Kochi

Kochi (Cochin) has grown from a small backwater village into one of India’s most historic port cities and today’s commercial hub of Kerala. Its early rise is linked to the decline of the ancient harbour of Muziris, probably destroyed by floods or an earthquake around the 14th century. As Muziris faded, nearby Kochi’s natural harbour gained importance in the Arab–Chinese–Indian Ocean trade network, dealing in pepper, spices and other goods.

In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the Portuguese arrived; Kochi became their first strong base in India. They built Fort Emmanuel, churches and warehouses and supported the local Raja of Cochin against rivals. In the 17th century, power shifted to the Dutch, who took over the fort and trading posts, followed by the British, who integrated Cochin into their colonial commercial system while developing mainland Ernakulam as an administrative and urban centre.

Kochi also hosted Jewish, Syrian Christian, Muslim and Jain communities, making it one of India’s most cosmopolitan port towns. After Independence, the old princely state of Cochin merged into Travancore–Cochin and later Kerala. With the modern port, industries, IT parks and huge malls, Kochi today combines its layered colonial–maritime heritage with the role of a fast-growing metro city.