Know About Kingdoms of South Asia - Indian Kingdom of the Cheras
The Cheras were a distinguished ancient Tamil dynasty that had their primary base in present-day Kerala and parts of western Tamil Nadu. They had influence that extended from Kanyakumari northward along the Malabar coast to areas that include modern Kasaragod; they controlled fertile lowlands like Kuttanad and port towns like Muziris (also referred to as Vanchi). These coastal areas, which were hubs of trade and commerce, connected the Chera domain to long-distance marine trade, which made spices, pearls, and precious stones important export items before the European arrival.
Society and Religion
In the early Chera period, the imprint of the Veda was not great, and the rigid caste systems that we see in later centuries did not exist at that time. Religious practice revolved around ancestor worship and local deities. The war goddess Kottavai was very much adored, and it was common to keep sacred images out under the trees instead of in stone temples. Large temple complexes and a formal Brahmin priestly class developed later as Brahmanical practices and the Bhakti movement took hold in the area.
Economy and Daily Life
Roman and, at a later date, Arab traders had a presence at Chera ports, which included Muzris, Tyndis, and Nelaynda. Rulers collected land taxes and duties, as well as the booty from wars, which added to the royal wealth. Chera kings had the titles of ko, kon, or kadumko, which meant “great king.” Also, they were given personal epithets that referred to their traits or to great things they did.
Political Structure and Royal Lines
Reconstructing the Chera lineage exactly is a difficult task, which we have for fragmentary records, poetic sources, and for which family branches overlap. At the start of the Chera polity, what we see are two main clans, the Vanavarambans and the Irumporai, which at times ruled together or which had charge of different territories. In the Sangam period and later, we see named figures like Perumchottu Uthiyan Cheralathan and Imayavaramban Nedum Cheralathan; also great rulers like Senguttuvan, who featured in the tradition. Also, because rulers used many a time many aliases and it was poetry that recorded their doings, not chronicles that we today look at for history, we see variation in chronological lists given out by historians.
Decline, Revival, and Successors
During a time of disruption, which in part saw the rise of the Kalabhra interregnum, the Cheras fell out of note for many centuries. They returned in the 9th century as the Kulasekhara or Perumal dynasty, which had its center at Mahodayapuram (modern Kodungallur). This later entity showed more brahmanical influence and a stage for Bhakti literature to flourish, while they were still into trade and regional war. The Cheras’ conflicts with the growing Chola empire weakened them; by the early 12th century, their political power had broken down. What was left of the Chera territory was taken over by successor states, which include Venad, the Zamorins of Calicut, and regional principalities.
Legacy
Though the Cheras’ political success had its ups and downs, they left a very present footprint in the culture and history of Kerala. The fact that they had coastal ports, which were also early international trade centers, saw South Indian states’ connection with the world. As farmers, merchants, and sponsors of religion and the arts, the Cheras played a large role in forming the social and cultural fabric out of which what we see still today in our geography and temples, and stories.
