|
Kochi was
the centre of Indian spice trade for many centuries, and was
known to the Yavanas (Greeks) as well as Romans, Jews,
Arabs, and Chinese since ancient times. Kochi rose to
significance as a trading centre after the port at
Kodungallur (Cranganore) was destroyed by massive flooding
of the river Periyar in 1341. The earliest documented
references to Kochi occur in books written by Chinese
voyager Ma Huan during his visit to Kochi in the 15th
century as part of Admiral Zheng He's treasure fleet. There
are also references to Kochi in accounts written by Italian
traveller Niccolò Da Conti, who visited Kochi in 1440.
The Kingdom of Kochi came into existence in 1102, after the
fall of the Kulasekhara empire. The King of Kochi had
authority over the region encompassing the present city of
Kochi and adjoining areas. The reign was hereditary, and the
family that ruled over Kochi was known as the Cochin Royal
Family (Perumpadappu Swaroopam in the local vernacular). The
mainland Kochi remained the capital of the princely state
since the 18th century. However, during much of this time,
the kingdom was under foreign rule, and the King often only
had titular privileges.
Hebrew inscription at the Paradesi Synagogue
Fort Kochi in Kochi was the first European colonial
settlement in India. From 1503 to 1663, Fort Kochi was ruled
by Portugal. This Portuguese period was difficult for the
Jews installed in the region, since the Inquisition was
active in Portuguese India. Kochi hosted the grave of Vasco
da Gama, the first European explorer to set sail for India,
who was buried at St. Francis Church until his remains were
returned to Portugal in 1539.[10] The Portuguese rule was
followed by that of the Dutch, who had allied with the
Zamorins in order to conquer Kochi. By 1773, the Mysore King
Hyder Ali extended his conquest in the Malabar region to
Kochi forcing it to become a tributary of Mysore. The
hereditary Prime Ministership of Kochi held by the Paliath
Achans came to an end during this period.
Meanwhile, the Dutch, fearing an outbreak of war on the
United Provinces signed a treaty with the United Kingdom,
under which Kochi was ceded to the United Kingdom in
exchange for the island of Bangka. However, there are
evidences of English habitation in the region even prior to
the signing of the treaty.[11] In 1866, Fort Kochi became a
municipality, and its first Municipal Council election was
conducted in 1883. The Maharaja of Cochin, who ruled under
the British, in 1896 initiated local administration by
forming town councils in Mattancherry and Ernakulam. In
1925, Kochi legislative assembly was constituted due to
public pressure on the state.
The temple adjoining the Mattancherry Palace
Towards the early 20th century, trade at the port had
increased substantially, and the need to develop the port
was greatly felt. Harbour engineer Robert Bristow was
brought to Kochi in 1920 under the direction of Lord
Willingdon, then the Governor of Madras. In a span of 21
years, he transformed Kochi as one of the safest harbours in
the peninsula, where ships berthed alongside the newly
reclaimed inner harbour equipped with a long array of steam
cranes.
In 1947, India gained independence from the British colonial
rule. Cochin was the first princely state to join the Indian
Union willingly.In 1949, Travancore-Cochin state came into
being with the merger of Cochin and Travancore. The King of
Travancore was the Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union
from 1949 to 1956. Travancore-Cochin, was in turn merged
with the Malabar district of the Madras State. Finally, the
Government of India's States Reorganisation Act (1956)
inaugurated a new state — Kerala — incorporating Travancore-Cochin
(excluding the four southern Taluks which were merged with
Tamil Nadu), Malabar District, and the taluk of Kasargod,
South Kanara. On 9 July 1960, the Mattancherry council
passed a resolution—which was forwarded to the
government—requesting the formation of a municipal
corporation by combining the existing municipalities of Fort
Kochi, Mattancherry, and Ernakulam. The government appointed
a commission to study the feasibility of the suggested
merger. Based on its report, the Kerala Legislative Assembly
approved the corporation's formation. On November 1967,
exactly eleven years since the establishment of the state of
Kerala, the corporation of Cochin came into existence. The
merger leading to the establishment of the corporation, was
between the municipalities of Ernakulam, Mattancherry and
Fort Kochi, along with that of the Willingdon Island, four
panchayats (Palluruthy, Vennala, Vyttila and Edappally), and
the small islands of Gundu and Ramanthuruth.
Kochi witnessed economic stagnation in the years following
India's independence. The city's economic recovery gathered
momentum after economic reforms in India introduced by the
central government in the mid-1990s. Since 2000, the service
sector has revitalised the city’s stagnant economy. Over the
years, the city has witnessed rapid commercialisation, and
has today grown into the commercial capital of Kerala.
 |
