History:
Kollam was a flourishing port of the Pandya Kingdom in ancient times until 825 AD. In 825 AD, Kollam became the capital of the independent Venad kingdom. AD 825 AD is known as the birth of the Malayalam era.
Kollam during Pandyan rule
Kollam shares fame with Kodungallur (Muziris) as an ancient sea port on the Malabar coast of India from early centuries of the Christian era. Periplus of the Erythraean Sea gives a detailed account of the ports of South India in the 1st century CE. It mentions Muziris ( identified with Kodungallur (ruled by the Chera Kingdom) and also mentions Nelcynda, Bacare (Purakkad) and Belita and Komari as the ports south of Muziris. Kollam is identified with Nelcynda. The historical accounts mentioned below indicate that Kollam had a sustained commercial reputation from the days of the Phoenicians and the Romans. Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) mentions Greek ships anchored at Muziris and Nelcynda. Nelcynda was connected with the Pandyan port of Korkai (Kayal) on the East Coast of India. There was also a land route over the Western Ghats. Spices, pearls, diamonds and silk were exported to Egypt and Rome from these two ports on the South Western coast of India. Pearls and diamonds came from Ceylon and the South eastern coast of India, then known as the Pandyan kingdom.
Kollam as part of Travancore
Velu Thampi Dalawa of Travancore, worked towards the improvement of the Kollam city. He helped build new markets and invited merchants and traders from Madras (now Chennai) and Tirunelveli to set up trade in Kollam. Kollam, to this day has a thriving business in cashew nuts, coir and spices.
Kollam, revenue district of Kerala (1949 onwards).
At the time of the integrating of Travancore and Cochin districts in 1949, Kollam was one of the three revenue divisions in the state. Later these three revenue divisions were converted into districts. But Shencottah taluka was merged with Madras state consequent to the implementation of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. Now the district has a single revenue division with its headquarters at Kollam Taluk Cutcherry.
