St Angelo Fort – Kannur Fort – Kochi to Goa Road Trip
St. Angelo Fort is a fort facing the Arabian Sea, situated 3 km from Kannur, Kerala. The fort is built by Portuguese in 1505 and presently under the archeological survey of India. It is a must visit place if you are travelling via Kannur.
Watch out the video for more details about this place and you feel free to comment here if you have any doubt regarding this place.
Kannur’s acquaintance with European powers began soon after Vasco da Gama’s expedition to Calicut in 1498. In 1501, a Portuguese called Joao D’Nova set up a factory at Kannur and fortified it.
The era witnessed many disputes and gory battles between local rulers. Kolathiris, the local rulers of North Kerala were at loggerheads with the Zamorins of Kozhikode. The European powers took advantage of the situation and with the consent of the Kolathiris, the first Portuguese viceroy of India, Francisco D. Almeida, built a fort on a cliff adjacent to the sea, in 1505. The fort which was later known as the St. Angelo Fort became a strategic military base for the Portuguese navy.
During the Dutch invasion of 1663, the Portuguese were defeated. The fort was captured by the Dutch, who sold it to Ali Raja in 1770. The British later took it over from the Beevi of Arakkal, in 1790.
The Arakkal family followed a matriarchal system of descent: the eldest member of the family, whether male or female, became its head and ruler. While male rulers were called Ali Rajah, female rulers were known as Arakkal Beevis They renovated the fort and established it as their military base.
Today, the fort is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India.
