Mushika dynasty

Mushika dynasty, also spelled Mushaka, also Eli or Ezhi, was a minor dynastic power that held sway over the region in and around Mount Ezhi (Ezhimala, in present-day Kannur district), northern Kerala, south India, from the early historic period up to the medieval period.

The country of the Ezhimala, ruled by an ancient chiefly lineage ("the Muvan"), appears in early historic (pre-Pallava) south India. Early Tamil poems (the Sangam Literature) contain several references to the exploits of Nannan, the ruler of Ezhimala (fl. c. 180 AD) who famously defeated the Tagadur Satiyaputra ruler. Nannan was known as a great enemy of the early Chera rulers of western Tamil Nadu and central Kerala. The famous Kottayam Coin Hoard, a massive cache of mostly Julio-Claudian (Roman) coins, was also discovered from the Ezhimala country.

The Ezhimala polity evolved into a monarchical state (known as "Kolla-desham") in the early medieval period and soon came under the influence of the neighboring Chera kingdom. The Ezhimala or Mushika rulers are recorded to have supported the Cheras in their conflicts with the Chola Empire. Chola records mention the defeat of Kollam and the fall of its ruler, while another inscription confirms the presence of Chola soldiery in north Kerala in the early 11th century. After the decline of the Chera state, the kingdom endured as "Kolathunad" in the Kannur-Kasaragod region. The Mushaka Vamsa Kavya, a dynastic chronicle composed in the 11th century by poet Athula, describes the history of the Mushika lineage.

The economies of the early historic Ezhimala polity and the medieval Mushika state are thought to have depended largely on the Indian Ocean spice trade — particularly in pepper, cardamom, and other hill produce — while conventional agriculture (wet-rice cultivation) played a lesser role.

The term "Mushika" or "Mushaka" Parvata is the Sanskrit translation of the ancient Tamil name "Ezhimalai" (or the Ezhil Kunram). It was later mispronounced as "Elimala", which came to mean "the Mountain of the Rats". The term "Mushika" also referred to the "Vaka" tree (Albizia lebbeck or Acacia sirissa), which was considered sacred by the rulers of Ezhimala.

Ezhimala hill (or the Ezhil Kunram) is described in Mushaka Vamsa Kavya as "Mushaka Parvata". The early historic fort of the Mushikas, located beneath Ettikulam Fort, is now protected by Department of Archaeology, Kerala.

The ancient ruling family of Ezhimala appears to have existed in northern Kerala at least from the early historic (pre-Pallava) period. Ancient Tamil poems (the Sangam Literature) describe the polity of Ezhimalai (also "Ezhil-malai"), situated on the northern edge of Tamilakam (the Tamil country) on its western (Malabar) coast.

The rulers of Ezhimalai were among the most prominent hill chieftains of ancient Kerala. The "Muvan" chieftain mentioned in early Tamil poems — described as an adversary of the early Chera rulers of western Tamil Nadu and central Kerala — is identified with the Muvan ruler of Ezhimalai. The early historic Ezhimala clan maintained matrimonial alliances with the Chera, Pandya and, Chola families. The family was also related to that of the rulers of Kantiramala.