Kingdom of Cochin (also known as
Perumpadappu Swaroopam,
Mada-rajyam,
Gosree Rajyam, or
Kuru Swaroopam;
Malayalam: കൊച്ചി or പെരുമ്പടപ്പ് ) was a
late medieval Hindu kingdom and later
Princely State on the
Malabar Coast,
South India. Once controlling much of the territory between
Ponnani and
Kochi in
Malabar, the Cochin kingdom shrank to its minimal extent as a result of invasions by the
Zamorin of Calicut. When
Portuguese armadas arrived in India, Cochin was in vassalage to
Zamorin and was looking for an opportunity to break away. King Unni Goda Varma Tirumulpadu (Trimumpara Raja) warmly welcomed
Pedro Álvares Cabral on 24 December 1500 and negotiated a treaty of alliance between Portugal and the Cochin kingdom, directed against the Zamorin of Calicut. Cochin became a long-time
Portuguese protectorate (1503–1663) providing assistance against native overlords. After the Portuguese, the
Dutch East India Company (1663–1795) followed by the
English East India Company (1795–1858, confirmed on 6 May 1809), protected the Cochin state.