Fort Cochin

If having more than 600 Princely States wasn’t complicated enough, there were places within these States under direct British control, mostly cantonments. But the case of Cochin (or Kochi) was strikingly different. Before integrating with Malabar and Kasargod districts to form the state of Kerala on November 1, 1956, Cochin was part of the larger Princely State of Cochin-Travancore & later the United State of Cochin and Travancore. However, a closer observation of the map reveals a slightly different picture. Let’s analyze the political geography of this state and the unique fact that gives Cochin-Travancore a different feature compared to other Princely States.

Before the state's formation, the Malabar district of Madras (both Presidency and State after independence) comprised today’s Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, and the coastal part of Thrissur, starting from Chowghat (Chavakkad) to the tip of Azhikode harbor. The Cochin district consisted of the remaining portion of Thrissur, Ernakulam, the island of Vypin, the city and fort of Cochin, Mattancheri, and nearby islands such as Willingdon. In fact, the city and fort of Cochin and Mattancheri are connected to mainland Kerala (today’s Alappuzha district) through narrow strips of land that are almost islands but not quite, geographically. This intricate and complicated system of islands, backwaters, and lagoons gives Cochin’s geography a unique status. Governance-wise, the British retained Fort Cochin as part of the Raj, even though Cochin as a whole was a Princely State. Thus, even after independence, one could still see the place marked as Cochin (British) on several maps, indicating that the British Fort Cochin, slightly separated from Cochin State and once a former British territory, was now part of independent India. But how did this complication arise?

Between 1503 and 1814, Fort Cochin was part of the Portuguese and later the Dutch, before being transferred to the British under an Anglo-Dutch treaty signed between the two colonists. One might assume this could be treated as a cantonment, but Fort Cochin was never one. Although it bore striking similarities to other territories such as Bangalore (part of the Mysore Princely State but with a British cantonment), Secunderabad (part of the Hyderabad Princely State but with a British cantonment), and Gwalior (part of the Gwalior Princely State but with a British cantonment), Fort Cochin was not a cantonment but a British stronghold within a Princely State.

In 1503, when the Rajah of Kochi, Unni Goda Varma, granted the Portuguese permission to construct a fort at Cochin, the history of leasing forts began. Fort Emmanuel became a Portuguese protectorate for 160 years, during which they had constant tussles with the Dutch. The Portuguese erected structures such as St. Francis Church, Santa Cruz Basilica, and several Catholic convents, many of which were destroyed by the Dutch. This was due to the ongoing Dutch-Portuguese War in Europe for trade monopoly in non-European regions. The Dutch, who were powerful in the East Indies (Indonesia), aimed to prevent the Portuguese, who had recently established bases in Asia, from becoming dominant. The war ended in 1663 with a settlement allowing the Dutch to control Fort Cochin (and several parts of Malabar and Ceylon) until they faced a blockade in mainland Europe. Despite the conflicts, the Dutch contributed to Fort Cochin’s architecture, such as what is today Thakur House, originally located at Gelderland Bastion on a Dutch-constructed site in the 1700s. The Dutch also established bases in several Malabar settlements—Quilon, Cranganore, Alleppey, Chendamangalam, etc.—leaving a significant influence on Kerala’s coast despite conflicts back home in Europe.

Fort Cochin’s colonial fate was decided by wars in Europe. The residents and local government had little or nothing to do with these European conflicts but suffered their consequences. This pattern is evident in other regions where European powers extended their conflicts into wars and battles in lands far removed from Europe and unrelated to their politics. Such was the fate of Cochin, which shifted hands among three colonizing nations: Portugal, the Netherlands, and England.

Cochin came under English control when Dutch forces returned to the Netherlands to fight another war against the invading French. The English took advantage of the power vacuum, taking over and ruling until 1947. Once again, the fate of an Indian territory was juggled between colonists. The English not only controlled the fort but also redefined the district and Princely State of Cochin on the map of India in three divisions: Cochin-Travancore as the Princely State, the district of Cochin as part of the State, and Fort Cochin as a British stronghold, alternately known as British Cochin. The name of these multiple “Cochins” arose from the historical significance and colonial interest in the region and Cochin being the largest of them all.

Ironically, today’s Kerala map does not even have Cochin or Kochi as a district. The Ernakulam district’s headquarters is at Kakkanad, in the Kochi metropolitan area, and the fort is now a tourist destination. The city has also lost its status as a capital, as the state capital is now Thiruvananthapuram.

Nevertheless, the following are today’s notable buildings inside the Fort Kochi complex:

1. Santa Cruz Basilica (1505)
2. Mattancherry Palace (1555)
3. Vasco da Gama Square (early 16th century)
4. Jew Town and Paradesi Synagogue (1568)
5. Fort Immanuel (1503)
6. St. Francis Church (1503)
7. Dutch Cemetery (1724)
8. Willingdon Island (early 20th century)
9. David Hall (17th century) 
10. Thakur House (18th century)
11. Pierce Leslie Bungalow (late 19th century)
12. Bishop's House (originally 1506)
13. Brunton Boatyard (originally 19th century)

Below here re recreation of two maps - one of 1821 originally drafted by Aaron Arrowsmith, and the other by John Barthelemew, 1952.