RR
27th April 2007, 12:21 PM
Pallipuram Fort - The oldest European Building in India
- Padmanabha
On 18 May 1498, Vasco de Gama landed in Kappad near Calicut. Bontaybo, one of the Moors, who knew Portuguese and Malayalam, introduced Gama to the Zamorin the ruler of Calicut. They agreed to open new trade relations with Malabar. But the Moors who had monopolized the lucrative business in pepper and other produces were alarmed with the new transaction, poisoned the mind of the Zamorin and thus the Portuguese were driven out of Calicut and they reached Kochi. Gama left Calicut in August 1499.
The Portuguese sent a fresh expedition to Calicut under the leadership of Pedro Alvarez Cabral, on March 1500. The Zamorin decided to sign a treaty with the Portuguese. He sanctioned a factory and Admiral Cabral opened it at Calicut. Cabral realized that the quantity of Pepper and other spices to the Moors were more when compared to themselves. He attacked the ships of the Moors and looted the cargo. The Moors on the coast protested, and turned violent. Cabral having no other way left for Kochi. The Raja of Kochi was so accommodative that he provided all facilities and sanctioned to open a factory. The Zamorin was piqued, and he sent many fleets to Kochi to drive the Portuguese out. Cabral helped the Raja on request. He chased the fleet of the Zamorin. Soon he left Kochi for his native land.
In the third expedition in 1502 Gama was accompanied by his cousin Stephen De Gama. They unleashed violence and then flew to Kochi and for Portugal in the same year.
The Zamorin was waiting for an opportunity to declare war with the Raja of Kochi. Providing refuge to the Portuguese was enough for him to declare war. The Raja of Kochi took asylum in a small island called Vypeen. Fortunately, Francesco de Albuquerque reached Kochi with his fleet. He reinstalled the Raja of Kochi and routed the Zamorin and his men. In return the Raja of Kochi permitted to erect a fort in Kochi. The foundation stone was laid on 20th September 1503. On 1st October it was christened as Manuel after the reigning king of Portugal. Gasper Correa writes “…It was completed in 1508 to hold the entrance to the back-water. It was garrisoned by 20 men. Each of its octagonal facets was pierced for cannon. This is the first European building in India.” (Source: Extract from the letter of Mr. A Galletti ICS to the resident of Travancore and Kochi).
The fort was known as Ayakkottai. Wonder why this was called an octagonal when it is hexagonal.
There were three forts namely:- Fort of Kochi, Fort of Cragnanore and Fort of Pallipuram.
The Pallippuram Fort is the oldest one. (Nothing remains in the place of Fort Kochi. A wall of Fortification and a ruined gate way reminds that of Cragnanore Fort).
Village of Pallippuram is located on the northern extremity of the Vypeen Island. This island is 13 miles long and its width varies from one to three miles. It is formed by silting of the rivers that meet the sea near it. This narrow strip of land belongs to Kochi when the Portuguese first visited the West Coast. On the northern end of this island the Portuguese built an outpost to guard the passage of foreign vessels through the mouth of Periyar. It was on the opposite bank the Fort of Cranganore was erected.
Structure of the Pallipuram fort: - The outpost is a hexagonal structure. The lowest floor inside the Fort is raised to height of five feet. There is a cellar which was used to store gun powder. The gate, the door posts, and the lintels are finely dressed and arched. There is a square well of dimension 3’3”. Earlier, it was the source of fresh water.
There is an opening to the north which leads to the cellar. There is a circular slab stone, on which was installed a pillar on which the radiating wooden struts supporting the upper two floors must have rested.
Each face of the fort measures 32ft in length, 34 feet in height, and the walls are six feet in thickness. Each face of the fort has three embrasures, one above the other. The central opening of the embrasures measures 2’x 2 1/2’. The fort could have mounted as many as guns commanding all quarters round it. There is an open space inside affording easy passage to the cellar.
The fort is constructed using laterite, chunam, and wood. The walls are thickly plastered using mortar. The door way in the central circular slab is made of granite. All the six sides of the fort are overgrown with vegetation.
The small village of Pallipuram was divided into three parts. The northern region belonged to Travancore. The middle to the British and the Southern portion belonged to Kochi.
When Virakeralvarman the Raja of Kochi was deposed by the Portuguese, his aunt Gangadhara Mahadevi became the Queen. He sought the assistance of the Dutch at Ceylon. He promised them liberal concession in the trade of Pepper. Paliyat Achan the Prime Minister who nurtured grudge against the Portuguese joined hand with Virakeralvarman. The Dutch under the leadership of Admiral Ryklof van Goens attacked the Fort of Kochi in 1662. They miserably failed, but moved further to the north and captured the Cranganore Fort. In the next year, the Dutch proceeded with a stronger fleet. The Portuguese had to surrender, and thus Dutch became the masters of all the Portuguese possessions in the Malabar.
Hyder Ali, Tippu Sulthan and the Forts
Hyder Ali entered Calicut in 1773. In 1766 he negotiated with the Dutch to purchase the Cranganore Fort. He knew that the Fort provided entry to Kochi and then to Travancore. When Tippu conquered all the principalities of Malabar, the Travancore ruler Marthanda Varma purchased the Forts. V.Nagamaih who compiled the “Travancore State Manual” gives a detailed description of the purchase of the Forts.
In 1045 ME (1870AD) the Government assumed the direct management, which had then been leased out to influential landlords.
The English defeated the Dutch and their possessions like a Church and the asylum were taken over by the British. Along with Tangassery, Anjengo, it also came under British Resident of Traavancore and Kochi.
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- Padmanabha
On 18 May 1498, Vasco de Gama landed in Kappad near Calicut. Bontaybo, one of the Moors, who knew Portuguese and Malayalam, introduced Gama to the Zamorin the ruler of Calicut. They agreed to open new trade relations with Malabar. But the Moors who had monopolized the lucrative business in pepper and other produces were alarmed with the new transaction, poisoned the mind of the Zamorin and thus the Portuguese were driven out of Calicut and they reached Kochi. Gama left Calicut in August 1499.
The Portuguese sent a fresh expedition to Calicut under the leadership of Pedro Alvarez Cabral, on March 1500. The Zamorin decided to sign a treaty with the Portuguese. He sanctioned a factory and Admiral Cabral opened it at Calicut. Cabral realized that the quantity of Pepper and other spices to the Moors were more when compared to themselves. He attacked the ships of the Moors and looted the cargo. The Moors on the coast protested, and turned violent. Cabral having no other way left for Kochi. The Raja of Kochi was so accommodative that he provided all facilities and sanctioned to open a factory. The Zamorin was piqued, and he sent many fleets to Kochi to drive the Portuguese out. Cabral helped the Raja on request. He chased the fleet of the Zamorin. Soon he left Kochi for his native land.
In the third expedition in 1502 Gama was accompanied by his cousin Stephen De Gama. They unleashed violence and then flew to Kochi and for Portugal in the same year.
The Zamorin was waiting for an opportunity to declare war with the Raja of Kochi. Providing refuge to the Portuguese was enough for him to declare war. The Raja of Kochi took asylum in a small island called Vypeen. Fortunately, Francesco de Albuquerque reached Kochi with his fleet. He reinstalled the Raja of Kochi and routed the Zamorin and his men. In return the Raja of Kochi permitted to erect a fort in Kochi. The foundation stone was laid on 20th September 1503. On 1st October it was christened as Manuel after the reigning king of Portugal. Gasper Correa writes “…It was completed in 1508 to hold the entrance to the back-water. It was garrisoned by 20 men. Each of its octagonal facets was pierced for cannon. This is the first European building in India.” (Source: Extract from the letter of Mr. A Galletti ICS to the resident of Travancore and Kochi).
The fort was known as Ayakkottai. Wonder why this was called an octagonal when it is hexagonal.
There were three forts namely:- Fort of Kochi, Fort of Cragnanore and Fort of Pallipuram.
The Pallippuram Fort is the oldest one. (Nothing remains in the place of Fort Kochi. A wall of Fortification and a ruined gate way reminds that of Cragnanore Fort).
Village of Pallippuram is located on the northern extremity of the Vypeen Island. This island is 13 miles long and its width varies from one to three miles. It is formed by silting of the rivers that meet the sea near it. This narrow strip of land belongs to Kochi when the Portuguese first visited the West Coast. On the northern end of this island the Portuguese built an outpost to guard the passage of foreign vessels through the mouth of Periyar. It was on the opposite bank the Fort of Cranganore was erected.
Structure of the Pallipuram fort: - The outpost is a hexagonal structure. The lowest floor inside the Fort is raised to height of five feet. There is a cellar which was used to store gun powder. The gate, the door posts, and the lintels are finely dressed and arched. There is a square well of dimension 3’3”. Earlier, it was the source of fresh water.
There is an opening to the north which leads to the cellar. There is a circular slab stone, on which was installed a pillar on which the radiating wooden struts supporting the upper two floors must have rested.
Each face of the fort measures 32ft in length, 34 feet in height, and the walls are six feet in thickness. Each face of the fort has three embrasures, one above the other. The central opening of the embrasures measures 2’x 2 1/2’. The fort could have mounted as many as guns commanding all quarters round it. There is an open space inside affording easy passage to the cellar.
The fort is constructed using laterite, chunam, and wood. The walls are thickly plastered using mortar. The door way in the central circular slab is made of granite. All the six sides of the fort are overgrown with vegetation.
The small village of Pallipuram was divided into three parts. The northern region belonged to Travancore. The middle to the British and the Southern portion belonged to Kochi.
When Virakeralvarman the Raja of Kochi was deposed by the Portuguese, his aunt Gangadhara Mahadevi became the Queen. He sought the assistance of the Dutch at Ceylon. He promised them liberal concession in the trade of Pepper. Paliyat Achan the Prime Minister who nurtured grudge against the Portuguese joined hand with Virakeralvarman. The Dutch under the leadership of Admiral Ryklof van Goens attacked the Fort of Kochi in 1662. They miserably failed, but moved further to the north and captured the Cranganore Fort. In the next year, the Dutch proceeded with a stronger fleet. The Portuguese had to surrender, and thus Dutch became the masters of all the Portuguese possessions in the Malabar.
Hyder Ali, Tippu Sulthan and the Forts
Hyder Ali entered Calicut in 1773. In 1766 he negotiated with the Dutch to purchase the Cranganore Fort. He knew that the Fort provided entry to Kochi and then to Travancore. When Tippu conquered all the principalities of Malabar, the Travancore ruler Marthanda Varma purchased the Forts. V.Nagamaih who compiled the “Travancore State Manual” gives a detailed description of the purchase of the Forts.
In 1045 ME (1870AD) the Government assumed the direct management, which had then been leased out to influential landlords.
The English defeated the Dutch and their possessions like a Church and the asylum were taken over by the British. Along with Tangassery, Anjengo, it also came under British Resident of Traavancore and Kochi.
[tscii:8aa149d7f5][/tscii:8aa149d7f5]