The Queen of the Arabian Sea

"The Queen of the Arabian Sea"

(COCHIN)

BY SIR R. K. SHANMUKHAM CHETTY, K.C.I.E.¹

(Diwan of Cochin)

The Port of Cochin, in view of its beautiful scenery and the lagoons and waters, has been named "The Venice of the East." Even as Venice is the "Queen of the Adriatic," so has Cochin become the "Queen of the Arabian Sea." In spite of its beauty and importance, very few people know anything about this beauty spot in the south-west corner of India. Some months while I was in Delhi, I was having tea with a high official. I was introduced on that occasion to an English lady who had been living in India for over six years. When I was introduced as the Diwan of Cochin, she exclaimed: "How charming! you come from Cochin China, is it not? Tell me all about it." I do not know whether this could be quoted as a typical example. There is no doubt that even those who have more accurate knowledge of the geographical position of Cochin have no conception either of its historical interest, scenic grandeur or its commercial importance.

Historically Cochin is one of the most interesting spots in India. It was the seat of the ancient Chera kingdom. Twenty miles to the north of the modern port of Cochin lies the small village of Cranganur which, even in the pre-Christian era, played a prominent part as the most important maritime port of India. References to this port are found in the writings of Ptolemy and ancient Greek writers who gave the name "Muziri" to this place. There are references in ancient Tamil literature to the splendour and pomp of the Chera kings who ruled over this territory. There are historical references to a distinguished Chera king, "Cheran Senkuttuvan," who flourished in the second century of the Christian era, and who was the contemporary of a famous king of Ceylon, "Gajabahu." The author of one of the most famous classics in Tamil literature, "Sillappathikaram," was the brother of a Chera king. In another great Tamil epic, "Peria Puranam," there are references to the Chera kings. According to the tradition embodied in this great epic, Cheraman Perumal, a famous ruler of this part, was a contemporary and friend of the Saivite saint, Sundaramurthi. In the Tanjore temple, there is an eleventh century painting depicting Cheraman Perumal leading Sundaramurthi to heaven.

Tradition has it that the Apostle St. Thomas landed near Cranganur and started the first conservations. Whatever might be the historical authenticity of this legend, it seems to be fairly certain that the Christian Church was established on this coast as early as the first century of the Christian era itself. It was, again, at this port that an ancient colony of Jewish settlers was established. These settlers are supposed to have come over after the second destruction of King Solomon’s temple. Even today there is a small colony of White Jews whose origin is lost in antiquity and who are probably the descendants of those early settlers. Coming to more recent history, Cochin is the first place touched by a European through the sea-route. The earliest European settlement in India was at this place. The Portuguese Admiral, Cabral, landed in the Cochin harbour in the year 1500. Vasco de Gama followed him in 1502 and died here. The first European building in India was erected here in 1504.

The social history of the Kerala country of which Cochin forms a part is distinctive and has an interest of its own. The matrilineal system of succession which has existed in this part of the country from time immemorial still continues and furnishes an interesting study in the development of social institutions. According to this system, succession to property goes through the female line. It is this system that is largely responsible for the dominant position that the woman occupies in family life. This social order prevails even to this day amongst the Nairs who are the original inhabitants of this area. The origin of the word "Nair" is still a matter of controversy amongst scholars, but the generally accepted theory is that they were the original "Nagas." The rivalry between the Nairs and the immigrant Nambudri Brahmins forms an important chapter in Kerala history. From all accounts it would appear that the Nambudris were originally a militant class who acquired a considerable amount of social and economic domination by imposing a very distinctive social and marriage system both amongst themselves and the original inhabitants of the land. The Nambudris trace their ancestry to the Vedic Brahmins who had migrated from North India in ancient times. This migration seems to have been replenished from time to time. In the Tamil classic, "Peria Puranam," a work of the 12th century A.D., there is a reference to the Brahmins of Chidambaram migrating to the Chera country in a body. This leads to some very interesting speculations. Chidambaram was known in classic literature as "Perumpatra-Puliyur." The Cochin Royal Family is even today called "Perumpadappu Swaroopam," and the high priests of the Royal Family are still known as the "Puliyannur Nambudris."

The Cochin Harbour, which is now recognised as the most beautiful harbour in India, lies in a country with such rich historical memories. The development of this modern port is a romance of work and vision. Behind an opening from the sea which is about 400 yards wide, there is an area of 120 square miles of sheltered water. In spite of this natural advantage, a rock-like barrier of sand between the water and the sea prevented Cochin’s natural harbour from taking its place as a modern deep-sea port. For more than a hundred years, people have been talking of developing this natural port. It was in 1835 that the first chart was made. But it was not until 1921 that work was really started on this harbour. The great engineering problem was to cut the sand-bank and to keep it open so that ships might enter the sheltered safety of the waters. This great engineering work was finally accomplished by the Harbour Engineer who for nearly twenty years has laboured on this great enterprise, and with his own hand is today giving the finishing touches to this magnificent piece of work.

In the process of cutting the sand-bank and dredging the water, a new island has been formed, comprising nearly 800 acres of valuable property. This island is known as "Willingdon Island." On this island are situated all the major works of the port: the wharfs, the port railway, the administrative buildings, the Custom House and transit sheds, and last, but not least, the beautiful Malabar Hotel. The future development of Willingdon Island is planned out on a grand and worthy scale. It will be laid out in modern style with broad roads and flowering avenues of trees bordered by buildings artistically planned. Here will be located the offices and shops and business houses. When the projected buildings and other structures are completed, this place will not only be humming with all the hectic activity connected with a modern port, but will be in harmony with the beauty of the natural scenery that surrounds it.

Three Governments are partners in the enterprise connected with the creation of the Cochin harbour: the Government of India and the Governments of Cochin and Travancore. In the early stages when the port was a minor port, the Madras Government also was one of the partners in the scheme. Since the declaration of the port as a major one, the Local Government have withdrawn from this. If the engineering problems connected with the port were formidable, no less easy were the innumerable administrative problems that this partnership gave rise to. After prolonged negotiations which were carried on for many years, the final agreement amongst the Governments concerned was concluded in 1935. The territorial sovereignty of the Cochin Government over the port area is maintained intact, the day-to-day administration of the port is entrusted to a semi-autonomous Port Trust, and the three Governments concerned share in the collection of the customs revenue of the port in certain fixed proportions. The three Governments, together with the municipalities of British Cochin, Ernakulam and Mattancheri, and the Chambers of Commerce in the locality, will have adequate representation on the Port Trust. The Port Trust has not, however, been created yet, and the administration is now carried on by an Administrative Officer assisted by an Advisory Board. The net customs duty collected at the port during the year 1937–38 amounted to more than Rs. 100 lakhs. The share of the Cochin Government in the customs revenue was Rs. 25 lakhs, and that of the Government of Travancore Rs. 19 lakhs. The balance is the share of the Government of India. Nearly 800 steamships enter the harbour every year, and about 800,000 tons of cargo are loaded and unloaded. The capital outlay of the whole scheme will be just over Rs. 2 crores.

The last stage of the works connected with this great enterprise is nearing completion, and all the works will be finished by the end of this year. The magnificent bridge that connects the mainland with Willingdon Island has been completed. The railway will have its terminus near the wharfs, and the Port of Cochin will soon be enjoying all the amenities connected with a modern port. It has a great future. Any ship that passes through the Suez Canal can enter the port even in the roughest weather. Alone among the harbours on the coast of India, Cochin lies on the direct sea-route to Australia and the Far East. It opens up a new gateway to the Indian peninsula. Cochin will be obviously the place hereafter to embark or disembark for South India. It has a vast and fertile hinterland which will greatly benefit by this new outlet. It is not merely the Cochin State but the whole of South India that will reap the reward of the courage and enterprise that lie behind this great project. The Cochin harbour is, therefore, a national asset. The development of this port is not, after all, either a new or surprising phenomenon. For it should not be forgotten that, in the early centuries of the Christian era when India was known to the western world as a land of untold wealth, when names like Bombay, Karachi and Madras were not yet born, it was the west coast of the Indian peninsula that had established intimate contact with Europe and the coast of Africa through the enterprise and energy of its adventurous sailors, battling against the elements of the sea in their tiny crafts. History is simply repeating itself in the modern port of Cochin.

To the average European traveller, Kipling has created a picture of India as a land of sacred rivers, splendid tombs, hardy Pathans, and the Taj Mahal. The traveller goes north and sees great sights, but he misses something too–the fragrant and warm cocoanut groves that fringe the coast of the Arabian Sea, where innumerable canals from the fertile hills lazily find their way to wide lagoons on which, as in a dream, ply picturesque country boats. In the passive languor of remote Co chin also there is something to see, and it is not, after all, so remote as ‘Cochin China’!

1 By courtesy of All-India Radio.