotham. This has been...
View ArticleThe Quilon Plot - 1812
Ummini Thampi’s (Marthandam Thampi Iravi, Womana Tomby) overtures against the British. I wrote about the Munro years in Travancore in 2017, and introduced to readers a fascinating character named...
View ArticleMedieval Navigation Techniques
The Kamal, or the Rapalagai Curiosity, adventure, and profits were always the lure for exploration. While travel across land masses was recorded from the oldest times, sailing the seas proved to be...
View ArticleThe Merry Lodge - Trichur
Rajarshi Rama Varma’s final abode First, let us get an insight into the illustrious raja. HH Maharaja Sri Sir RAMAVARMA XV ruled over Cochin 1895-1914, Maharaja [cr.1921], G.C.I.E., G.C.S.I., K.C.S.I.,...
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