Kannur
Kannur is a district in the State of Kerala in India. It lies between latitudes 11° 40' to 12° 48' North and longitudes 74° 52' to 76° 07' East and is bounded by the Western Ghats in the East (Coorg district of Karnataka State), Kozhikkode and Wayanad districts, in the South, Lakshadeep sea in the West and Kasaragod, the northern most district of Kerala, in the North.Kannur district derived its name from the location of its headquarters at Kannur town. The old name 'Cannanore' is the anglicised form of the Malayalam word Kannur. According to one opinion, 'Kannur' is a derivation from Kanathur, an ancient village, the name of which survives even today in one of the wards of Kannur Municipality. Another version is that Kannur might have assumed its name from one of the , deities of the Hindu pantheon, a compound of two words, Kannan (Lord Krishna) and Ur (place) making it the place of Lord Krishna.
Population of the district as per census 2001 was 2251727.
History
Rock-cut caves and megalithic burial sites of the Neolithic age have come to light in certain parts of the district.The Thaliparamba-Kannur- Thalassery area abounds in rock-cut caves, dolments, burial stone circles and menhirs, all of megalithic burial order.
Early in the 9th century A.D., the Cheras re-established their political supremacy in Kerala under Kulasekhara Varman. This second line of Chera emperors ruled till 1102 A.D with their capital at Mahodayapuram.
Though Vasco Da Gamma, the famous portuguese navigator, did not visit Kannur on his way to Kozhikkode in May 1498, he established contacts with the Kolathiri ruler. His ships which had left Kozhikkode on August 29, 1498 were contacted by the boats sent by the Kolathiri and Gama was invited to visit the palace.
Francisco De Almedia was sent from Portugal with specific instructions to erect forts at stratetgic points. He started constructing the Kannur Fort in 1505 and it was named St. Angelo.
The Portuguese followed a policy of religious persecution and forcible conversion. They therefore clashed with most of the native princes and chieftains. In 1558, the Kolathiri came openly into the field against the Portuguese by providing active support to the Kunjali Marrikkars of Kozhikkode. The Kolathiri and the Zamorin fought a common war against the Portuguese and they besieged the fort of St.Angelo at Kannur, in 1564. But the portuguese continued to maintain a precarious foothold at Kannur till 1663 when the fort was captured by the Dutch in February that year .
The English East lndia Company got its first foothold in the district towards the closing years of the 17th century , when it acquired a site at Thalassery for the erection of a fort and a factory .
The distemgration of the Kolathiri’s dominion started in the latter half of the 17th and the beginnng of the 18th century following dissensions in the royal family by the extensive surrender of territory to consorts of the ruling members.
In 1725, the French captured Mayyazhi and renamed it as Mahe in honour of the French captain Francois Mahe De Labourdonnais.
In January 1788, Tippu Sultan descended on Kerala with a large army and founded a new capital at Feroke for his Malabar province.
The treaties of Seringapatanam, signed on February 22 and March 18, 1792, formally ceded Malabar to the British.
Politics
Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) constituencies and their areas after delimitation order of 20086 Payyannur Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Payyannur Municipality and Cherupuzha, Eramamkuttoor, Kankole–Alapadamba, Karivellur Peralam, Peringome Vayakkara and Ramanthali Panchayats in Taliparamba Taluk.
7 Kalliasseri Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Cherukunnu, Cheruthazham, Ezhome, Kadannappalli-Panapuzha, Kalliasseri, Kannapuram, Kunhimangalam, Madayi and Mattool Panchayats in Kannur taluk and Pattuvam Panchayat in Taliparamba Taluk.
8 Taliparamba Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Taliparamba Municipality and Chapparapadavu, Kurumathur, Kolacherry, Kuttiattoor, Malapattam, Mayyil, and Pariyaram Panchayats in Taliparamba Taluk.
9 Irikkur Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Chengalayi, Eruvassy, Irikkur, Payyavoor, Sreekandapuram, Alakode, Naduvil, Udayagiri and Ulikkal Panchayats in Taliparamba Taluk.
10 Azhikode Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Azhikode, Chirakkal, Narath, Pallikkunnu, Pappinisseri, Puzhathi and Valapattanam Panchayats in Kannur Taluk.
11 Kannur Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Kannur Municipality and Chelora, Edakkad, Elayavoor and Munderi Panchayats in Kannur Taluk.
12 Dharmadam Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Anjarakandy, Chembilode, Kadambur, Muzhappilangad and Peralasseri Panchayats in Kannur Taluk and Dharmadam, Pinarayi and Vengad Panchayats in Thalaseery Taluk.
13 Thalassery Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Thalassery Municipality and Chockli, Eranholi, Kadirur, New–Mahe and Panniyannur Panchayats in Thalassery Taluk.
14 Kuthuparamba Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Kuthuparamba Municipality and Kariyad, Kottayam–Malabar, Kunnothuparambu, Mokeri, Panoor, Pattiom, Peringalam and Thriprangottur Panchayats in Thalassery Taluk.
15 Mattannur Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Mattannur Municipality and Chittariparamba, Keezhallur, Koodali, Malur, Mangattidam, Kolayad and Thillenkeri Panchayats in Thalassery Taluk and Padiyur-Kalliad Panchayat in Taliparamba Taluk.
16 Peravoor Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Aralam, Ayyankunnu, Kanichar, Keezhur-Chavassery, Kelakam, Kottiyoor, Muzhakkunnu, Payam, and Peravoor Panchayats in Thalassery Taluk.