The Kingdom of Kolathunad

Kolathunad was a post-Chera Perumal kingdom in ancient Kerala. This article will discuss about the origin of Kolathunad, their transformation, and their decline…

After the disappearance of the Perumals or the Cheras of Mahodayapuram in the twelfth century, the

political formation in Kerala took a different turn from the other parts of South India. The

emergence of the institution known as the ‘swarupam’ as the focus of political power in Kerala after

the twelfth century was a significant development in the history of Kerala.

The origins of Kolathunad

The Kolathiris(kings of Kolathunad) claim their origin from the legendary Mooshika dynasty. The Mushika-vamsha Mahakavya, written by Athula in the 11th century, throws light on the recorded past of the Mushika Royal Family up until that point. They were Chandravanshi/Somavanshi Kshatriyas of the Heheya stock.
Between the 9th and 12th centuries, a dynasty called "Mushaka" controlled the Chirakkal areas of northern Malabar (the Wayanad-Tellichery area was part of the Second Chera Kingdom). The Mushakas were probably the descendants of the ancient royal family of Nannan of Ezhi mala and were perhaps a vassal of the Cheras. Some scholars have expressed the view that Mushakas were not under the Cheras, since the ruler of Mushaka does not figure along with the rulers of Eralnadu and Valluvanadu as a signatory in the famous Terisappalli and Jewish Copper Plates. They intermarried very frequently with some of the Muvendhars. The Mushika family has found mention in surviving Hindu Indian texts like the Vishnu Purana and also in Greek accounts like that of Strabo.

Rise of the Kolathiris

Up to the 11th century, the Mushaka kings followed patrilineal system of succession. Its said that after the Nāgar/Nāyar invasion through Tulunad during the Rashtrakuta times, Nair male soldiers and accompanying females got settled there. Over time, the higher subcastes among Nairs started marrying into the Kolathiri dynasty. This eventually shifted their inheritance pattern into the Nair system of Matrilinear succession. The qualities of the warlike people introduced into their bloodline, helped them to retrieve their past territories for few centuries.

The Royal flag of the Kolathiri family was a combination of , Naandakam Vaal(A type of Kerala sword)and Nenmeni-vaka(A type of native flower). Its said by their legends that Parashurama helped in their coronation(maybe an allegory) and gifted them the Naandakam Vaal.

Now, after few centuries, the king of Kolathunad had a desire to reclaim their Kshatriya ceremonies and rituals, whose rights they had lost long ago when they married with the Vrātya(Degarded) Kshatriya Nairs(who were regarded as Shudras in ritual rank) and adopted matrilinear system. The Namboothiri priests refused to do anything for him. So the Kolathiri decides to undergo Hiranyagarba (which is a ritual which enables the user to reclaim Kshatriya status by mimicking a rebirth). For that he brought Brahmins known as Sagara-Dwijas, from Gokarnam. These Brahmins happily performed Hiranyagarbam for him, and over time they adopted Namboothiri customs and culture and settled in North Kerala.

Since then, the Kolathiri Rajas possessed the title Perumal as part of their imperial name. Also, the Kolathiris are praised as Vadakkan Perumals ("Kings of the North") by the noted "Keralolpathi”.

Decline of Kolathunad

By the seventeenth century, the Kolaswarupam had to share its political authority with two other

lineages in North Kerala. The Nileswaram (Alladam) Swarupam and the Arackal Swarupam claimed

independent political identity. Moreover, political power within the Kolaswarupam was also

disseminated into different kovilakams. In the Keralolpathi there are four kovilakams sharing the political

authority of the Kolaswarupam namely: Talora Kovilakam; Arathil Kovilakam; Muttathil Kovilakam;

and Karipathu Kovilakam. According to the Keralolpathi Kolathunadu tradition, the Karipathu

Kovilakam claimed some sort of superiority over the others. However, it was the Palli Kovilakam

and the Udayamangalam Kovilakam, as apparent from the Dutch records, which dominated the

political scene of Kolathunadu.64 Both these kovilakams had again branched into various kovilakams,

thereby, creating a network of ‘political houses’ within the Kolaswaroopam.

Zamorins military conquests too played a part in reducing the size and stability of Kolathunad. But it was the Mysorean attack who sounded the death-knell for this kingdom. When Mysorean troops invaded, Kolathunad’s neighbour, the Arrackal Kingdom helped them. This caused many royal members of Kolaswaroopam to see temporary asylum in South Malabar. The ones that remained mostly fought to death or were captured and taken to Seringapattanam. Most of their royal mansions and palace were destroyed. Only a small portion still stands today, bearing testimony to their decline….