Settlement in Kerala

The last of those who were expelled by the Portuguese from Goa landed in Calicut but were promptly driven out by the Zamorin. And so they went to Cochin and Travancore. This happened sometime in the year 1560 A. D.

It is seen from the Thitooram issued by Vira Kerala Varma (1624-1637) the Raja of Cochin to Cochin Mahajanams inscribed in a copper plate in the year 286 of the Puduvaippu era i.e. 1627A.D. the Raja gave the Konkanis certain rights and privileges to be enjoyed by them. (Copper plate Numbered 6,State Archives, Ernakulam). There are pieces of evidence to prove that stray members of the community had their settlement in Cochin since the early part of 13th century A.D. The Diwan of Cochin in his letter addressed to W. Cullen, British Resident of then States of Travancore and Cochin, states: "The traditions that exist regarding the first immigration of Konkanis into Cochin State that owing to certain religious disputes they were obliged to leave their native country Conkan with their idols in 1294 A.D. and travelling southward they came to the territory of His Highness the Raja of Cochin having obtained grants of land and assured promises of protection from His Highness, they settled in Cochin and formed themselves into a community which they named "Conkanastha Mahajanam" (Diwan’s Dairy, Vol. 144/1858 dated 6-3-1858; State Archives, Ernakulam).

Again in the year 307 of the Puduvaippu era, i.e., in 1648A.D., the Raja of Cochin, Vira Kerala Varma, the Palluruthy adoptee (1646-55) gave the community under a "Thitooram" the civil and criminal powers to be exercised by them within a well-defined boundary called ‘Sanketem’. They called their place of settlement "Gosripuram", which is the derivation of the word Goapuri. Again, there still remains a plot of land in Cochin called ‘Sastiparamba’ to commemorate the fact that the Saraswaths of Cochin originally belonged to Sasashti (Salcette). In ‘Sastiparamba’ there is an old temple of Damodari, a ‘Kuladevata’. After their settlement in Cochin the Saraswats became supreme in trade and commerce. Sardar K.M.Panikkar writes in his Malabar and the Dutch (p. 7): "The Moorish trading community was practically non-existent in Cochin and in its stead there had grown up the "Canarenes" a Hindu Community from Konkan Districts who worked as the agents of Portuguese. The Canarenes or as we now call them the Konkanies – were wholly dependent on their European masters, so that when the Portuguese went away from Cochin they became equally serviceable to Dutch". No doubt, their influence during the Dutch period and the early period of the British is evident from the letter of Mr. W. Cullen, the British Resident, to Mr. T. Pycroft, Chief Secretary to Government, Fort St. George, Madras, wherein it is stated "Every European house of business belonging to a European in the company’s town of Cochin have these Conkanies in their employment and they are their chief Managers, and they have therefore great influence". (Report submitted by W. Cullen, Mr. General Resident to the Chief Secretary to Government, Fort St.Goerge, dated October 1856).

The Dutch had settled at the full tide of Konkani predominance. They had ceded to them the right of collecting income from Mattancherry and Chellayi, to collect farms and customs of Amaravati and to conduct the affairs of Mattancherry and Chellayi and of Konkani temples. It was also stipulated that the Raja shall impose no new demand on the Konkanies that they shall have full liberty to complain to the Dutch Governor, if aggrieved, and that the Raja shall not interfere in any matters of the temple without the knowledge and consent of the Company. Again, an extract from "Travancore Archaeological Series" No. IV & V, 1910 Edition, mentions the following facts regarding Konkanies made out of Paliyam Plates of the 322nd year of the Puduvaipu Era (22-3-1663) in connection with the treaty made with the Dutch East India Company by the Raja of Cochin :

"The representatives of the konkani Mahajanam requested the ancestors of the Raja of cochin to take them (konkanies) under their protection and also build for them a temple. There upon, a plot of land was given to them for the latter purpose and also arrangements made for the conduct of festivals in the temple built by them. The Raja now binds himself to protect these subjects as in times of his misfortunes these subjects amply helped him with money, he promises further in matter of protection and punishment the konkanies shall be treated just in the same manner as the other Brahmanas".