The first evidence of habitation in Kerala was in the 10 century BC. The ancient inhabitants spoke Tamil, bringing forth the evidence that Kerala and Tamil Nadu once shared a common language, culture and ethnicity. Only in the 14th century Kerala became a distinct region. The first kingdom that ruled Kerala was the Chera Kingdom. In the Tamil Literature, the Chera rulers were referred to as Cheral, Kuttuvan, Azhiyan, Irumporai and Athan depending on the positions these rulers held in the past. The nobles among the Chera were known as Cheraman. The Cheras allied with the Pallavas and warred against the Chola and Pandya kingdoms.

In between the 8th and 14th centuries Keralite identity was formed which was distinct from the Tamils and the languageof this people came to be known as Malyalam. By the early 14th century, Kerala and Tamil Nadu diverged into separate regions. During this time Buddhism and Jainism reached Kerala. Both survived for the first five centuries. After which, there was a large migration of Brahmins into Kerala from the North. These influxes coincided during the Kalabhras, Rashtrakuta, Chalukya, Pallava and Hoysala invasions. During the 8th and 9th centuries the second Chera kings were inspired by Vaishnavism and some of them contributed major literary contributions regarding Vishnu Bhakthi, during this period. Hinduism was revived by great intellectuals like Shankara and by Bhakti movements all over India.

The West-Asians who were traders on the Malabar Coast were encouraged to settle and set up trading outposts and factories by the local kings. During this period many people migrated to Kerala to escape religious and racial persecution. The Nasrani Mappila(Syrian Christians)and the Muslim Mappila( Muslims) communities emerged from these contacts. The Brown Jews of Kerala claim to be remnants of the Jews that left the northern Kingdom of Israel following the Assyrian invasion of 721 BCE. Nasrani and some Eastern Christianity(refers collectively to the Christian traditions and churches which developed in Greece, Russia, Armenia, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, northeastern Africa and southern India over several centuries of religious antiquity) claims that Thomas the Apostle visited this region to spread the message of Christ. The earliest recorded migration of Christians into Kerala is by a contingent of Jewish Nasranis led by Knai Thoma (Thomas of Cana) who arrived in 345 CE, resulting in the Knanaya community. Another well recorded (in the Tharisappally records) migration is from Syria in the 9th century CE. With the advent of Islam in West Asia the traders visiting Kerala`s contained large proportions of Muslims.

In the 7th century, Malik Ibn Dinarn created the first Muslim settlement in Kerala. Until the arrival of the Portuguese in the 15th century Arab Muslims dominated the sea trade in Kerala. As the Muslims gained strength clashes erupted between them and the Christians. This resulted in Muslim control of trading centres and the latter communities scattered to places such as Angamaly. In 1948 , Vasco da Gama`s voyage to Kerala was with the aim to break the Arab`s control over the trade of spices in Kerala( Kerala was a land rich in spices). In 1503, Da Gama established India`s first Portuguese fortress at Cochin (Kochi). The constant conflicts between Calicut and Cochin provided the best oppurtunity for the Dutch to expel the Roman Catholic Portugese from their forts. In turn the Dutch was routed by the ruler Marthanda Varma (Travancore )at the Battle of Kulachal in 1741. The Dutch were, in turn, routed by the Travancore (Thiruvithamcoore) ruler Marthanda Varmaat the Battle of Kulachal in 1741. Hyder Ali of Mysore conquered northern Kerala in the 18th century, capturing Kozhikode in 1766. Hyder Ali and his successor, Tipu Sultan, came into conflict with the British, and the four Anglo-Mysore warswere fought across southern India in the latter half of the 18th century. Tipu Sultan ceded Malabar District to the British in 1792, and South Kanara, which included present-day Kasargod District, in 1799.

The British made treaties with the rulers of Cochin and Travancore and as a result they became the princely states of British India. Expressions of discontent against the British rule were frequent in Kerala. Leaders like Pazhassi Raja, Velu Thampi Dalawa came to the forefront and organised the Punnapra-Vayalar revolt of 1946. Mass protests were directed to remove the social evils such as untouchability. Vaikom Satyagraha of 1924 was instrumental in securing entry to the public roads adjacent to the Vaikom temple for people belonging to backward castes. Sree Chithira Thirunal Balaramavarma Maharaja, the ruler of Tranvancore (in 1936) issued the Temple Entry Proclamation, declaring the temples in his kingdom open to all Hindu worshippers, irrespective of caste.

After India`s independence in 1947, the princely states of Travancore and Kochi were joined to form the province of Travancore-Cochin on July 1, 1949. The state of Kerala was born on November 1, 1956 when the Malabar District was joined with Tranvancore-Cochin state and Kasargod taluk of South Kanara District to form the State of Kerala. In 1957, elections for the new Kerala Legislative Assembly was held. This led to the formation of a communist-led government headed by E.M.S. Namboodiripad. Indians consider this the first democratically elected communist government in the world.