Historic Alleys

Duarte Pacheco and his Esmeraldo de Situ Orbis

Some years ago, I briefly mentioned Pacheco’s tactics in the article on Malabarese soldiers, when the Zamorin attacked Cochin in 1504. I wrote: The first Malabarese to serve on the Portuguese side were soldiers supplied by the Rajah of Cochin. They are mentioned in the 1504 battle led by Pacheco, who was placed in charge of the defense of Cochin. With only 150 Portuguese and a small number of Malabarese auxiliaries, Pacheco was vastly outnumbered by the Zamorin's army of 60,000. Nonetheless, through clever positioning, individual heroics, and a lot of luck, Duarte Pacheco successfully resisted attacks for five months until the Zamorin finally called off his forces. This was a very interesting episode, so we are now going to take a brief look at it. But before that, a bit about Pacheco, who strangely never got the credit he should have.

And its Impact on Cheranadu

I am not sure who coined the term interregnum in association with the Kalabhras, but it has been used for many decades. For those who do not want to open a dictionary, it means a period when normal government is suspended, especially between successive reigns or regimes. They seem to have ruled over swathes of South India that had been under Pandya, Chola, and Chera rule. It is vaguely defined as a period between the 3rd and 6th centuries. I was not quite aware of a period when the Chera rule was interrupted by the Kalabhras, though some historians have alluded to it here and there. Let's take a look at what it was all about and whether such a period had any impact on Cheranadu, this side of the ghats.

 And their links to Calicut

Some years ago, we discussed the Chaliya community at Chaliyam near Calicut, focusing on Calico and its origins, and later, as related to the mystery of Chinese Sha-mi-ti. Today, we will explore how community members migrated to Ceylon as weavers, their hardships, and how they transitioned from that traditional trade to cinnamon peelers.

 And the treasure that vanished

In the previous post, we discussed the intriguing story of a Nair boy who was captured by Hyder, converted, and eventually became the Governor of Bednore (also called Bednur, Bidanoore — present-day Nagaram in the Konkan) and Mangalore. That was Ayaz Khan, or Hyat Sahib (as the British called him), the Nawab of Bednore, who was the Chirakkal chela (slave) favored by Hyder, which greatly angered and disgusted Tipu. But that was how it was, and Ayaz ruled over Bednore, a strategically located district that held significant treasures, a large 13th-century fort, an armory, and a mint.