Ralph Fitch was the first Englishman to visit India in 1583, after the
visit of King Alfred's Ambassadors to St. Thomas' Tomb in Mylapore in the
ninth century. After him in 1615, Captain Keeling came to Calicut and
entered into a commercial and political treaty with the Zamorin. From the
beginning of their arrival on the Malabar coast, the British had to face
stiff opposition, first from the Portuguese and later from the Dutch.
However, as rivalry between the Dutch and the Portuguese grew strong, the
Portuguese tried to conciliate the British. Thus, the British were able to
export pepper directly from Malabar to England and by 1694 had settlements
in Thalassery in Malabar and in Anjengo in Travencore. It was from these
settlements that the English were able to extend their control over the
whole of Kerala.
When they began their trading activities in India, the British kept
themselves strictly aloof from the local squabbles. However, the Company
would provide assistance to local rulers to fight a common enemy, without
directly involving themselves in any fighting. During the time of Mysore
invasions (1766-1782) the English helped the Zamorin. By 1801, Malabar was
completely under British control. In 1791 Cochin became a vassal of the
British, paying an annual tribute. By the treaties of 1795 and 1805, the
Travancore Raja also accepted British suzerainty.The British promised to
help the state in the event of external aggression. The state agreed to pay
the British 800,000 rupees a year in tribute. Lord Cornwallis, who was
Governor General in India, and Velu Thampy Dalava, the Dalava of Travancore
negotiated a favorable settlement for the treaty of 1805. Because the
Travancore government granted power to the British to intervene in the
internal affairs of the state and because the state accepted to follow
British advice in administration, the king and his subjects lost their
political independence. Thus, the British effectively established control
over the 3 regions of Kerala - Malabar, Kochi and Travencore - by 1812.
