Kerala was celebrated as the Malabar Coast, known for its spices, and travellers from around the world journeyed here to trade and to gain control over this rich land. The first travellers were the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs and the Chinese, latter day traders included the Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and the British. Almost all of them have left their imprint on this land in some form or the other - architecture, cuisine, literature. It is believed that the spice trade dates back three thousand years. Certainly it was responsible for Vasco da Gama s quest for the Indian subcontinent, and its discovery via a sea route. Pepper still remains the king of Kerala s spices, but the state also has a very rich produce in cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, ginger and turmeric, it has a rich cultivation of cashewnuts, and is India s home state for coconut As in the past, the state continues to be the spice capital of the world. The first known mention of KERALA occurs on one of the rock inscriptions left by Asoka, emperor of INDIA , during the third century B.C. It was then an independent kingdom known as KERALA Putra, which was ruled by the powerful Chera dynasty until the 5th century A.D. Isolated by land, the MALABAR coast was open to the ancient world on all sides by sea and this explains the cosmopolitan aspect of present-day KERALA . The Phoenicians came here to trade for spices, ivory, and sandal wood. Biblical Ophir, visited by King Solomon s ships about 1000 B.C. is believed to have been the village Puvar south of TRIVANDRUM, the present capital of KERALA . They were followed by traders from Egypt, Babylonia, Greece, Rome, Arabia, and China. This was the period when Aryans migrated to KERALA .
Posted On : 4/8/2009 1:47:06 AM
Anju Malhotra Reward Points : 61200 Member Since : Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Kerala s spice trade with Babylon and Egypt can be traced back to the 3rd millennium B.C. Cinnamon from Kerala was used in embalming the dead bodies of the Pharaohs and in the manufacture of perfumes and holy oils. King Solomon of Israel 1000 B.C is recorded to have sent his ships to Kerala for spices. Cinnamon from Kerala first found its way to the Middle East through the Arabs. In Kerala pepper is cultivated in a mixed crop environment. In Wayanad, pepper is planted amongst coffee plantations, and cultivated on a large scale. Pepper is also a main item in most kitchen gardens of Kerala. The spice-scented shores of Kerala have beckoned traders from time immemorial, and its allure continues to hold sway even today. The spices trade still dominates the commercial transactions of the State. India, the world s largest exporter of spices, realises three fourths of its total output from the rich plantations of Kerala.
Posted On : 4/8/2009 2:20:55 AM
Riya Sen [Guru] Reward Points : 93800 Member Since : Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The history of Kerala is closely related to its commerce, which in turn was wholly dependent until recent times on its spice trade. Kerala was celebrated as the Malabar Coast, known for its spices, and travelers from around the world journeyed here to trade and to gain control over this rich land. The first travelers were the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs and the Chinese latter-day traders included the Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and the British. Almost all of them have left their imprint on this land in some form or the other: architecture, cuisine, and literature. It is believed that the spice trade dates back three thousand years. Certainly it was responsible for Vasco da Gama s quest for the Indian subcontinent, and its discovery via a sea route. Pepper still remains the king of Kerala s spices, but the state also has a very rich produce in cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, ginger and turmeric it has a rich cultivation of cashew nuts, and is India s home state for coconut As in the past, the sate continues to be the spice capital of the world.
Posted On : 4/8/2009 2:39:13 AM
Suchismita Aditya Reward Points : 11800 Member Since : Saturday, March 14, 2009
Kerala is situated between Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats. The geographical condition of the land inspired trade since ancient times. Ancient kingdoms largely depended on trade and commerce. The trade with the western countries provided oppurtuntity to the merchnats from west Asia and southern Europe to establish their settlement in the state. The spice trade is considered to be vital to the life and development of kerela till modern times. The tropical climatic condition, monsoon and fertile soils of the coastal plain favored spice farming. These flavour and aroma was exported to the world for thousands of years. According to ancient records King Solomon valued spices from the Kerala. The Greeks evidently had a taste for spices and the Greek historian, Heroditus also referred to the spice trade with Kerala in about 500 BC. Spice trade started in kerala after the first direct sea voyage of Vasco Da gama from Europe to Asia. Spice trade of Kerela thus highlighted the highly controlled demand and supply. Till date the economic development of Kerela is majorly is a effect of spice trade.
Posted On : 4/8/2009 3:00:24 AM
ANISH SASIDHARAN Reward Points : 100 Member Since : Thursday, April 23, 2009
what is the guidelines for interstate spice trade in India?
Posted On : 4/23/2009 1:09:22 AM
Rufi malik Reward Points : 14400 Member Since : Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Kerala is the land of spices which attracted the foriegners.Kerala s history is highly related with the trade.
Kerela And Spice Trade
