The story behind the name: Kochi alias Cochin

With its wealth and historical associations and its beautiful settings on a cluster of islands and narrow peninsulas, the fascinating city of Cochin (Kochi) perfectly reflects the eclecticism of Kerala. Cochin is the largest (area 87.341 Sq.Km., population 2589038, census 2001) city in the state of Kerala, India, and is its principal seaport. The original name Kochi was shortened to Cochin by the westerners for easy pronunciation. The city reverted back to its original name Kochi in 1996. This change in name was challenged by the city municipal corporation and officially, the city is still called "Cochin".

It is not known exactly how the name Kochi (Cochin) originated. But many theories exist. Some historians believe that Cochin is a modified form of the word 'Cochazhi' which in Malayalam means 'small lagoon'. Others are of the opinion that 'Kochi' was named so by the Chinese. According to them, traders from the court of the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan, gave Kochi the name of their homeland. Believe it or not, the chinese fishing nets, found here and nowhere else outside China may be sufficient proof to support their belief. Still another theory is that Kochi is derived from the word 'Kaci' meaning 'harbour'. Cochin city consists of the mainland Ernakulam, the islands of Willingdon, Bolgatty and Vypeen, Fort Kochi and Mattancherry. Cochin - The Queen of Arabian Sea is one of the most interesting cities of India and has one of the finest natural harbours in the world.

The Cochin Harbour
The harbour is the nucleus around which Cochin has grown to become the Queen of the Arabian Sea. Cochin earned a significant position on the world trading routes after the world famous port at Kodugallur (Cranganore) was destroyed by massive flooding of the river Periyar in 1340 AD. Records show that Kodugallur/Cranganore was known to the Arabs and Chinese traders for centuries. After the Kodugallur port was destroyed, the forces of nature created the harbour at the nearby city - Kochi. Kochi then started to grow and soon developed into a major trading point dealing in pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, etc. which were and still are famous for their quality.

The Chinese, Arabs, British, Dutch and Portugese helped Cochin to emerge as a bustling centre of commercial activity, connecting the mainland to the rest of the world. Cochin owes a lot to great travelers, scholars and traders like Fa Hien, Vasco da Gama, Sir Robert Bristow etc. to her present form of existence

Princely State of Kochi
Over the centuries , the princely state of Kochi came under numerous empires. The original local rulers were dominated by the Portugese, Dutch , British and even the Zamorin of Kozhikode (Calicut). Around 1530 AD , under the Portugese, Kochi grew into a prosperous town. The ruler of Kochi gave the Portugese, permission to build a fort at Kochi called 'Manuel Kotta' - which is the first European fort in Kochi .

The Dutch invasion began around 1653 and by 1663 they emerged victorious over the Portugese. The Dutch then built Fort Williams here . The Dutch were defeated by the great ruler of Mysore - Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. But at last, when the whole nation lost to the British regime, Kochi too became a part of the British colony in 1814. The magificient forts built here were destroyed by the British. Under the supervision of Sir Robert Bristow, Kochi was developed into a major harbour and the Willingdon Island was created. Willingdon Island now accommodates the Cochin Port and the Head Quarters of Southern Naval Command apart from a host of other trading and commercial organisations .

After India became independent in 1947, the state of Kerala was formed by the unification of provinces Kochi, Malabar and Travancore in 1956. The Corporation of Cochin was formed in 1967 by the merger of the towns - Fort Kochi, Mattanchery, Ernakulam and many nearby villages. At present, Cochin is one of the most important industrial, trading and commercial centre of South India.