Kochi’s timeless shores: from Neolithic settlers to global traders

It is not yet known when exactly humans started inhabiting this beautiful piece of land now known as Kochi. However, material evidence, though sporadic in nature, does suggest that this place witnessed the inhabitation of humans at least from the Neolithic period.

The megalithic Iron Age, a period after the Neolithic period in Kerala, also witnessed intense human activities in the area, as evidence shows. Further research has to be done to ascertain the exact nature of human-environment interaction of the distant past. However, a well-documented history of the last two millennia will tell us tales about life in this beautiful landscape and its rich heritage.

We do have literature from the West: Pliny, Strabo, Periplus of the Eritrean Sea, and also from the East, mainly classical Tamil, to authenticate this heritage. Material evidence in the form of monuments, ceramics, coins, inscriptions, icons, and architecture substantiate what is in the written form. In the context of history and culture, the geographical extent of Kochi would cover, besides the urban region, adjoining areas like Kodungallur, Paravur, Chendamangalam, and Thripunithura. Time has brought many changes to this land. Its landscape and heritage have changed quite a bit over the years, thanks to many natural and human factors. In the process, they have become a living repository of culture and traditions. Every nook and corner of this great land has tales of eventful history.

Records and monuments speak volumes about people who came here from various parts of the world and had trade and cultural relations with the inhabitants of this land. People from the Greeko-Roman world, Arabs, Jews, Chinese, and other East Asians, Portuguese, Dutch, French, and English, to name the most important among them, and almost all of them had left their mark in this land, irrespective of the duration of their stay here. They are in the form of monuments, coins, inscriptions, icons, texts, languages, and art forms. It is believed that the Greeko-Romans came as early as the first century of the Christian era and had a strong bond with this land for almost four centuries.

The discovery of Roman gold coin hoards and vestiges from various parts of this region stands as testimony to this fact. Further investigation into this aspect may shed more light on this period in terms of diagnostic evidence in the form of Terra sigillata, Amphora, and Roulette ceramics. It is believed that the Arabs and Jews also had close tie-up with the land during this period.

In Kodungallur, you find the oldest mosque in India, said to have been built by Malik-I-Dinar in the sixth century A.D. At Chendamangalam, Paravur, Ernakulam, and Mattanchery, you find Synagogues. The Chinese and others from East Asia also started their association with the land sooner or later.

From the medieval period, a strong Chinese presence was visible in the area. Digging into occupational layers belonging to the medieval period, whether it is Kodungallur, Thripunithura, or Mattanchery, would certainly yield a sizeable number of Chinese-made celadon ceramic ware. And for that matter, the Chinese fishing nets, a unique feature of Kochi, are believed to have their origin in the region’s links with China.

The next visible presence was that of the Portuguese, starting from the 15th century. They built an ‘empire’ here, and, in the process, constructed buildings, forts, churches, and houses. Later, the Dutch wrested the ‘empire’ from the Portuguese and left their mark by laying out streets and gardens. The British, in turn, seized it from the Dutch and pulled down everything that their predecessors had built and restored them to their old state of comparative obscurity.

Then, there were people from other parts of the subcontinent like Gujarat, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Bengal, who came here at intervals and made Kochi their permanent home. This vibrant cultural landscape, where nearly 16 linguistic and cultural groups coexist today, is marked by rich customs, traditions, and art forms.

Kochi can be considered as a classic example of creating an urban environment in which diversity becomes a source of strength rather than of conflict.

(The author is the director, Centre for Heritage, Environment and Development, Kochi Corporation)

Published – September 10, 2025 03:10 pm IST