The kings of the independent little kingdom of Thekkumkoor ruled Kottayam from Thazhathangady till the mid-18th century. Later, Marthanda Varma, who was king of Travancore, annexed Thekkumcore and the surrounding areas of Kottayam to the Kingdom of Travancore. During the British rule of India, Kottayam continued to be ruled under the Princely State of Travancore.
Slave trades prevailed at Thirunakkara, Kottayam in the 17th Century.
Earlier, the state of Travancore consisted of two revenue divisions viz., the southern and northern divisions, under the administrative control of a 'Diwan Peshkar' for each. Later, in 1868, Kottayam was also formed as a revenue division in Travancore. A fifth division, Devikulam existed for a short period but was then added to Kottayam. At the time of the integration of the State of Travancore and Cochin in 1949, these revenue divisions were renamed as districts and the Diwan Peshkars gave way to District Collectors. Thus, in July 1949, Kottayam came into being as a district. Later, it became a part of the state of Kerala, and the headquarters of the district bearing the same name when the state was formed in 1957.
The citizens of Kottayam played an important in the early social struggles in Kerala. In 1891, a protest movement known as the Malayali Memorial Agitation, was originated in Kottayam in order to seek better representation for the local people of Travancore in the Travancore civil services sector, against the outsiders. Later, the movement spread to other parts of Travancore and this movement had a major influence on the beginnings of modern political movements of Kerala. People of Kottayam played a major role during the Abstention Movement in the 1930s, which aimed at the representation of Hindus of the lower castes, Christians and Muslims in the Travancore Legislature. The Vaikom Satyagraha of 1924 against untouch ability, led by Mahatma Gandhi, took place in Vaikom near Kottayam. It was the first
