A SHORT HISTORY

                       Lying on the north western coast of the State, Kasaragod was famous from thime immemorial.  Many Arab travellers, who came to Kerala between 9th century and 14th Centuries A.D., visited Kasaragod as it was then an important trade centre.  They called this area Harkwillia.  Mr. Barbose, the portuguese traveller, who visited Kumble near Kasaragod in 1514, had recorded that rice was exported to Male Island whence coir was imported.  Dr. Francis Buccanan, who was the family doctor of Lord Wellesly, visited Kasaragod in 1800. In his travelogue, he has included informaion on the political and communal set-up in places like Athipramba, Kavvai, Nileswar, Bekkal, Chandragiri and Manjeswar.

                      Kasaragod was part of the Kumbala kingdom in which there were Tulu and Malayalam villages.  When Vijayanagar empire attacked Kasaragod, it was ruled by the Kolathiri king who had Nileswar as hisheadquarters.  It is said that the characters appearing in Theyyam, the ritualistic folk dance of northeren Kerala, represent those who had helped king Kolathire fight against the attack of hte Vijayanagar empire.  During the decline of that empire in the 14th century, the administration of this area was vested with the Ikkeri Naikans.  Then continued to be the rulers till the fall of the Vijayanagar empire in 16th century.  Then Vengappa Naik declared independenceto Ikkeri.  In 1645 Sivappa Naik took the reins and transferred the capital to Bednoor.  Thus they came to be known as Bednoor Naiks.  Chandragiri fort and Bekal fort are considered to be parts of a chain of forts constructed by Sivappa Naik for the defence of the kingdow.  

                       In 1763 Hyder Ali of Mysore conquered Bednoor and his intention was to capture entire Kerala.  But when his attempt to conquer Thalessery fort was foiled, Hyder Ali returned to Mysore and died there in 1782.  His son, Tippu Sulthan, Continued the attack and conquered Malabar.  As per the Sreerangapattanam treaty of 1792, Tippu surrendered Malabar except Tulunadu (Canara) to the British.  The British got Canara only after the death of Tippu Sulthan in 1799.

                       Kasaragod was part of Bekkal taluk in the south Canara district of Bombay presidency.  Kasaragod taluk came into beign when Bekkal taluk was included in the Madras presidency on April 16, 1882.  Through Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar moved a resolution in 1913 on the floor of Madras Governor's Council demanding the merger of Kasaragod taluk with the Malabar district, it had to be withdrawn because of the stiff oposition of the members from Karnataka.