European Penitration in to the Cardamom Hills of Travancore Principality: Facts and Reality.

Abstract

The topography of Travancore was ideal for the  natural growth of plant life due to the wide range of elevation, temperature and rainfall. This facilitated the existance of vast natural resources in Travancore, which acted as a treasure house of biodiversity. During the time of Europeans,the utility and commercial importance of forest resources especially spiceswere known to the natives. Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), widely known as the "Queen of Spices," is a high-value perennial plant in the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). The  social,economic and the geographical history of high ranges of Travancore closely connected with the growth and spread of cardamom cultivation.