THE KINGDOM OF COCHIN, ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS PERUMPADAPPU SWARŪPAM, WAS A PART OF THE EXTENSIVE LATE CHERA EMPIRE OF THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD, WHICH EXTENDED OVER LARGE PARTS OF SOUTH INDIA INCLUDING MODERN-DAY KERALA, WITH THIRUVANJIKULAM (NEAR PRESENT-DAY KODUNGALLUR IN THRISSUR DISTRICT) AS ITS CAPITAL. THE STATE WAS KNOWN AS PEMMPADAPPU NADU AND THE RULING FAMILY WAS KNOWN AS PERUMPADAPPU SWARUPAM.

THE COCHIN ROYAL FAMILY TRACES THEIR ORIGIN FROM THE KULASHEKARAS OF MAHODAYAPURAM. THERE WAS NO ORDERED HISTORY OF THE KINGDOM OF COCHIN TILL THE ARRIVAL OF THE PORTUGUESE. THE ROYAL FAMILY HAD PRODUCED FORTY-TWO RULERS. HOWEVER, ABSENCE OF THE NAMES OF THE RULERS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO PREPARE AN ACCURATE CHRONOLOGY OF THE FAMILY. FROM THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY ONWARDS, THE COCHIN ROYAL FAMILY SHIFTED THEIR HEADQUARTERS TO TRIPUNITHURA AND IT CONTINUED TO BE THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE COCHIN ROYAL FAMILY IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE PERUMPADAPPU RULERS ARE THE DESCENDANTS OF THE PERUMAL ON THE MATERNAL LINE.

                           THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER VIEW REGARDING THE ORIGIN OF PERUMPADAPPU SWAROOPAM. AS PER THIS VIEW, THE PERUMPADAPPU SWAROOPAM HAD NOT ORIGINATED IN KERALA BUT ITS ORIGIN WAS SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE KERALA, AND DUE TO SOME PROBLEMS IN THEIR ORIGINAL LAND, THEY MOVED TO KERALA, WHICH IS PAZHAYANNUR IN TALAPILLI TALUK AND LATER MOVED TO VANNERI IN PONNANI TALUK. IN COURSE OF TIME, THEY ACQUIRED WEALTH, POWER, AND PRESTIGE OF PERUMPADAPPU NAMBUTIRI WHO WAS THE LORD OF VANNERI. THEIR INFLUENCE AND POWER INCREASED LATER DUE TO THE CLOSE ASSOCIATION OF THE KULASEKHARAS OF MAHODAYAPURAM. FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE 12TH CENTURY TO THE END OF THE 13TH CENTURY THE CAPITAL OF PERUMPADAPPU SWAROOPAM WAS LOCATED AT CHITHRAKOODAM IN THE PERUMPADAPPU VILLAGE OF VANNERI WHICH WAS IN VALLUVANADU. EVEN THOUGH THE CAPITAL OF PERUMPADAPPU SWAROOPAM WAS IN VANNERI THE PERUMPADAPPU KING HAD A PALACE AT MAHODAYAPURAM. WHEN THE ZAMORIN ATTACKED VANNERI IN THE LATER PART OF THE 13TH CENTURY, PERUMPADAPPU SWAROOPAM SHIFTED THEIR CAPITAL TO MAHODAYAPURAM AND IT CONTINUED TO BE THEIR CAPITAL UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF THE 15TH CENTURY. 

                    IN 1405 PERUMPADAPU SWAROOPAM CHANGED THEIR CAPITAL FROM MAHODAYAPURAM TO COCHIN. FROM THERE ON PERUMPADAPU SWAROOPAM GOT THE NAME COCHIN ROYAL FAMILY. BY THE END OF THE 14TH, ZAMOORIN CONQUERED THRIKKANAMATHILAKAM AND IT BECAME A THREAT FOR MAHODAYAPURAM (THIRUVANCHIKULAM) AND THIS MAY BE THE REASON THAT PERUMPADAPU SWAROOPAM CHANGED THEIR CAPITAL TO COCHIN. NOT ONLY THIS IN THE YEAR 1341 A FLOOD CREATED AN ISLAND PUTHUVIPPU (VYPIN) AND COCHIN BECAME A WORLD-FAMOUS NATURAL HARBOR. THE OLD KODUNGALLORE(CRANGANNORE) PORT LOST ITS IMPORTANCE. THE ABOVE MAY ALSO BE A CAUSE FOR THE SHIFT OF THE CAPITAL.