Kollam
Kollam
or Quilon, an old sea port town on the Arabian coast , stands on the Ashtamudi
lake. Kollam, the erstwhile Desinganadu, had a sustained commercial reputation
from the days of the Phoenicians and the Romans. Fed by the Chinese trade, it
was regarded by Ibn Batuta, as one of the five ports , which he had seen in
the course of his travels during a period of twenty four years, in the 14th
century.
Kollam District which is a veritable Kerala in miniature is gifted with unique
representative features - sea, lakes, plains, mountains, rivers, streams, backwaters,
forest, vast green fields and tropical crop of every variety both food crop
and cash crop, so called The Gods Own Capital.
The rulers of Kollam (Desinganadu) and China , exchange embassies and there
was flourishing Chinese settlement at Kollam. Merchant Sulaiman of Siraf in
Persia ( 9th Century) found Kollam to be the only port in India , touched by
the huge Chinese junks , on his way from Carton of Persian Gulf. Marco Polo,
the great Venician traveller, who was in Chinese service under Kublahan in 1275,
visited Kollam and other towns on the west coast, in his capacity as a Chinese
mandarin.
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to establish a trading center at Kollam
in 1502. Then came the Dutch followed by the British in 1795. A British garrison
was stationed at Kollam in pursuance of a treaty between Travancore and the
British.
Velu Thampi Dalawa of Travancore, did much for the improvement of the Kollam
town. He build new bazaars and invited merchants from Madras and Thirunelveli
to settle here. Kollam later became the capital of the enlightened and liberal
rulers of Desinganad.
Once a city of palaces, Kollam has been known to the outside world, by the time
honoured proverb, "Once you have seen Kollam you would no more need your
illam (Home)"
The history of the district as an administrative unit can be traced back to
1835, when the Travancore state consisted of two revenue divisions with headquarters
at Kollam and Kottayam. At the time of the integrating of Travancore and Cochin
in 1949, Kollam was one of the three revenue divisions in the state. These three
revenue divisions were converted into districts. Shencottah taluk was merged
with Madras state consequent on the implementation of the state Reorganisation
Act of 1956.
When Alappuzha district was formed in 1957, Cherthala, Ambalapuzha, Mavelikkara,
Karthikappally. Chenganuur and Thiruvalla Taluks were united to the new district.
When Pathanamthitta district was formed on 1st July 1983, the entire Pathanamthitta
Taluk and nine villages of Kunnathur Taluk of the district were also removed.
Now the district has a single revenue division with headquarters at Kollam.
Pathanapuram, Kunnathur, Kottarakkara, Karunagappally and Kollam are the five
taluks in the district.
Places of Interest
in & Around Kollam
Kerala Must See › Alappuzha
› Ernakulam › Idukki
› Kannur › Kasaragod
› Kollam › Kottayam
› Kovalam › Kozhikode
› Malappuram › Palakkad
› Pathanamthitta › Periyar
› Thiruvananthapuram ›
Thrissur › Wayanad
