of calculation by the merchants using their fingers and toes (followed to this day) and the matrilineal system of succession.
Abdur Razzak (1442–43) the ambassador of Persian Emperor Sha-Rohk finds the city harbor perfectly secured and notices precious articles from several maritime countries especially from Abyssinia, Zirbad and Zanzibar.
The Italian Niccolò de' Conti (1445), perhaps the first Christian traveler who noticed Kozhikode describes the city as abounding in pepper, lac, ginger, a larger kind of cinnamon, myrobalans and zedary. He calls it a noble emporium for all India, with a circumference of eight miles (13 km).
The Russian traveler Athanasius Nikitn or Afanasy Nikitin(1468–74) calls 'Calecut' a port for the whole Indian sea and describes it as having a "big bazaar."
Other travelers who visited Kozhikode include the Italian Ludovico di Varthema (1503–1508) and Duarte Barbosa.
The Zamorins
The Udaiyavar of Ernad, whose headquarters was at Nediyiruppu, wanted an outlet to the sea and after fighting with the Polatthiri king for 48 years conquered the area around Ponniankara and built a fort at a place called Velapuram. Thus the city came into existence sometime in the 13th century AD.
The status of Udaiyavar increased and he became known as Swami Nambiyathiri Thirumulpad, and eventually Samuri or Samuthiri. Europeans called him Zamorin.
According to K.V. Krishna Iyer, the rise of Kozhikode is at once a cause and a consequence of Zamorin's ascendancy in Kerala. By the end of the century, Zamorin was at the zenith of his powers with all princes and chieftains of Kerala north of Cochin acknowledging his suzerainty.
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama arrived at Calicut on 20 May 1498 and obtained permission to carry out trade. He landed at a place known as
