Social and Cultural History

To understand the history of Pala correctly, it is necessary to have a general understanding of the history of Kottayam District. The present Meenachil Taluk of Kottayam District was formerly situated partly in the territories of the kingdoms of Thekkumkoor and Vadakkumkoor, and partly in the kingdoms of Meenachil and Poonjar. Therefore, anyone investigating the history of Pala, the headquarters of Meenachil Taluk, needs to know something about its earlier history.

There are no authentic records available about Kottayam before the Kulasekhara Empire. There is comparatively more information about the period of the Vadakkumkoor and Thekkumkoor kings. However, the complete history of Kottayam can be understood only by including the history of the Meenachil and Poonjar kingdoms as well.

Ancient History

There are reasons to believe that Kottayam and its surrounding areas were once part of the seacoast, long before the Christian era. The taluks of Changanassery, Kottayam and Vaikom, near the Vembanad Lake, were believed to have been under water in ancient times.

Some place names support this view. Kaduthuruthy, meaning “an island in the sea”, and Vaikom, meaning “new land”, are examples. Some scholars believe that the Perunthurai mentioned in ancient Tamil literature was Vaikom. Foreign ships that came for trade may have anchored at the large port of Perunthurai at Vaikom.

Some places in Kottayam District are mentioned in the works of Pliny and Ptolemy. They referred to Purakkad as Bacare, Athirampuzha as Atarima, and Chempu as Chemna.

Products such as elephant tusks, teak wood, sandalwood, monkeys, peacocks, pepper, cardamom and ginger were exported from Kottayam to foreign countries.

The Kulasekhara Period

There are records showing that Kottayam was part of the Kulasekhara Empire, which existed from AD 800 to 1102. The important records include the Rajasekhara inscriptions of Vazhapally (820–844) and the Perunnā inscriptions of Rama Varma Kulasekhara (1090–1102).

During the Kulasekhara period, Kottayam was divided into three regions:

• Nanduzhanad
• Munjunad
• Vempalanad

The exact boundaries of these regions are not clearly known because sufficient records are not available.

Nanduzhanad included Changanassery and Kanjirappally Taluks, part of Meenachil Taluk, the entire High Range, and the Tiruvalla and Chengannur areas of present-day Alappuzha District.

Kottayam and Ettumanoor were included in Munjunad.

Vaikom Taluk and some parts of Meenachil Taluk formed Vempalanad.

All three regions were under the Kulasekhara Empire and were ruled by local governors appointed by the Chera Emperor at Mahodayapuram. The name Vembanad Lake is believed to have originated from the name Vempalanad.

Source: Pala Municipality Comprehensive Development Report, 1996

Vadakkumkoor and Thekkumkoor

Around AD 1100, Vempalanad was divided into two kingdoms, Thekkumkoor and Vadakkumkoor. Even after this division, the kings of these two kingdoms were known as Bimbalis.

The Unnineeli Sandesam also contains descriptions of the kings of Vadakkumkoor and their capital, Kaduthuruthy.

When the Portuguese arrived in Kerala in 1498, Vadakkumkoor and Thekkumkoor had already become important powers in Kerala politics.

In addition to these two kingdoms, Poonjar and Meenachil were also well-known kingdoms in the north-eastern part of present-day Kottayam District.

Early Period of Thekkumkoor

Thekkumkoor was the most powerful kingdom in Kottayam District. It occupied the southern part of the old Vempalanad and lay to the south of Vadakkumkoor.

Its boundaries were:

• East: Illickal hills
• West: Vembanad Lake
• North: Kankkari hills
• South: Kaipattur Kadavu

The kings of Thekkumkoor established their capitals at different times at Vennimala, Manikandapuram, Nattassery and Thaliyil (Thazhathangadi).

Although Thekkumkoor was a feudatory kingdom of Cochin, it frequently had conflicts with Cochin. It also had disputes with Vadakkumkoor. The Tamil poet Seetharaman, in his Sanskrit Champu, describes a war between Thekkumkoor and Vadakkumkoor.

The Dutch and Thekkumkoor

After the arrival of Europeans in Kerala, Thekkumkoor also had to deal with conflicts involving European powers.

Neither the Portuguese nor the Dutch were able to establish a strong foothold in Thekkumkoor.

Soon after capturing Cochin, the Dutch appointed Henrik van Reede to negotiate a treaty with Thekkumkoor. However, the mission failed.

The Dutch were particularly interested in the pepper produced in Thekkumkoor and again attempted to establish friendly relations with the kingdom.

On 19 April 1664, Dutch representative Hussettert reported to Batavia that he had obtained the right to purchase pepper from Thekkumkoor.

According to an agreement made on 1 October, the King of Thekkumkoor was required to sell all the pepper produced in his kingdom to the Dutch East India Company. In return, the Dutch company was given permission to sell black pepper and other goods in Thekkumkoor.

The agreement also required that no Catholic priest be allowed to enter Thekkumkoor and that friendly relations be maintained with the St. Thomas Christians.

Vadakkumkoor and the Dutch

The kingdom of Vadakkumkoor included:

• Vaikom
• Ettumanoor
• Part of Meenachil Taluk
• Thodupuzha
• Muvattupuzha
• Kunnathunad
• Cherthala

Thodupuzha and Muvattupuzha originally belonged to Keeramalanad. The capital of Keeramalanad was Karikode in Thodupuzha. In 1600, it was merged with Vadakkumkoor.

The kings of Vadakkumkoor belonged to the Nair community. The royal family had many branches. At different periods, capitals were established at places such as Kaduthuruthy, Mannar, Kaipuzha, Lalam, Vellilappally, Thodupuzha and Vaikom.

During the Portuguese period, Vadakkumkoor had several capable rulers. Church songs written around 1648 mention that the kings of Vadakkumkoor provided financial assistance for the construction of churches for Christians.

The Dutch were mainly interested in maintaining friendly relations with Vadakkumkoor because of its pepper. However, they also made attempts to capture some parts of the kingdom.

These plans were defeated by Marthanda Varma (1729–1758) of Travancore. In the Battle of Colachel in 1741, the Travancore army decisively defeated the Dutch forces.

Thekkumkoor and Vadakkumkoor Become Part of Travancore

The friendly relations maintained by the kings of Thekkumkoor and Vadakkumkoor with the Dutch made Marthanda Varma suspicious of them.

After conquering Kayamkulam and Ambalapuzha, the king turned his attention towards Thekkumkoor and Vadakkumkoor.

The Travancore army marched towards Thekkumkoor under the leadership of Captain De Lannoy.

The Thekkumkoor army consisted mainly of Nair chieftains and poorly disciplined nobles and was not strong enough to face the Travancore army.

The King of Thekkumkoor therefore adopted a strategy. He gathered a large number of Brahmins and placed them in front of his army, knowing that killing Brahmins was considered a great sin.

However, Ramayyan Dalawa, who was himself a Brahmin, organized people from lower castes, including the Mukkuvars, and sent them against the Thekkumkoor army.

Fearing social and religious consequences, the Thekkumkoor soldiers retreated.

In September 1749, Changanassery and the surrounding areas declared their support for the Travancore army. Together, they marched towards Kottayam and destroyed the fort of the King of Thekkumkoor.

Thekkumkoor was formally annexed to Travancore in December 1749. Vadakkumkoor was annexed subsequently.

The King of Poonjar

Like Vadakkumkoor and Thekkumkoor, the kingdoms of Poonjar and Meenachil were also brought under the control of Marthanda Varma.

The early rulers of Poonjar were believed to have been Pandya rulers from Madurai.

The leader of the first group of migrants was Manavikrama Kulasekhara Perumal. Historians believe that this migration may have taken place around 1189.

They wandered through North Malabar and later reached Edappally. There, Kulasekhara and his wife died. Before their death, they entrusted their children and relatives to the King of Edappally.

The King of Edappally married one of the princesses. Through this marriage, the Poonjar royal family gradually adopted the local customs and way of life instead of their earlier Tamil traditions.

After the death of the Edappally King, the Poonjar royal family had to leave Kochi. The queen travelled south with her family.

When they reached Vadakkumkoor, the senior prince, Kulasekhara Perumal, became ill. He recovered after being treated by a Namboothiri from Nattassery.

At that time, Kulasekhara Perumal learned that the Poonjar region could be purchased. The area was then under Thekkumkoor.

The entire Poonjar region, with all its rights and privileges, was transferred to Manavikrama Kulasekhara. The agreement was engraved on a copper plate.

The coronation of Manavikrama Kulasekhara as ruler of Poonjar took place in the presence of the King of Thekkumkoor.

When the direct line of heirs of the family that had come from Pandya country ended, the head of Sarkar Kovilakam, a branch of the Kodungallur royal family, was selected as the King of Poonjar with the permission of the King of Thekkumkoor.

Before its annexation to Travancore, Poonjar was an independent kingdom.

Even after the annexation, the Poonjar King owned large areas of land in the High Range, extending from Peerumade to Devikulam.

These lands had been purchased by the Poonjar King from Thekkumkoor in the 15th century.

In the 19th century, the British purchased these High Range lands for tea cultivation.

An agreement between Kerala Varma Valiya Raja, the King of Poonjar, and John Daniel Munro, signed on 11 July 1877, resulted in the present-day Kannan Devan Hills coming under British ownership.

The area, measuring 227 square miles, was transferred for Rs. 5,000 and an annual rent of Rs. 3,000.

The King of Meenachil

The last kingdom to be annexed to Travancore by Marthanda Varma was Meenachil.

The rulers of Meenachil belonged to the Njavakkattu Karthas family.

According to tradition, the family originated from two women, Sreedevi and Ambikadevi, who came from Vengaloor near Kumbakonam.

They were married to the rulers of the Elangalloor and Elabrakkattu principalities.

They had two sons:

• Sri Veera Damodara Simha
• Sri Veera Rama Simha

Sri Veera Damodara Simha was made the ruler of Meenachil.

Their mothers, who had been living in Vengaloor to the north of Meenachil, later came to Meenachil and settled at Pazhedathparambu.

There is no historical evidence supporting this traditional story. However, an inscription from an old Perumal temple dating to the 11th century mentions a person named Ethirankaveera from the Njavakkattu family.

According to this evidence, he may have been responsible for establishing marriage relationships between women of the Kumbanimaṭham family and Namboothiri Brahmins.

Until recent times, women of the Meenachil Njavakkattu family married only Namboothiri Brahmins. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the origin of the Njavakkattu family may be connected with Ethirankaveera.

The chief minister of the Meenachil kings came from the Arakkal Menon family, while the finance minister came from the Valappil Menon family.

Although these positions were traditionally passed down through the families, these families no longer exist.

There were frequent wars between Meenachil and Thekkumkoor. The main battlefield for these conflicts was Kadappattur, near Pala.

The Njavakkattu Karthas supported Thekkumkoor when it fought against Travancore. This was one of the reasons why Marthanda Varma captured Meenachil.

When the Travancore army entered Meenachil, the Karthas of Meenachil fled north with their family members. They sought refuge with the Zamorin of Calicut.

This is believed to have happened around 1754.

When Hyder Ali attacked Malabar in 1766, only two women of the Meenachil royal family remained in Calicut. The others, along with other Hindu families, had fled to Travancore.

The Dharma Raja gave them shelter in his kingdom and built a house for them at Mevida, near Meenachil.

From then onwards, the Njavakkattu family received a pension from the Travancore Government.

Dharma Raja (1758–1798) worked to strengthen the integration of the territories annexed by Marthanda Varma with Travancore.

At that time, Kottayam District was one of the three divisions of Travancore and formed part of the Northern Division.

The Meenachil River

Ptolemy mentions a river called Baris situated approximately 58 miles south of the Periyar River, which flows into Kodungallur.

Tamil historian Kanakasabhapathy Pillai wondered whether this river could have been the Meenachil River, which flows through Pala.

He also refers to a place called Pounnatta, which was probably a centre from where the famous Pala pepper was transported by water to Vaisakkara.

It is possible that Punnathura, situated on the banks of the Meenachil River, was this ancient Pounnatta.

The Meenachil River is one of the few rivers in Kerala without major waterfalls. It was navigable almost from its mouth to its source.

Foreign traders may have brought their boats from Vaisakkara to Punnathura or even eastwards to Aruvithura.

This conclusion is based on the close relationship between the Meenachil River and important pepper-trading centres such as Pala, Erattupetta and Kanjirappally.

Pala market became famous mainly as a centre for the production and trade of pepper.

The section of the road extending from the river to the main road near the present exit of the Pala Bus Station was once used for mooring cargo boats and operating boat services.

With the increasing use of lorries and other goods vehicles, water transport gradually disappeared.

It was not even 80 years ago that channels were still being cleared to enable large rafts and cargo boats to travel as far as Erattupetta, even during the summer months.

Early History of Pala Market

The origin of Pala town is unknown to many people.

Chettiyars who migrated from Tamil Nadu are believed to have established the market and developed Pala as a trading centre.

The early history of Pala market is closely connected with the construction history of the Anakulangara Devi Temple at Arunapuram.

According to documents copied by Kunjanch Chettiyar of Thundathil from palm-leaf manuscripts that were in the possession of Krishnan Chettiyar of Ponmuthel, the decision to establish the Pala market was taken on the 5th day of the month of Thulam in Kollam Era 900.

The document records that several Chettiyars approached the Meenachil Kartha while he was staying at the Meenachil Sastha Temple. They requested land to construct the sanctum and temple of Anakulangara Bhagavathy and to perform the installation and consecration ceremonies.

The Kartha agreed to provide land once a suitable location was decided upon.

Afterwards, land at Chengaramyal in Arunapuram was allotted for the Bhagavathy. Shops were also permitted to be constructed at Kavalakunnu.

The people involved paid 64 rasis as an offering.

After constructing shops and beginning their activities, they discussed where the temple should be built. Eventually, they decided that Chengara was the appropriate location.

According to this record, the initial activities of Pala Market began on the 5th day of Thulam in Kollam Era 900.

The first buildings were constructed at Kavalakunnu, which is now known as Hospital Kunnu or Chettikunnu.

After shops had been constructed and the ceremonial boiling of milk had taken place, construction of the Anakulangara Temple at Arunapuram began on the 5th day of Makaram in Kollam Era 903.

Beginning of Pala Market

The Malayalam calendar, known as the Kollam Era, began in AD 825. According to this calculation, Kollam Era 900 corresponds approximately to AD 1725.

Therefore, Pala Market is believed to have begun in 1725.

Later, in 1736, the then ruler of Meenachil established the Pala Angadi (Old Market) at a convenient location on the northern bank of the Meenachil River.

His main objective was to encourage Christians who were skilled in trade and commerce.

He understood that the growth of trade would increase the income of the kingdom through taxes and other revenues.

A horse stable used by the soldiers guarding the market was situated on a nearby hill. The name of the area is believed to have evolved from Layam → Lalam → Lalam/Laalam.

The majority of the permanent residents of the market were Christians. Their businesses gradually prospered.

In 1752, after Maharaja Marthanda Varma of Travancore conquered the Meenachil region, law and order and systematic administration were restored, making the lives of the people more secure.

Although religious harmony generally prevailed, a notorious incident known as the Kudavazhakku occurred in Pala during the reign of Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma Maharaja.

Long-term contact with the Portuguese brought significant changes to the customs and practices of Kerala Christians.

They adopted several European practices and began using household furniture such as benches, chairs and tables. Before that, people generally sat on the floor while writing, reading and eating.

Before the arrival of the Portuguese, fish and meat were not normally served at Christian feasts in the manner that later became customary.

The use of alcohol also became more widespread, and even alcohol began to be served at some church festival feasts.

When Pala was part of the Changanassery Diocese, Bishop Mar Thomas Kurialassery prohibited the practice of serving alcohol at church festival feasts.

Pala and the Freedom Movement

Along with gradual social, cultural and economic progress, the people of Pala played an important leadership role in movements aimed at resolving political grievances.

They actively participated in the Nivarthana Movement and the later freedom struggle.

The declaration of Pala as a municipality and the independence of India were major milestones in the development of the town.

The period that followed can be regarded as the beginning of a golden era in the development of Pala.

By a Government notification of the Travancore Maharaja dated 11 February 1947, bearing ROC No. 1760 B44LGA, the Pala Municipality was formed.

However, it began functioning only on 24 November 1949.

Immediately before that, Pala had been functioning as a Village Union.

Formation of Pala Municipality

Sri J. Thomas Kayyalaykkakam, who had been elected three times to the Sreemoolam Praja Sabha, was the first Chairman of the Village Union.

At that time, local self-government institutions were not organized in the same way as they are today.

There were no panchayats in every village and municipalities in every town. Panchayats existed mainly in medium-sized towns, while municipalities existed only in a few towns.

Pala was a small town and did not qualify for either institution. Therefore, a Village Union was established.

As its Chairman, Sri J. Thomas Kayyalaykkakam initiated many of the developments that can be seen in Pala today.

He helped obtain permission for the construction of a bridge across the Meenachil River near Hospital Kadavu.

As a member of the Praja Sabha, he was able to influence the then Diwan, Maurice Watts, and obtain the necessary permission.

Construction of an old-style iron bridge began, but it could not be completed successfully. The iron pillars fixed in the river were washed away during a major flood.

Many years later, the present concrete bridge was constructed at approximately the same location.

He also played a leading role in the construction of the maternity ward of Pala Hospital.

To raise money for the hospital construction fund, he organized local young people and some government employees into a drama troupe and arranged performances by selling tickets. He personally contributed a large portion of the required amount.

He also participated in efforts to establish the municipality.

The continuous efforts of Sri George Thomas Kottukapally, who served as Chairman of the Village Union, ultimately made the formation of the Pala Municipality possible.

The First Municipal Council

At the time the municipality was formed, Sri R. V. Thomas was the local Congress Party leader.

Although Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer had left the country, opposition to the Congress still existed in many places.

Because of the influence of Sri R. V. Thomas, the Congress was able to participate in the first municipal election.

The members met and elected Sri R. V. Thomas as Chairman.

However, because he had been convicted in a sedition case, a technical legal restriction prevented him from continuing as President.

Although there was a proposal to elect another person, the council refused.

As a result, a government nominee formally carried out the functions of the municipality for some time.

Soon afterwards, Sri R. V. Thomas was elected President of the Travancore Constituent Assembly.

By then, the technical restriction had been removed. However, because he was engaged in other responsibilities, another person had to be elected as municipal President.

On 26 October 1949, at a council meeting presided over by Sri A. Kasim, Kottayam Peshkar, Sri George Thomas Kottukapally was unanimously elected, even though he was not even a council member.

He took charge as the first President of the newly formed Pala Municipality.

He was elected for the first time during the second municipal election.

The deposit money of the opposing candidate was also forfeited.

During the initial period, he spent thousands of rupees from his own funds to keep the municipal administration functioning. When there was a delay in receiving municipal funds, he did not hesitate to pay the salaries of employees himself.

The High-Level Bridge at Pala

During this period, efforts to obtain approval for the Pala High-Level Bridge became stronger.

Following the State Congress movement, a ministry was formed in which Sri E. J. Philipose was in charge of the Public Works Department.

When the need for the bridge was brought to his attention, lack of funds became an obstacle.

Sri Kottukapally therefore suggested that a toll could be collected from users of the bridge.

The alternative proposal was accepted, and the minister directly sanctioned the money required for construction.

The long-standing wish of the people of Meenachil was thus fulfilled.

The bridge was completed on time.

Its inauguration was performed by the Rajpramukh of Thiruvithamkoor–Cochin.

It was the first time after Marthanda Varma that a ruler of Travancore had visited the Meenachil region.

There is also an interesting story, although it may only be a legend, associated with this visit.

It is said that when Marthanda Varma conquered Meenachil, he promised the defeated local ruler that he would return the territory when he came back.

According to the story, because of this promise, no Travancore king subsequently visited the place.

As Rajpramukh, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma came to Pala on 19 April 1953 and inaugurated the bridge.

Democratic Government and Local Self-Government

In November 1949, India adopted a democratic system of government.

The Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950.

In 1955, the Central Government and State Governments declared socialism as the basic policy and objective of governance.

The establishment of democratic socialist institutions and the restructuring of the political system required changes throughout all levels of administration.

Origin and Growth of Municipalities

In Travancore, local self-government institutions originated with the Town Improvement Committee, established under the Second Regulation of 1096 Malayalam Era.

The Third Regulation of 1096 gave these committees greater powers and provided that half of their members should be elected by taxpayers.

The Municipal Regulation of 1095 expanded the powers of municipal councils and provided for an unofficial majority in the councils.

With the Travancore District Municipalities Act of 1116 Malayalam Era (1941), Act No. 23, municipalities were granted the maximum degree of self-government that could be provided under a princely state.

After independence, in Travancore, Travancore-Cochin and later Kerala, the municipal laws that existed before 15 August 1947 continued to operate.

The Kerala Municipalities Act of 1961 largely repeated the provisions of the earlier laws and increased the tax burden, but it did not fundamentally reorganize local self-government institutions as the first step towards a democratic socialist social structure.

However, following the 74th Amendment to the Constitution of India, the Kerala Municipality Act of 1994 and the Constitution incorporated the concept of social planning.

This created a more favourable environment for the further development of municipalities.

Later Municipal Administration in Pala

The first council under the leadership of Sri George Thomas Kottukapally, the first President of Pala Municipality, completed its term on 13 December 1953.

From 14 February 1953 to 1 March 1953, the Kottayam Sub-Collector continued the administration.

Sri George Thomas Kottukapally served as President of the second council from 2 March 1953 until 14 March 1956, when he was elected as a member of the Indian Parliament.

Subsequently, the Vice-Chairman, Adv. N. P. Krishnan Nair, also served as Chairman until 30 November 1953.

From 30 November 1953 to 14 March 1956, Sri K. C. Sebastian served as Municipal Chairman.

A special feature of this period was that the Municipal Chairman himself functioned as the full executive authority until 21 January 1954.

From 22 January 1954, the post of Municipal Commissioner was introduced in Pala.

Pala Municipality Office

The Pala Municipality office initially functioned from the Vellaringattu Building on Ramapuram Road.

During the tenure of Sri Cherian J. Kappan as Chairman, the office was shifted to the Cherupushpam Building near the bus stand.

When Sri Thomas Joseph Kottukapally was Municipal Chairman, the present municipal office building was constructed and the headquarters was shifted there.

The construction of the Pala Water Supply Scheme, Stadium and Town Hall was also carried out through his efforts.

Later municipal administrators also led several development projects during their respective periods.