This is a timeline of Kerala History comprising important events which took place in the geographical area that falls within present day Kerala. It overlaps with the history of Indian subcontinent. To read background of these events, read History of Kerala.
Also see List of years in Kerala, List of governors of Kerala and List of chief ministers of Kerala.
Ancient and prehistoric times
Before Common Era
2000 BC – Megalith Burial sites such as Kudakkallu Parambu 1500 BC – 500 BC – Dolmen (Muniyara) burial sites at Marayur and Dolmenoid cist in places like Palakkad. 257 BC - Ashokan rock edict II mentions about Keralaputra. 100 BC – 300 AD – Peak phase of Pattanam.
Common Era (CE or AD)
52 – Thomas the Apostle reaches Kerala to spread Christianity. 1st century (50–70 AD) – Periplus of the Erythraean Sea mentions about Cheras and ports of that time like Nelcynda, Limyrike, Muziris etc. 77 – Pliny the Elder mentions maritime trade with Kerala in his work. 190 - Confederacy of 11 rulers including Chera dynasty lost Battle of Venni. 3rd century – Keralaputra finds mention in Ashoka inscriptions. 6th century - Nilambur plates 624 – Cheraman Juma Mosque, the first Mosque in India established.
Medieval times
8th century
Birth and life time of Adi Shankara 748 – Malik Dinar passes away at Thalangara.
9th century
825 – Malayalam calendar started following establishment of Venadu kingdom by Cheras after defeating Pandyas. 832 - Vazhappally copper plate 849-50 – Tarisappalli Shasanam 869 - Huzur Plates of Kollam mentions about Ay dynasty and Parthasarathy temple, Parthivapuram. 871 - Kurumathur inscription 898 – Sri Mulavasam chepped/Paliyam copper plates
10th century
903 - Pandalam dynasty established at Konni. 923 – Chokur inscriptions. 929 - Ramanthali inscriptions 974 - Mampalli copper plate 988 - Battle of Kandalur Salai between Chera dynasty and Rajaraja I. Thiruvalla copper plates Moozhikulam Kacham the first unified devaswom regulation comes into effect. Aditya I improves Rajakesari Peruvazhi through Palakkad Gap connecting Chera Empire with Tamilakam.
11th century
1000 - Jewish copper plates of Cochin 1020 - Eramam – Chalappuram inscriptions mentioning Mushika dynasty. Pullur Kodavalam inscription 1028 - Thirumittacode inscription Trichambaram inscription 1083 - Kinalur inscription
12th century
1102 - Kollam (Rameshwaram Temple) Pillar Inscription 1122 - Abdication of throne by Rama Kulasekhara followed by fragmentation of Chera dynasty and rise of regional powers such as Kolathunadu, Nediyiruppu Swaroopam, Venadu kingdom etc. as regional powers. 1145 – Perinchellur Chepped (Copper Inscriptions of Perinchellur) that mentions Kolathunadu king Karumpattu Iraman Iravi Varman transacting with Brahmin settlements independently without tutelage of Cheras.
13th century
1225 – Viraraghava copper plate 1292 – 94 – Marco Polo visits Kerala.
14th century
1341 – Kerala floods 1343 – 46 – Ibn Battuta visits Malabar Coast. Rise of Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics.
15th century
1449 September 8 - First mass offered at Akkarapally Kanjirappally. 1498 May 20 - Vasco da Gama and crew from Portugal reaches Calicut.
16th century
1500 September 13 - Pedro Álvares Cabral arrives at Calicut - 2nd Portuguese India Armada (Cabral, 1500) 1500 – Treaty of Cochin 1501 - Work on Mathematics, Tantrasamgraha published. 1501 December 31 – The to day long First Battle of Cannanore. 1502 October 30 – Vasco da Gama reaches Calicut as part of 4th Portuguese India Armada (Gama, 1502) 1504 March – July – Battle of Cochin 1505 October 23 – Francisco de Almeida gets permission from Kolathiri to construct St. Angelo Fort 1506 March – Battle of Cannanore (1506) 1507 April 27 – August 27 – Siege of Cannanore (1507) 1513 December 24 – The thirteen year long First Luso-Malabarese War (Calicut–Portuguese conflicts) comes to an end as a result of treaty between Zamorin and Afonso de Albuquerque of Portuguese India following assassination of former Zamorin. 1530 - Publication of Yuktibhāṣā 1599 June 20–26 – Synod of Diamper
17th century
1653 January 3 – Coonan Cross Oath 1653 May 22 - Thoma I elected as Bishop by native priests at Alangad. 1661 December – Dutch captures St Thomas Fort Quilon from Portuguese. 1663 January 7 – Dutch conquest of Malabar comes to an end with capture of Cochin from Portuguese India as a result of Dutch–Portuguese War. 1665 - Gregorios Abdal Jaleel recognized and validated the consecration of Thoma I. 1678 – 1693 – Hendrik van Rheede compiles Itty Achudan's work on Botany as Hortus Malabaricus from Amsterdam. 1686 January - Major conflagration destroys Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
18th century
1708 – British traders established Tellicherry Fort. 1721 April – October – Anjengo Revolt 1724 – French Indies Company under La Bourdonnais capture Mayyazhi and established a fort. 1729 – Anchal Post established in Travancore. 1741 August 10 – Battle of Colachel 1744 July 5 – Marthanda Varma conducts first Murajapam took place at Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Travancore. 1746 - Battle of Purakkad 1749 September - Battle of Changanassery and defeat of Thekkumkur. 1750 January 3 - Marthanda Varma submits the kingdom before Padmanabhaswamy through Thrippadi Danam. 1750 - The first Lakshadeepam at Padmanabhaswamy Temple. 1755 - The last Mamankam at Tirunavaya. 1756 - 57 - Mysore invasion of Calicut 1761 - Cochin–Travancore Alliance (1761) followed by Suchindram Pact next year to combat Mysorean invasion of Malabar. 1762 - Raja Kesavadas develops port and canals of Alappuzha. 1763 February - East India Company restores Mahé to France following Treaty of Paris (1763). 1766 - Ali Raja of Arakkal kingdom develops two and half-mile long Sultan Canal between Kuppam River and Perumba River in Madayi. 1766 - 1792 - Mysorean invasion of Malabar 1767 - Murdoch Brown of East India Company established 300 acre Browns Cinnamon Estate at Anjarakkandy. 1772 - Samkshepa Vedartham printed from Rome becomes the first book printed in Malayalam. Abraham Koorilos I establishes Malabar Independent Syrian Church at Thozhiyoor. It became the first of several groups that split from Malankara Church. 1779 December - 1782 January - Siege of Tellicherry. 1780 - 90 - Thamarassery Churam route developed by British with help of Karinthandan forming an alternative for lengthy Kuttiyadi route. 1789 - 90 - Battle of Nedumkotta 1790 - Varthamanappusthakam, the firstever Travelog in an Indian language written by Paremmakkal Thoma. 1795 - Dutch Malabar taken over by East India Company following Napoleon's war on Dutch Republic and Kew Letters. 1797 – Ambush at Manandery 1798 – Sakthan Thampuran started Thrissur Pooram. Commencement of Pulavanibham in Kingdom of Cochin following a Smallpox outbreak.
Modern times
19th century
1800 – 1850 1800 July 1 – Malabar becomes a part of Madras Presidency. 1805 November 30 – Pazhassi Raja killed in battle with British. 1809 January 11 – Velu Thampi Dalawa did historic proclamation at Kundara against British Raj. 1809 January 15 – Battle of Quilon 1812 March – May – Kurichiya tribe revolt against British Raj. 1812 December 5 – Gowri Lakshmi Bayi prohibits sale of slaves through proclamation in Travancore. 1813 – beginning of Channar revolt protests by lower castes to gain rights to cover breasts following John Munro granting upper cloth rights to women who converted to Christianity. 1814 August – Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 brings Dutch Malabar permanently under British. 1816 November 15 – Zamorin formally loses all political powers following treaty with East India Company. 1817 – CMS College Kottayam established as first western education college in Kerala. 1821 – Benjamin Bailey establishes C.M.S. Press the first printing press in Kerala. 1829 February 3 – Gowri Parvati Bayi issues a royal proclamation that prohibits Nadar women converted to Christianity from covering their breast. Some historians argue that this proclamation led to infamous Breast tax. 1830 – Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma permanently shifts Hajoor Kacheri from Kollam to Thiruvananthapuram. Prior to this Hajoor kacheri existed at seat of Diwans which were Mavelikkara and Alappuzha prior to Kollam. 1843 April 7 – Slavery abolished in Malabar District through Indian Slavery Act, 1843. 1846 – Forest Conservator Chathu Menon established Connolly Plot Nilambur as world's first teak plantation. 1847 March 19 – London Missionary Society and Church Mission Society places representation before Marthanda Varma II to abolish slavery and the same was rejected king. 1847 June – Hermann Gundert published first Malayalam journal Rajyasamacharam from Tellicherri.
1851 – 1899 1855 April – Kingdom of Cochin abolished slavery. 1855 June 24 - Travancore abolished slavery. 1855 September 11 – District Collector of Malabar District Henry Valentine Conolly assassinated in his official premises in Calicut by Mappilas. 1859 July 26 – Channar revolt result in royal decree in Travancore that gives Nadar (caste) women the right to wear upper clothes. 1861 March 12 – First railway line in state opened between Beypore and Tirur. 1865 - Pandara Patta Vaka Proclamation in Travancore. It became a significant event that changed land rights in the princely state. 1869 July - August - The new Hajur Kacheri in Trivandrum completed and offices started functioning. 1877 – Punalur Suspension Bridge completed. 1880 – Varkala twin Tunnel in TS Canal completed facilitating inland navigation between Thiruvananthapuram Vallakadavu and Quilon. 1880 – 1903 – The first phase of Kuttanad kayal reclamation an area of roughly 1764 hectares reclaimed from Vembanad for Paddy cultivation. 1883 – Mambally Bapu bakes the first Christmas cake in state at Tellicherri. Fr. Victor starts a tile factory in Mulagumudu near Nagercoil. 1886 October 29 – 999-year lease indenture entered over Mullaperiyar Dam water between Moolam Thirunal and British Secretary of State for Periyar irrigation Works. 1886 September - Vicariate Apostolic of Malabar elevated as Archdiocese of Verapoly the first archdiocese in Kerala. 1887 - The High Court of Travancore established at Thiruvananthapuram. 1888 February – Narayana Guru establishes temple at Aruvippuram against caste system. 1888 March 30 – An eight member legislative council established in Travancore. 1889 January 4 – Great fire of Cochin 1889 December – Indulekha by Oyyarathu Chandu Menon gets published as first novel in Malayalam. 1891 January 1 – Malayali Memorial 1893 – Villuvandi (Bullock Cart) Samaram by Ayyankali. 1895 March 8 – 17 – The first Maramon Convention held. 1895 October 10 – Mullaperiyar Dam completes construction and opened. 1896 September – Ezhava Memorial Petition 1899 - Appu Nedungadi established Nedungadi Bank, the first private commercial Bank in South India.
20th century
Pre – Independence (1900–1923)
1900 – Raja's Court of Appeal established as Chief Court of Appeal in Kingdom of Cochin. 1900 November 18 – 25 – Lord Curzon visits Kingdom of Cochin and Travancore and he is the first Governor-General of India to visit these states. 1902 January - Fire accident at Sabarimala Temple 1902 March 27 - Mannanar dynasty comes to an end following murder of Muthetattarmanakal Kunhikelapan Mannanar. 1902 July 16 – The first passenger train service in Kingdom of Cochin in Shoranur–Cochin route. 1902 – The first viable commercial rubber plantation in Kerala established near Thattekad by John Joseph Murphy and Periyar Syndicate. 1903 May 15 – Padmanabhan Palpu formed Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam. 1904 July 1 – The first train service in Travancore between Kollam–Sengottai commenced. 1904 October 22 – Sree Moolam Praja Sabha established with 88 members and first meeting held at VJT Hall.