The 500-year-old community of Portuguese descendants in Malabar, now called Kerala, is composed of an interesting group of people whose history goes back to the beginnings of European interaction with northern India. This study concentrates on the Portuguese influence from the end of the 15th century to present times, exploring their commercial and religious interventions in Malabar and the resultant political polarization and social changes. In 1453, Constantinople was blockaded by Ottoman Turks, which prevented Europeans from trading with Asian countries and made it necessary for Europeans to find a new sea-route to India. Finally, two Portuguese navigators, Vasco da Gama, followed by Pedro Alvares Cabral, reached Calicut in 1498 and 1500, respectively, leading to the creation of the so-called Portuguese State of India in 1505. The policy of politics through marriages was introduced by Afonso de Albuquerque, who married Portuguese soldiers with Indian women, which resulted in a social group faithful to Portuguese trade centers; this mixed race, or mestices, eventually formed the Luso-Indian community in Malabar.

The momentous interaction between Portugal and Kerala com­menced with the historic voyage of Vasco da Gama in 1498. It had lasting impact on the society of Kerala. The voyage, with the express purpose of searching for ‘Christians and Spices’, left longlasting imprint on the life of the people of Kerala. Though the Portuguese did not have political dominion in Kerala, the political influence they gained in Kerala precipitated a lot of socio-cultural changes. The intensity and degree of these changes were commensurate with the tenor of the Portuguese networking with the diverse socio-cultural traits in Kerala. Those sections of the Kerala society that gained a higher extent of interconnectedness with the Portuguese manifested a higher degree of socio-cultural transition. One of the most significant means for socio-cultural change that the Portuguese employed in Kerala was ecclesiastical legislation. This cultural interface between Portugal and Kerala resulted in multiple fissions and fusions in the society of Kerala. This book delves deep into the multifarious interaction between the two communities and the consequent socio-cultural changes that Kerala witnessed during 1498-1663, the period when Portuguese influence was at its acme. Please note: This title is co-published with Manohar Publishers, New Delhi. Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka