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<p>Numerous writings have been written about the history of Kerala by many nonIndian scholars. From ancient times Greeks Jews Syrians Arabs Turks Persians Portuguese British etc. have written extensively about the history and region of Kerala. The book is an attempt to write the history of Travancore State. It is a 25yearold study based on classified documents written in Malayalam Tamil and English. It covers reports like Abstracts of Castes and Ceremonies and Statistical Topics of Legislation and Judicial Administration Land Tenure Taxation and Revenue etc. from where all the socioeconomic history is taken from. The book is an anthropological survey of southern Kerala i.e. Travancore State where castes of lower and upper origins such as Pulayas Ezhavas Shanars Nambudiris and Royal Family of Travancore are discussed in great detail. Also it describes the practices and lives of Muslims and followers of Syriac Christianity. The author covers the lives of women the role of missionaries in evangelizing the region the economy laws and regulations. It also discusses the kinds of cash crops followed by fisheries music and customs the issue of slavery the role of Christian missions and Hindu customs and practices followed in the region. This book covers the cultural regional and socioeconomic aspects of the Travancore region which was a Princely state. About the Author Samuel Mateer (18351893) was a Belfastbased British missionary. He was educated in Christian theology at Bedford Theological College. He left for India in 1858 and was incharge of the Parassala Mission till he led Trivandrum Mission where a church under his name Mateer Memorial Church was established by the Mission. He was also involved in the indigenization of the mission where he worked with the Pulaya community of south Kerala. He was also known as 'Pulaya Padri' for his work for the said and other backward communities of the region. He authored books like Land of Charity Gospel in South India etc. He left for England in 1891 and died there two years later.</p>
