Venad was a medieval kingdom lying between the Western Ghat mountains and the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channe ...

on the south-western tip of India with its headquarters at the port city of Kollam/Quilon.Noburu Karashmia (ed.), A Concise History of South India: Issues and Interpretations. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2014. 143-44.Narayanan, M. G. S. 2002. ‘The State in the Era of the Ceraman Perumals of Kerala’, in ''State and Society in Premodern South India'', eds R. Champakalakshmi, Kesavan Veluthat, and T. R. Venugopalan, pp.111–19. Thrissur, CosmoBooks. It was one of the major principalities of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...

, along with kingdoms of

Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the major port city and commercial hu ...

(

Kolathunadu Kolattunādu (Kola Swarupam, as Kingdom of Cannanore in foreign accounts, Chirakkal (Chericul) in later times) was one of the four most powerful kingdoms on the Malabar Coast during the arrival of the Portuguese Armadas in India, along with ...

Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second ...

( Nediyiruppu), and

Kochi Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of ...

( Perumpadappu) in medieval and early modern period.Menon, T. Madhava. ''A Handbook of Kerala.'' Vol 1. Trivandrum: Dravidian Linguistics Association, 2002

/ref> Rulers of Venad trace their ancestry to the Vel chieftains related to the Ay dynasty, Ay lineage of the early historic south India (c. 1st – 4th century CE).Aiya, V. Nagam. ''The Travancore State Manual.'' Vol 1. Part 2. Trivandrum: The Travancore Government Press, 190

/ref> Venad – ruled by hereditary "Venad Adikal" – appears as an autonomous chiefdom in the kingdom of the Chera/Perumals of Makotai, Chera/Perumals of

Kodungallur Kodungallur (; also Cranganore, Portuguese: Cranganor; formerly known as Mahodayapuram, Shingly, Vanchi, Muchiri, Muyirikkode, and Muziris) is a historically significant town situated on the banks of river Periyar on the Malabar Coast in ...

from around 8th – 9th century CE. It came to occupy a position of pre-eminent importance in the structuring of the Perumal kingdom. The country was intermittently and partially subject to the Pandya kingdom in the medieval period."Travancore." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. Venad outlasted the Chera/Perumal kingdom, gradually developed as an independent principality, known as the Chera kingdomThapar, Romila'', The Penguin History of Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300.'' Penguin Books, 2002. 368., and grew later into modern

Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. A ...

(18th century CE). Ravi Varma Kulasekhara, most ambitious ruler of Venad, carried out a successful military expedition to Pandya and Chola lands in the early 14th century CE. The rulers of Venad, known in the medieval period as Venad Cheras or the Kulasekharas, claimed their ancestry from the Chera/Perumals. Venad ruler Vira Udaya Marthanda Varma (1516–1535) acknowledged the supremacy of the

Vijayanagara Vijayanagara () was the capital city of the historic Vijayanagara Empire. Located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, it spread over a large area and included the modern era Group of Monuments at Hampi site in Vijayanagara district, Bell ...

rulers. Minor battles with Vijayanagara forces in the subsequent period are also recorded. In the 17th century, the rulers of Venad paid an annual tribute to the Nayaks of Madurai.Menon, T. Madhava. ''A Handbook of Kerala.'' Vol 1. Trivandrum: Dravidian Linguistics Association, 2002. 143

/ref> East India Company, English East India Company established a factory at Vizhinjam in 1664 and a fort was built at Ajengo in 1695. The medieval feudal relations and political authority were dismantled Marthanda Varma (1729–1758), often credited as "the Maker of

became the most dominant state in Kerala by defeating the powerful

Zamorin The Samoothiri (Anglicised as Zamorin; Malayalam: , Arabic: ''Sāmuri'', Portuguese: ''Samorim'', Dutch: ''Samorijn'', Chinese: ''Shamitihsi''Ma Huan's Ying-yai Sheng-lan: 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' 433 Translated and Edited ...

in the battle of Purakkad in 1755.

Etymology

The name ''Venad'' is believed to be derived from Vēḷ+nāṭu meaning the territory of the Vel chieftains. The earliest preserved Tamil compositions - datable to c. 1st – 4th century CE – attests presence of hill chiefs such as the "Vels" in southern Kerala.Aiya, V. Nagam. ''The Travancore State Manual.'' Vol 1. Part 2. Trivandrum: The Travancore Government Press, 190

/ref>Pillai Elamkulam, P. N. Kunhan. ''Keralam Ancum Arum Nurrantukalil.'' Kottayam (Kerala), 1961.

Ruling family

Medieval Ay kings claimed that they belonged to the

Yadava The Yadava (literally, descended from Yadu) were an ancient Indian people who believed to be descended from Yadu, a legendary king of Chandravamsha lineage. The community was formed of various clans, being the Abhira, Andhaka, Vrishni, and ...

Vrishni The Vrishnis (Brahmi: ''vri-shņi'') were an ancient Vedic Indian clan who were believed to be the descendants of Vrishni. It is believed that Vrishni was the son of Satvata, a descendant of Yadu, the son of Yayati. He had two wives, Gandhari a ...

lineage and this claim was advanced by the rulers of Venad and

. As early as the 10th century, the powerful chiefs of Venad used the surname suffix "Varma", denoting the

Kshatriya Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the co ...

status of the ruling line.Aiya, V. Nagam. ''The Travancore State Manual.'' Vol 1. Part 2. Trivandrum: The Travancore Government Press, 190

/ref>Journal of The Madras University (Section A Humanities) 33–36. (1961): 18

/ref> Panankavil Palace, whose location remains a mystery, was the royal residence of the Venad rulers at Kollam.Narayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 191 – 193, 435 – 437

/ref> Venad had a kind of chiefly rule with principles of succession, indicated by the term ''kuru'', that is, the rights of the chief and the order of succession within the chief's household. Rulers of the extended Venad royal family lived at different locations in the kingdom. Migrations and setting up new palaces continued into the early modern period. Political authority of a complex nature was followed by the Kerala joint families. Trippappur, Desinganad, Chiravay and Elayadam branches of the family were called "swaroopams". The swaroopams were further divided into matrilineal descent groups (the thavazhis).Menon, V. K. R, Rathi Ramachandran, et al. eds. ''History of Medieval Kerala''. Pragati Publications, 2006. 81

/ref> Sources refer to the ruler of Venad as controlling parts of Thiruvananthapuram district, Trivandrum district,

Kollam Kollam (), also known by its former name Quilon , is an ancient seaport and city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city ...

and presumably parts of Alleppey and

Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south ...

districts (and Kanyakumari district in later times). The autonomous chiefdom ("nadu") of Venad came to occupy pre-eminent importance in the structuring of the Chera/Perumal kingdom. The rulers of Venad owed their importance to exchange of spices and other products with the Middle Eastern and Chinese merchants.Mailaparambil, Binu John. ''Lords of the Sea: The Ali Rajs of Cannanore and the Political Economy of Malabar (1663–1723).'' Leiden: Brill: Leiden, 201

/ref> Venetian adventurer

Marco Polo Marco Polo (, , ; 8 January 1324) was a Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in '' The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known as ''Book of the Marv ...

claimed to have visited Venad capital Kollam, a major centre of commerce and trade with East and West Asia. European colonisers arrived at Kollam the late fifteenth century, primarily in pursuit of the Indian spices and textiles.Singh, Anjana. ''Fort Cochin in Kerala, 1750–1830.'' Leiden: Brill, 201

/ref>

Political history

It appears that the whole region of medieval Venad was part of the Ay dynasty, Ay country in early historic south India (c. 1st – 4th century CE). Veliyans belonging to the Ay family were the hill chiefs of the "Vel country". Towards the close of the early historic period the Pandya supremacy might have extended to Kanyakumari in Ay territory (through it is likely that the Ays retained their lost lands from the Pandyas during the so-called

Kalabhra The Kalabhra dynasty, also called ''Kaḷabrar'', ''Kaḷappirar'', ''Kallupura'' or Kalvar, were rulers of all or parts of Tamil region sometime between the 3rd century and 6th century CE, after the ancient dynasties of the early Cholas, the ...

period).

Development of Venad

The ancient political and cultural history of Venad was almost entirely independent from that of the rest of Kerala. The Chera dynasty governed the area of

Malabar Coast The Malabar Coast is the southwestern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing ...

between

Kanyakumari Kanniyakumari (; , referring to Devi Kanya Kumari), also known as Cape Comorin, is a city in Kanniyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland Ind ...

in the south to

Kasaragod Kasaragod () is a municipal town and administrative headquarters of Kasaragod district in the state of Kerala, India. Established in 1966, Kasaragod was the first municipal town in the district. It is the northernmost district of Kerala an ...

in the north. This included Palakkad Gap,

Coimbatore Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbat ...

, Salem, and Kolli Hills. The region around

was ruled by the Cheras during

Sangam period The Sangam period or age (, ), particularly referring to the third Sangam period, is the period of the history of ancient Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Sri Lanka (then known as Tamilakam) spanning from c. 6th century BCE to c. 3rd century CE. ...

between c. 1st and the 4th centuries CE and it served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, the principal trade route between the

and

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

In the middle of the 8th century CE, the Pandya sacked port Vizhinjam, and took possession the Ay Vel country. This foray brought the Chera-Perumal kings of Kodungallur (Makotai) into the conflict and a prolonged Pandya-Ay/Chera struggle followed.Ganesh, K. N. ''Agrarian Relations and Political Authority in Medieval Travancore (A. D. 1300–1750).'' Doctoral Thesis. Jawaharlal Nehru University, 1987. 22–25. By the middle of the 9th century CE, as a result of the encroachment of the Pandyas and Cheras, the ancient Ay country was partitioned into two portions. Venad (Vel+natu = the country of the Vel people) with its base at Kollam came under influence of the Cheras while the Ay dynasty, Ay country, or what was left of it, came under the influence of the Pandyas.Ganesh, K. N. ''Agrarian Relations and Political Authority in Medieval Travancore (A. D. 1300–1750).'' Doctoral Thesis. Jawaharlal Nehru University, 1987. 21–25. A new calendar was known as the "Kollam Era", was established in 825 CE at port

. The exact events that lead to the foundation of the era is still matter of scholarly debate. According to historians, it commemorated the foundation of Kollam harbour city after the liberation of Venad from the Pandya rule (and hence beginning of Chera influence). The Kollam Syrian plates (c. 849 CE and c. 883 CE) of Venad chieftain Ayyan Adikal, does mention the then Chera king Sthanu Ravi. The chief was providing land and other provisions to the

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

merchant Mar Sapir Iso at the port of Kollam. The rulers of Venad, known as "Venad Adikal", owed their importance to exchange of spices and other products with the Middle Eastern and Chinese merchants. Sulaiman al-Tajir, a Persian merchant who visited Kerala during the reign of

Sthanu Ravi Varma Sthanu Ravi Varma ( early Malayalam and Tamil: Ko Tanu Iravi), known as the Kulasekhara, was the Chera Perumal ruler of Kerala in southern India from 844/45 to 870/71 AD.Noburu Karashmia (ed.), A Concise History of South India: Issues and Interp ...

(9th century CE), records that there was extensive trade between Kerala and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

at that time, based at the port of

. The chiefs of Venad were always determined to extend their sway into the Ay territory. There is a possibility that chieftains captured the whole region down to Kottar (

) by 10th century CE. In general, the influence of the Kerala rulers spread into the ancient Ay territory in the 10th century CE.Ganesh, K. N. ''Agrarian Relations and Political Authority in Medieval Travancore (A. D. 1300-1750).'' Doctoral Thesis. Jawaharlal Nehru University, 1987. 22-25. The region to the south of present-day

Trivandrum Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its List of renamed Indian cities and states, former name Trivandrum (), is the Capital city, capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as ...

– former Ay country – came under the control of the Cholas of Tanjore (under king Raja Raja I) during early 11th century CE. There is a possibility that the Venad chieftains tried to recapture the old Ay region after the raids by Rajaraja I. Chola prince Rajadhiraja claims to have "confined the undaunted king of Venadu ackto the Chera kingdom rom the Ay country..and liberated the yking of Kupaka" (this event is dated c. 1018-19 CENarayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 191 - 193, 435 - 437

/ref>). Eventually the Chera-Perumal kingdom also submitted to the Chola rule (early 11th century CE). Cherar ruler Rama Varma Kulashekhara, Rama Kulasekhara, a contemporary of Chola Kulothunga (1070 -1120 CE), is seen organising the defence against the Cholas at

in early 12th century CE.

Venad in late medieval period

The prosecution of the Pandya-Chola wars necessitated long residence of Chera/Perumal king of

Rama Varma Kulashekhara, Rama Kulasekhara at Kollam.Narayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 154. There is a tradition that Vira Kerala, a ruler of Kollam in early 12th century, was a son of the last Chera king. Quilon 1670 verbessert

After the dissolution of the Chera/Perumal kingdom (c. 12th century), Venad survived, and emerged as a powerful principality in southern India, as result of the wars of conquest and well as the Indian Ocean spice trade. Venad, now known as the kingdom of the Cheras or the Kulasekharas, was intermittently subject to the Pandyas during this period.Menon. A. Sreedhara. ''A Survey of Kerala History.'' Kottayam (Kerala): DC Books, 2007

/ref> Possibly with the decline of Chola power after Kulothunga, Venad Cheras gradually extended their control over the present Kanyakumari district. In the early 14th century, "Sangramadhira" Ravi Varma carried out military raids to northern edges of south India (1312–1316). His inscriptions can be found as north as

Poonamallee Poonamallee is suburb of Chennai, India under the Chennai Metropolitan Area. It was historically called ''Pushpagirimangalam'', later renamed in Tamil as ''Poovirundhavalli'' (), and now colloquially called as ''Poondhamalli''. It is a town in ...

, a suburb of

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

.Menon, A. Sreedhara, editor. ''District Gazetteer of Trivandrum.'' Trivandrum (Kerala): Gazetteer Department, Government of Kerala, 196

/ref> In Venad royal family, like most of other royal houses in Kerala, law of succession followed was based on matrilineal inheritance. The eldest son of the sister of the ruling king, not his own son, had the legal right to ascend the throne after the death of the king. The port at

held superior economic and political position in medieval Kerala coast, while

, and

, were commercially important secondary ports, where the traders from various parts of the world would gather.''The Portuguese, Indian Ocean and European Bridgeheads 1500–1800''. Festschrift in Honour of Prof. K. S. Mathew (2001). Edited by: Pius Malekandathil and T. Jamal Mohammed. Fundacoa Oriente. Institute for Research in Social Sciences and Humanities of MESHAR (Kerala) Aditya Varma (1376–83) seems to have resisted some "Muslim invaders" on the borders of Venad. His successor Chera Udaya Marthanda Varma (1383–1444) is credited for the extent of the rule of Venad into interior

Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tam ...

region. Vira Udaya Marthanda Varma (1516–1535) acknowledged the supremacy of the

rulers. Minor battles with Vijayanagara forces in the subsequent period are also recorded.Menon, A Sreedhara, ''Kerala History and its Makers.'' Kottayam (Kerala): DC Books, 1987. 74–75. The Portuguese arrived at Kappad

in 1498 during the

Age of Discovery The Age of Discovery (or the Age of Exploration), also known as the early modern period, was a period largely overlapping with the Age of Sail, approximately from the 15th century to the 17th century in European history, during which seafa ...

, thus opening a direct sea route from

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. They were the first Europeans to establish a trading center in Tangasseri,

in 1502, which became the centre of their trade in pepper. It was the beginning of Portuguese era in Venad. Well into the modern period, Venad remained one of the chief monarchies of

, along with Kingdoms of Kannur (Kolathunadu), Kozhikode (Zamorin) and Kochi (Perumpadappu).Balasubramanian, V. "On an Epic Journey." ''The Hindu'' 07 April 2017: http://www.thehindu.com. Web. Accessed 07 April 2017

/ref>

Padmanabhaswamy Temple The Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple located in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the state of Kerala, India. The name of the city of 'Thiruvananthapuram' in Tamil and Malayalam translates to "The City of Lord Ananta" (The Ci ...

in Trivandrum was the major temple in the region. In the 17th century, the rulers of Venad paid an annual tribute to the Nayaks of Madurai. By this time, the old state of Venad was divided into several autonomous collateral branches such as Trippappoor, Elayadathu, (

Kottarakara Kottarakkara (IAST: Koṭṭārakkara), also transliterated as ''Kottarakara'', is a town and municipality in the Kollam district of the Kerala, India. The town is close to Kollam Port, which has a rich history linked to the early medieval ...

), Desinganad (Kallada,

), and Peraka Thavazhi ( Nedumangad). During the "regency" of Umayamma (1677–1864), southern Venad was famously overrun by a Muslim adventurer. East India Company, English East India Company established a factory at Vizhinjam in 1664 and a fort was built at Ajengo in 1695. Around 150 Company men from the Anjengo Factory, proceeding for an audience with the queen-mother, were lynched by a mob in "the Attingal Outbreak" of 1721. Ravi Varma, ruling from 1721 to 1729, entered into formal agreements with the Company and the Nayaks of Madurai. The primary objective of the submission was to strengthen the position of the king against the regional nobles (such as "the Ettuvittil Pillamar") and other "hostile elements" in Venad.

Rise of Travancore

In the early 18th century CE, the Travancore royal family adopted some members from the royal family of

based at

, and Parappanad based in present-day

Malappuram district Malappuram (), is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, with a coastline of . It is the most populous district of Kerala, which is home to around 13% of the total population of the state. The district was formed on 16 June 196 ...

Marthanda Varma Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma (Malayalam: ) was the founding monarch of the southern Indian Kingdom of Travancore (previously Venadu) from 1729 until his death in 1758. He was succeeded by Rama Varma ("Dharma Raja") (1758–98).Subrahman ...

(1729–1758), of the Trippappoor, is often hailed by historians as "the Maker of Travancore".

became the most dominant state in Kerala by defeating the powerful

in the battle of Purakkad in 1755. Marthanda Varma – at the end of whose rule Travancore was one of the first modern states of south India – is usually credited with the following "achievements". * Successfully developed the centralised state of

(from Tiruvitamkur/Tiruvitamcode). Dismantling of existing feudal relations. * Routed all of major Nair nobles and other "hostile elements" in Travancore. * Organised a standing army, and defeated most of the chiefdoms in central Kerala. * Entered into strategic alliances with Europeans. * Supported Kerala merchants (Syrian Christian) in the place of the Europeans.

Rulers of Venad (till 16th century)

Early historic

Quilon_(Venatu)_insignia_from_Syrian_copper_plates_-_Plate_5_(c

* Veliyan Venmal Nallini – the wife of the Chera chieftain Utiyan.Narayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 106. * Veliyan Venman Ay Eyinan – the leader of the Chera warriors against Nannan of

Ezhimalai Ezhimala, a hill reaching a height of , is located near Payyanur, in Kannur district of Kerala, south India. It is a part of a conspicuous and isolated cluster of hills, forming a promontory, north of Kannur (Cannanore). The Indian Naval A ...

Early medieval

*Vel Mannan of Vizhinjam (latter half of the 8th century CE) – Seen in Madras Museum Inscription of Maran Chadaiyan * Venattadikal the Nayanar – author of ''Venattadikal Thiruvichaippa'' (early 9th century AD)Narayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 383

/ref>

Under Chera Perumal influence

* Ayyan Adikal Tiru Adikal – Donor of Kollam Syrian plates, Quilon Syrian copper plates (mid-9th century CE) **Rama Tiru Adikal – Junior chief of Venad (mid-9th century CE) * Kandiyur Vel Kula Sundara – a warrior in the Chola army under Vellan Kumaran (c. 949 CE) * Sri Vallava Goda Varma – Donor of Mamapalli copper plates (c. 973 CE) * Govardhana Marthanda – Successor of Srivallavan Goda Varma (c. 976 – 1000 CE) **Seen in

Jewish copper plates of Cochin Jewish copper plates of Cochin (Malayalam: ജൂതശാസനം), also known as Cochin plates of Bhaskara Ravi-varman, is a royal charter issued by the Chera Perumals of Makotai, Chera Perumal king of Kerala, south India to Joseph Rabban, a J ...

(c. 1000 CE) * Kumara Udaya Varma – mentioned in the inscription by Chera Perumal king

Rama Kulasekhara Rama Kulasekhara (''fl.'' late 11th century CE) was the last ruler of the Chera Perumal dynasty of medieval Kerala. He was a contemporary to Chola kings Kulottunga I (1070–1120) and Vikrama Chola (1118–35 AD). Rama Kulaskehara is best known ...

(c. 1102 CE) * Vira Kerala – son of Rama Kulasekhara (c. 1126, Cholapuram)

From 12th century onwards

A language map of India prepared for the missionary projects at Serampore, 1822

Venad Dynasty *Kotha Varma Martanda (1102–1125) * Vira Kerala Varma I (1125–1145) * Kodai Kerala Varma (1145–1150) * Vira Ravi Varma (1161–1164) * Vira Kerala Varma II (1164–1167) * Vira Aditya Varma (1167–1173) * Vira Udaya Martanda Varma (1173–1192) * Devadaram Vira Kerala Varma III (1192–1195) * Vira Manikantha Rama Varma Tiruvadi (1195– ?) * Vira Rama Kerala Varma Tiruvadi (1209–1214) * Vira Ravi Kerala Varma Tiruvadi (1214–1240) * Vira Padmanabha Martanda Varma Tiruvadi (1240–1252) * Jayasimha Deva (1266–1267 * Ravi Varma (1299–1313) * Vira Udaya Martanda Varma (1313–1333) * Aditya Varma Tiruvadi (1333–1335) * Vira Rama Udaya Martanda Varma Tiruvadi (1335–1342) * Vira Kerala Varma Tiruvadi (1342–1363) * Vira Martanda Varma III (1363–1366) * Vira Rama Martanda Varma (1366–1382) * Vira Ravi Varma (1383–1416) * Vira Ravi Ravi Varma (1416–1417) * Vira Kerala Martanda Varma (1383) * Chera Udaya Martanda Varma (1383–1444) * Vira Ravi Varma, (1444–1458) * Sankhara Sri Vira Rama Martanda Varma (1458–1468) * Vira Kodai Sri Aditya Varma (1468–1484) * Vira Ravi Ravi Varma (1484–1503) * Martanda Varma, Kulasekhara Perumal (1503–1504) * Vira Ravi Kerala Varma, Kulasekhara Perumal (1504–1528)

References

* ''Travancore Archaeological Series'', Vol. I – VII. Triandrum (Kerala): Government Press (Travancore). 1910–38. * Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai. ''Some Problems in Kerala History (Chila Kerala Charithra Prasnangal (Part I, II, & III)).'' Kerala Cultural and Historical Research Library.