History

Cherupuzha and its surrounding areas was ruled by many royal dynasties in the past, including the Mooshika Dynasty of Ezhimala, Chirakkal Dynasty of Kolathunadu, Tipu Sultan of the Kingdom of Mysore, before it became a part of the British Raj. The original inhabitants of the area were primarily Hindus. Later on this region gained a sizable Muslim population. The economy was agrarian with strong feudal system - Janmi-Kudiyan system - permeating everyday life.

Feudal overloads or Janmies owned much of the land, which was leased by the farmers or Kudians who paid a portion (normally 2/10th) of their produce as "pattam" for the 'privilege' of working the land. Generally the lease was for a period of 12-16 years. Farmers were not allowed to cultivate permanent crops, dig wells or cut down the trees on the land. If any permanent crop such as pepper was planted on the land, the income from the crop went to the landlord after six years, depriving farmers of any income from such cash crops. Janmies gave 10 cents of land to farmers to build a house.

This region also has a sizable number of people belonging to tribal communities such as Mavilar, Pulayar, and Vettuvar who lived by hunting animals and collecting edible roots and fruits from the plentiful forests in the area. Under the Janmi-Kudiyan feudal system, tribals were treated much like slaves.