| Traders
have been sailing to Kerala seeking spices and ivory for the last
3000 years. The coast was known to the Phoenicians, Romans,
Arabs and Chinese. Kerala was also a trans-shipment point for
spices from the Moluccas (eastern Indonesia), and it was through
Kerala that Chinese products and ideas found their way to the West.
The kingdom of the
Cheras ruled much of Kerala until the early Middle Ages. Its
fortunes waxed and waned as it competed with kingdoms and small
fiefdoms for territory and trade.
Vasco da Gama's
arrival in 1498 heralded an era of European contact as Portuguese,
Dutch and English interests fought the Arab traders and then each
other for control of the spice trade.
The present-day
state of Kerala was created in 1956 from the former states of
Travancore, Cochin and Malabar. Traditional concern for the
arts and education resulted in a post-Independence state that is one
of the most progressive in India.
Kerala had the
first freely elected communist government in the world, elected in
1957. The participatory political system has resulted in a
more equitable distribution of land and income, low infant mortality
and 100% of literacy rate.
You can see the
participatory process in action in the form of street marches.
The state's militant political parties and frequent hartals (strikes)
has meant that Kerala's economic growth has lagged other states,
even while it improves on social indicators. Many Malayalis
(speakers of Malayalm) work in the Middle East, and remittances play
a significant part in the economy.
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