Cannanore or more appropriately
Kannoor as it is known today is a place with a rich
history right from the time of the Aryan migration.
The word Kannoor may have evolved from a village named
Kannathur around which the modern town of Kannoor
grew. Or, according to some it is a combination of
Kannan (Lord Krishna) , a deity in the Hindu pantheon
and Ur meaning a place or an abode. With the advent
of the Europeans, the name underwent yet another change
- Cannanore !
 Kannoor
is steeped in its historical legacy. By early 9th
century, the Cheras of Tamil Nadu had established
complete control of the entire area under Raja Kulashekhara
Varman. The empire lasted till 1102 AD. At around
the same time, another line of kings known as Mooshika
Rajas held sway over the present day areas of Kannoor.
By the 14th century, these kings were known as the
rulers of the Kingdom Koluthunad, and were known as
the Kolathiris. Another kingdom to the South was the
kingdom of the Samuthiris or Zamorins of Calicut,
with whom the Kolathiris had running feuds for centuries.
It was the Zamorin of Calicut who welcomed the first
European to set foot in India using the sea routes
- the Portuguese under Vasco da Gama in 1498.
Vasco De Gama was quick to notice the enemity between
the Kolathiris and the Zamorins. Exploiting these
rivalries, Vasco De Gama managed to get virtual monopoly
over the spice trade from India and concessions which
were totally one-sided. Francisco De Almedia arrived
from Portugal soon after to build fortifications at
strategic points. One such was built at Kannoor and
named Fort St Angelo, which is in a remarkable shape
even today.
 The
Kolathiris and Zamorin allied in 1558 against the
Portuguese. Some classic naval battles were fought
in the Arabian Sea against the might of the European
navies. The Kunjali Marakkars of Calicut were perhaps
the only naval opposition to the European expansion
in this region. But their victories were not enough
to drive the European powers out of India. Soon however,
the Dutch followed suit and drove the Portuguese out
of Kannoor and Fort St Angelo. By the year 1663 the
rule of the Portuguese had come to an end.
The English East India Company got its first foothold
in the district in the closing years of the 17th century,
when the Thalassery Fort was built. The British were
more successful than the Portuguese since they refused
to interfere in the religious and social life of the
natives. By the 18th century they managed to capture
the lucrative spice trade and were the unquestioned
masters of the seas around Kannoor.
The conquest of Malabar by Tippu Sultan in the closing
years of the 18th century caused much distress and
unrest in the region. But his defeat by the British
at Srirangapatanam in 1792 formally ended his reign
here and the entire province ceded to the British.
The British organized the province into two administrative
divisions - one with Headquarters at Thalassery and
the other at Cherpulassery, under the overall control
of the Chief magistrate at Calicut.
 The
British rule brought some measure of political stability
to the region. But the unpopular revenue policy followed
by the British triggered the revolt by a local raja
- Pazhasi Raja in 1796. Many are the legends and stories
of his heroic exploits against the foreign rulers
that exist to this day. He remains the symbol of a
heroic age when injustice was not tolerated and patriotism
had its first stirrings. The revolt itself was doomed
to failure because of the vastly superior British
military strength. On November 30, 1805, the British
Commander Baber and his men shot Pazhasi Raja dead.
The Raja was given a funeral fit for royalty considering
his bravery in battle. With the death of Pazhasi raja,
the resistance movement came to an end in Kerala.
Kannoor played a prominent part in the freedom struggle
against the British a century later. The echo of the
Salt Satyagraha of Mahatma Gandhi found its echo on
the beaches of Payyannur. Kannoor also was the region
from which the Communist movement in Kerala really
took roots under AK Gopalan. This movement finally
culminated with Kerala electing the first communist
Government anywhere in the world. Even today, Kannoor
remains a stronghold of the Communists and many notable
leaders of the present Government are residents of
this district. |
