Ancient settlements of Malabar Coast (Kerala)

[Full title: Indian Subcontinent; 2: Southern India and Sri Lanka; (2): Ancient Settlements of Malabar Coast (Kerala)]

This section focuses upon the coastal regions of the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, together with the littoral-tracts of Sri Lanka. The Kerala coastland is also known as the Malabar. The Malabar coast demarcates itself from the Kanara coast roughly south of the Netravali river. The Periplus perhaps implies this change when it refers to the land of Damirica beginning after Dachinabades. According to Schoff (1912/74:204) 'The Tamil ports, strictly speaking, lay within the region where the Malyalam language is now spoken... The Tulu, Kanarese and Telegu districts seem to be within our author's (of the Periplus) Dachinabades rather than his Damirica.' The Periplus informs that Damirica extended upto the market-town of Colchi (present Kolkhoi, Fig. 35) beyond which there was another district called the

207 Coast Country' (Periplus Maris Erythraei 59). The extent of the Coast Country laid down in the Periplus is roughly that of the Tamil Nadu littoral-area known as the Coromandel. A review of locations of harbours of the Periplus and Geographia as proposed by historical geographers is presented below. The various location are also consolidated on the map of the Malabar region (Fig. 34). = Tyndis McCrindle (in Sastri 1927: 50), following Yule, provides two possible locations for Tyndis: the modern town of Tanur or the settlement of Kudalundi (Kadal - tundi raised ground by the sea) According to McCrindle, though the latter is not now a port, it may have been connected to the Malabar backwaters in ancient times. Schoff (1912/74:203-205) and Casson (1989: 297) equate Tyndis with modern Ponnani whose distance from Kodungallur (ancient Muziris) is exactly as specified in the Periplus (500 stades) None of the settlements discussed in the context of Tyndis have yielded archaeological evidence of Early Historic occupation. Bramagara McCrindle (1884:328-329) simply transliterates it as brahmagara or abode of brahmins Place-name remains unidentified. Kalaikarias McCrindle (in Sastri 1927: 51) suggests modern Chalacoory as the location. Chalacoory is situated north-east of Kodungallur. Muziris This ancient port is described in the Periplus (sec.53) as a harbour trading in spices, precious / semi-precious stones and goods from the far Gangetic region. In the poetry of the Tamil Sangam Muziris is referred to as a market-town exporting pepper in exchange of gold from the yavanas (Cimino 1994 69) Muziris finds mention in the Geographia of Ptolemy (McCrindle 1884:328-329) and the Peutinger Tables (which refer to a Temple to Augustus in this port). A papyrus of the 2 nd century A.D. written in Greek records instructions of a Hellene merchant based at Muziris to the agent at a Red Sea port (Casson 1989:32-33). Padmanabha Menon (1902: 343) equates Musiri Muziris with l'anji, the early capital of the Chera dynasty. However, Rajan (1996: 103) distinguishes between the two settlements and thinks of them as different Chera capitals seperated in time. Much of recent scholarship holds that the harbour of Muziris was situated in the vicinity of modern Kodungallur on the estuary of the river Periyar (Casson 1989:296-297; Rajan 1996:103). The location of Muziris on the Periyar mouth is indicated by both the Periplus (sec. 54) and the Tamil Sangam literature (Cimino 1994. 69). According to the Jews of the Malabar, one of their earliest settlements was established at Kodungallur in 68 A.D. (Hallegva 1990).

AREA OF MAP CANNANORE - VAURA? TANUR TYNDIS (MC) PONNAN FINDS (S. C) KARUR-KOREROURA (MC) KODUNGALLUR - MUZRIS . CHALACHODRY-KALAKARIAS MC PARUR POCOPEROURA (M CHEMBU SEMNE M KOTTAYAM NELCYNDA (S PRAKKAD BACARF (S) NIRANOM NELCYNDA (C) ARABIAN SEA KALLADA BACAPE (MC) • KOTTUR = KOITIAPA (M LE GEND TANUR MODERN PLACE NAME TYNDIS SETTLEMENT NAMED IN PERIPLUS / GEOGRAPHIA MC-MCCANDLES POSITION; M-PADMANABHA MENONS POSMOR S-SCHOFFS POSITION C - CASSONS POSITION CAPE COMORIN -COMARY Fig. 34. Locations proposed by historical geographers for coastal settlements on the Malabar listed in the Periplus & Geographia. 208

209 An attempt was made to trace the remains of Muziris by the ASI in 1969-70. However excavations conducted on the outskirts of Kodungallur and along the estuary of the Periyar revealed a cultural assemblage dated between the 9 th-10 th cent. A.D. This evidence has been taken to indicate the location of the later Chera capital, Mahodai (Encyl. Ind. Arch. Vol. II 108-109). The only material evidence of Muziris of the Periplus are square copper coins of the Early Cheras bearing the legend Makotai / Makokotai (Rajan 1996: 102). Three major reasons point to the continuing elusiveness of Muziris: the constant shifting of the Periyar, the ingress of the sea and the tectonic upheaval of 1341 which closed up Kodungallur harbour (Gupta 1994 : 171-172; Rajan 1996: 103). Mouth of the River Pseudostomos "False Mouth." Mentioned in the Geographia (McCrindle 1884:328-329). In all likelihood, this reference is to a stream which discharges itself into the backwaters of the Malabar. The Geographia mentions another Pseudostomos as one of the (false) mouths of the River Ganga (McCrindle 1884:335-336). Podoperoura: According to McCrindle (in Sastri 1927:52) this may be Poudopatana (new town) of Indicopleustes. Padmanabha Menon (1902: 339) identifies Podoperoura with the modern town of Udayamperur on the eastern coast of the Cochin Allepey backwater. Semne: Listed in the Geographia (McCrindle 1884:329). Padmanabha Menon (1902: 339) identifies this settlement with modern Chembu on the eastern coast of the Cochin backwater. Koreroura Can be identified with Karur, the second capital of the early Chera dynasty. Karur is located on the left bank of the river Amaravati, a tributary of the Kaveri in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. Karur has yielded a number of Imperial Roman coins and amphora fragments (Turner 1989:59-60; Champakalaksmi 1975-76:111). Bacare and Nelcynda Mentioned in the Periplus (53, 55) and the Geographia (McCrindle 1884:329-330). The Periplus situates it on the mouth of the river upstream of which lay the trade-port of Nelkynda (or Melkynda). McCrindle (1884:329-330), following Yule, locates Bacare at Kallada, on the river of the same name entering the backwater Schoff (1912/74:211-212) identifies Bacare with the modern settlement of Pirakkad on the river Pambiyar while identifying Nelcynda with Kottayam on the river Minachal. Casson (1989: 298) doubts Schoff's identification of the two ports on two different streams. He identifies Nelcynda with the modern

210 settlement of Niranom on the river Pirakkad and places Bacare at the mouth of the same river. Mouth of the River Baris: Listed in the Geographia (McCrindle 1884:328). According to Casson (1989: 297-298) it is the estuary on which Bacare was situated. Red Cliffs Referred in the Periplus (58). Laterite cliffs situated south of Quilon. Also called the Warkalle Barrier because these cliffs cut short the backwater navigation (Schoff 1912/74: 234). Elangkon, a mart: Listed in the Geographia (McCrindle 1884: 329-330). Kottiara, an emporium: Listed in the Geographia. It is the Cottara of Pliny and of the Peutinger Tables (McCrindle 1884:329-330). Padmanabha Menon (1902:339) identifies Kottiara with the town of Kothur on the eastern side of the Kerala backwaters.