Cannanore
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Cannanore
Head-quarters of the Chirakkal taluk of Malabar District, Madras, situated in 11° 52' N. and 75° 22' E., in a shallow bay of the Arabian Sea, 470 miles by rail from Madras city. Besides the usual public offices the town contains a branch of the Basel German Mission, with a mercantile establishment where various cotton fabrics are manufactured, and a Central jail with accommodation for 865 males and 31 females.
Cannanore was once the capital of the Kolattiri Raja, the chief rival of the Zamorin, and became an important emporium of trade with Persia and Arabia during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, from which time dates the rise of the family of the All Rajas, or Sea Kings, of Cannanore. Their origin is uncertain ; but tradition assigns the foundation of the family to a Nayar minister of the Kolattiri Raja, who was converted to Islam about the beginning of the twelfth century. Towards the end of the century the flimily appears to have obtained the port and town of Old Cannanore as a grant from the Kolattiri Raja. The All Raja became his chief admiral and the head of the Cannanore Mappillas ; and his power gradually increased till by the eighteenth century he was practically independent of his suzerain and was able to put 25,000 men in the field.
Cannanore was one of the earliest Portuguese settlements. In 1498 Vasco da Gama touched there, by invitation of the Kolattiri Raja, on his way home from Calicut. Three years later Cabral founded a factory; and in 1502 Da Gama, on his second voyage to India, concluded a treaty with the Raja and left 200 Portuguese in Cannanore. The factory continued to flourish, and in 1505 Almeyda was allowed to build a fort. In the next year he won a great naval victory in the Cannanore bay over the Zamorin and his Mappillas, which finally established the Portuguese naval supremacy. The fort and factory continued in possession of the Portuguese till they were conquered by the Dutch in the middle of the seventeenth century.
The Dutch held the fort till 1771, when they sold it to the All Raja, whose power had considerably increased during Haidar All's first invasion. In 1783 the fort was taken by the British, as the BTbi of Cannanore had detained 250 British soldiers on their way to join the forces against Tipu ; but in the next year the Bibl entered into a treaty with the British and the fort was restored to her. Finally, in 1790, owing to the unsatisfactory behaviour of the Bibi, who had throughout secretly favoured the Mysore Sultan, Cannanore was again besieged and the Blbi made an unconditional surrender. Cannanore then became the military head- quarters of the British on the west coast, and continued to be so till 1887, when the head-quarters was transferred to the Nilgiris. A settle- ment was made in 1796 with the Bibl, who agreed to pay Rs. 15,000 per annum as the assessment on her houses, parainhas, &c., in and near Cannanore, and on her trade dcd^ janinam property in the Lac- cadi ve Islands. The settlement appears to have been similar to the temporary settlements for the collection of revenue made with the other Malabar Rajas, which were subsequently superseded by the ryohvari system ; but the settlement with the Bibl has continued in force till the present time.
Cannanore has lost a good deal of its importance as a trade centre. It now ranks fourth among the ports of Malabar, the value of its imports in 1903-4 being 25 lakhs and of its exports 15 lakhs. Pepper, salted fish, and cotton fabrics are the chief exports, and rice and cotton yarn the chief imports. It has also suffered from the decline of its importance as a military station, and the many untenanted bungalows are a melancholy reminder of departed prosperity. The south-west line of the Madras Railway is now being extended into South Kanara, via Cannanore. The population in 1901 was 27,811, including 11,711 Hindus, 12,893 Muhammadans, and 3,180 Christians. The town was made a municipality in 1870. The income during the decade ending 1900 averaged Rs. 29,000, and the expenditure Rs. 28,000. In 1903-4 they were Rs. 38,000 and Rs. 37,000 respectively, the chief income being from the taxes on houses and land.
