History of Kerala, Volume 1 Written in the Form of Notes on Visscher`s Letters from Malabar

The History of Kerala is a monumental work in four volumes. Chaplain of Cochin (1717-23), Jacobus Canter Visscher wrote descriptive letters to his friends and which were edited and published. K.P. Padmanabha Menon re-edited the English translation of the letters with an extensive and exhaustive commentary. His notes speak eloquently of his wide range of information and study and no less of his power to present the varied material into a highly readable historical narrative. The author has used Visscher's book as the thread on which to string the ancient History of Kerala.

It contains cameos on many of the important events and institutions, customs and manners and the salient features of the region, and of its social, political and economic conditions, based as far as possible, on contemporary records. The author has brought into lime light a part of India about which not much was known earlier and has brought out in an orderly fashion some of the events and institutions, manners and customs of the place to give one an idea of the eminent position which Kerala had held even in those early days of her social and political evolution.

Table of Contents

• List of Illustrations. XI
• Foreword, by the Editor XI II—XXIII
• Letter I. 1-4
• Malabar—Name Topography. Colonization. Letter II. Indigenous disorders. Seasons of the year. 4-9
• Letter III. 9-14 Description of Cochin and of Calicut. Conduct of English. 4-9
• Letter IV. Description of Quilon, Cranganur, Paliport, etc. Dutch fortresses in Malabar. English possessions. A war narrative 14-21
• Letter V. Description of Canara, Goa, etc,, and of Portuguese Customs. Letter 21-27
• VI. Malabar, an expensive settlement to the Dutch East India Company. Its importance. East India Company's Administration, and estates belonging to it. 27-32
• Letter VII. English trade in Malabar. 33-36
• Letter VIII. Dissensions among royal families and conse-quent wars. Funeral ceremonies. Dutch Government and ruling houses. 36-43