Kuttanad

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Map of Kerala

Kuttanad (कुट्टनाड) is a region covering the Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta Districts, in the state of Kerala, India. Kuttanad is historically important in the ancient history of South India.

Variants

• Kuttanadu
• Malayalam: കുട്ടനാട്‌
• Cottonara (Pliny.vi.26)
• Cottiara (of Ptolemy)

Origin of name

The native place of the Kuttuva tribe came to be known as Kuttanadu.

Jat clans

• Katwa

Geography

Kuttanad is well known for its vast paddy fields and geographical peculiarities. It is the major rice producer in the state. Farmers of Kuttanad are famous for Biosaline Farming. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has declared the Kuttanad Farming System as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS).

Four of Kerala's major rivers, the Pamba, Meenachil, Achankovil and Manimala flow into the region. It is well known for its boat race in the Punnamada Backwaters, known in Malayalam as Vallamkalli.

History

This region with abundant paddy fields and lakes produces rice, vegetables & fruits, fish, dairy products and poultry meat which were sold locally at Alappuzha, Changanacherry and Kottayam village market under Travancore Kingdom.

When Kerala state came into being the lower Kuttanad region was included in Alappuzha and Kottayam districts, upper Kuttanad in Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts and north Kuttanad in Kottayam on the basis of landscape.

The first recorded history of this land is obtained from the Sangam period literature. According to the Sangam era texts, Uthiyan Cheralatan (Perum Chorru Udiyan Cheralathan, Athan I or Udiyanjeral) is the first recorded Chera dynasty ruler of the Sangam period in ancient Kerala. He had his capital at a place called Kuzhumur in Kuttanad (central Kerala) and expanded the kingdom northward and eastward from his original homeland. His lifetime is broadly determined to be between first century BC and 2nd century AD. His queen was Veliyan Nallini, the daughter of Veliyan Venman.

Uthiyan Cheralathan was a contemporary of the Chola ruler Karikala Chola. He is praised for his elephant corps and cavalry. Present day Changanacherry end of Kuttanad was the capital of the Chera dynasty king Uthiyan Cheralathan. His descendant was Cenkuttuvan (Chenkuttuvan means "Alluring Kuttuvan" in Malayalam) and his name is carried by the towns of Chenganacherri and Chengana to the present day). The native place of the Kuttuva tribe came to be known as Kuttanadu. According to sangam literature, Uthiyan Cheralathan was defeated in the Battle of Venni against Karikala Chola and the capital was burnt down.

Black wooden logs were mined from paddy fields called as ‘Karinilam’(Black paddy fields) until the recent past. In Kuttanad most of the place names end in 'kari' (meaning burnt residue or charcoal). Some familiar place names are Ramankary, Puthukkary, Amichakary, Oorukkary, Mithrakary, Mampuzhakary, Kainakary, Kandanakary, Thayamkary, Chathenkary, Chathurthiakary and Chennamkary.

Mention by Pliny

Pliny mentions....If the wind, called Hippalus³², happens to be blowing, it is possible to arrive in forty days at the nearest mart of India, Muziris³³ by name. This, however, is not a very desirable place for disembarcation, on account of the pirates which frequent its vicinity, where they occupy a place called Nitrias; nor, in fact, is it very rich in articles of merchandize. Besides, the road-stead for shipping is a considerable distance from the shore, and the cargoes have to be conveyed in boats, either for loading or discharging. At the moment that I am writing these pages, the name of the king of this place is Cælobothras.

Another port, and a much more convenient one, is that which lies in the territory of the people called Neacyndi, Barace by name. Here king Pandion used to reign, dwelling at a considerable distance from the mart in the interior, at a city known as Modiera. The district from which pepper is carried down to Barace in boats hollowed out of a single tree,³⁴ is known as Cottonara.³⁵

None of these names of nations, ports, and cities are to be found in any of the former writers, from which circumstance it would appear that the localities have since changed their names. Travellers set sail from India on their return to Europe, at the beginning of the Egyptian month Tybis, which is our December, or at all events before the sixth day of the Egyptian month Mechir, the same as³⁶ our ides of January: if they do this, they can go and return in the same year. They set sail from India with a south-east wind, and upon entering the Red Sea, catch the south-west or south. We will now return to our main subject.

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32 Or Favonius, the west wind, previously mentioned in the present Chapter.

33 The modern Mangalore, according to Du Bocage.

34 Or canoes.

35 The Cottiara of Ptolemy, who makes it the chief city of the Æi, a tribe who occupied the lower part of the peninsula of Hindostan. It has been supposed to be represented by the modern Calicut or Travancore. Cochin, however, appears to be the most likely.

36 Marcus observes that we may conclude that either Pliny or the author from whom he transcribed, wrote this between the years of the Christian era 48 and 51; for that the coincidence of the 6th of the month Mechir with the Ides of January, could not have taken place in any other year than those on which the first day of Thoth or the beginning of the year fell on the 11th of August, which happened in the years 48, 49, 50, and 51 of the Christian era.

कोट्टनर

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ... कोट्टनर (AS, p.232): कोट्टनर का उल्लेख प्राचीन रोम के इतिहास लेखक 'प्लिनी' ने किया है। उसने भारत के सुदूर दक्षिण के इस प्रदेश का उल्लेख करते हुए इसे 'काली मिर्च' का समुद्र तट कहा है, क्योंकि रोम साम्राज्य से जो व्यापार भारत के साथ ई. सन के प्रारंभिक काल से होता था, उसमें काली मिर्च प्रमुख पण्य वस्तु थी। कोट्टनर के प्रदेश में काली मिर्च बड़ी प्रचुरता से उत्पन्न होती थी। विंसेंट स्मिथ के मत में कोट्टनर, केरल राज्य में स्थित वर्तमान 'कोट्टायम' और 'क्विलन' का इलाका रहा होगा। (अर्ली हिस्ट्री ऑफ़ इंडिया, पृ. 476.)