Calicut: History, Former Names & Timeline
Spice port on the Malabar coast ruled by the Zamorins; Chinese records call it Guli, and both Zheng He and Vasco da Gama came here.
CalicutExplore Calicut in the interactive map
Former names of Calicut
| From | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1100 | Calicut / Kozhikode |
Timeline of Calicut
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1342 | Ibn Battuta visits |
| 1407 | Zheng He’s fleet reaches Calicut |
| 1498 | Vasco da Gama reaches Calicut, opening the sea route from Europe |
| 1766 | Hyder Ali of Mysore takes Calicut |
| 1792 | Calicut passes to the British East India Company |
Who ruled Calicut
Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.
| Period | State |
|---|---|
| 500 BC–401 BC | Iron Age megalith cultures |
| 400 BC–201 BC | Hindu kingdoms |
| 200 BC–101 BC | Iron Age chieftainships |
| 100 BC–199 | Hindu kingdoms |
| 200–299 | Chola |
| 300–499 | Hindu kingdoms |
| 500–599 | Western Gangas |
| 600–699 | Hindu kingdoms |
| 700–799 | Cheras |
| 800–899 | Pallava state |
| 900–999 | Pallava |
| 1000–1099 | Chola Empire |
| 1100–1199 | Cholas |
| 1200–1299 | Chola Empire |
| 1300–1399 | minor Hindu kingdoms |
| 1400–1491 | Sultanate of Delhi |
| 1492–1699 | Vijayanagara |
| 1700–1782 | Hindu kingdoms |
| 1783–1814 | Malabar |
| 1815–1879 | British East India Company |
| 1880–1944 | British Raj |
| 1945–today | India |
Battles and sites near Calicut
- Calicut · 1498
Famous people of Calicut
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| 1371 – 1433 | Zheng He | Admiral and explorer |
| c. 1469 – 1524 | Vasco da Gama | Navigator |
Nearby cities
- Vijayanagara · about 460 km
- Goa · about 514 km
- Chennai · about 529 km
Further reading
Questions about Calicut
What was Calicut called in the past?
Calicut has been known as Calicut / Kozhikode (from 1100). Its present name dates from 1100.
Which states have ruled Calicut?
On the historical border maps from 500 BC to today, Calicut lies within 17 different states: Iron Age megalith cultures, Hindu kingdoms, Iron Age chieftainships, Chola, Western Gangas, Cheras, Pallava state, Pallava, Chola Empire, Cholas and others.
What are the key dates in the history of Calicut?
1342: Ibn Battuta visits. 1407: Zheng He’s fleet reaches Calicut. 1498: Vasco da Gama reaches Calicut, opening the sea route from Europe. 1766: Hyder Ali of Mysore takes Calicut. 1792: Calicut passes to the British East India Company.
Which famous people are connected with Calicut?
Zheng He (admiral and explorer, 1371 – 1433); Vasco da Gama (navigator, c. 1469 – 1524).
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.