There were a number of feudal

Indian feudalism

Feudalism was a social system of medieval European origin, according to which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles, while the peasants were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labor, and a...

 states in Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 in the middle age

Middle age

Middle age is the period of age beyond young adulthood but before the onset of old age. Various attempts have been made to define this age, which is around the third quarter of the average life span of human beings....

s between the end of Chera dynasty

Chera dynasty

Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...

 and the British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 rule. The rulers of these city states were called Naaduvaazhi, usually from a Nair Dynasty

Nair Dynasty

A number of Nair dynasties existed in present day Kerala state, South India in the middle ages. These Hindu dynasties ruled tiny city states called "nadus" and were in frequent warfare with each other...

.

Kingdoms in the Sangam age

Ay, Chera

Chera dynasty

Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...

(Kuttanad and Kudanad), Puzhinad(Mooshika) and Kurunilamannans (Chittarachans) such as Kollimala, Parankimala, Pazhimala etc.

Divisions of Kulasekhara kingdom

Venad, Odanad, Nanruzhainad (smallest), Mundunad, Valluvanad, Eralnad (biggest), Polanad, Kolathunad, Puraikkizhanad.

As a consequence of extended periods of war between the Cheras

Chera dynasty

Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...

 and Cholas in 10th century A.D, the Nair

Nair

Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...

s had as a guild, acquired higher functions in the body politic and the administration of Kerala was fragmented into 17 Nads (princely principalities), the rulers of which were mostly from the Nair stock.

But over the course of time, smaller Nayar chiefs also declared their own kingdoms, such that during the invasion of Malabar by Tippu Sultan, there were 35 Nads in Malabar

Malabar Coast

The Malabar Coast is a long and narrow coastline on the south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing mountain...

 alone and constantly tried to elevate their rank status from the bulk of Nayars to distinguish themselves, through collision with Brahmins.

The 35 Naads (Principalities) in Malabar were: Kottayam, Kadathanad

Kadathanadu

Kadathanadu was a former Nair Hindu feudatory city-state in present day Kerala state, South India, on the Malabar Coast famed for its anthology of heroic songs, folklores and ballads and for Kalarippayattu.-Geographical location:Geographically, Kadathanadu is part of North Malabar...

, Kurumbranad

Kurumbranad - Kurumbiathiri swaroopam

Kurumbranad was a former Nair Hindu feudal kingdom in present day Kerala state, South India, on the Malabar Coast. Once a powerful kingdom capitalized at Mapayil, Puthuppanam, Vadakara. The area borded from sea at West side and Karnataka at the East...

, Tamarasseri-Wynad, North Parappanad, South Parappanad, Valluvanad, Vadamalapuram, Tenmalapuram, Kolathunad

Kolathunadu

Kolathunādu was one of the three most powerful feudal kingdoms on the Malabar Coast during the arrival Portuguese Armadas to India along with Zamorin's Calicut and Venad. Kolathunād had its capital at Ezhimala and was ruled by Kolathiri royal family and roughly comprised the whole northern...

 (All ruled by Samanta Kshatriyas); Polanad, Payyanad, Ramanad, Cheranad, Nedunganad, Naduvattam, Kuttanad, Chavakkad, Chetwai, Eranad

Saamoothiri

Zamorin is the title used by the Hindu Eradi Samanthan kshatriya rulers of the erstwhile late medieval feudal kingdom of Kozhikode located in the present day state of Kerala, India....

, Neeleswaram, Konad, Kodikkunninad, Vettattnad

Vettattnad

Vettathunad or Tanur swaroopam was a small erstwhile feudal kingdom in southern Malabar on Arabian Sea in southwest India ruled by a Hindu dynasty known as Tanur dynasty, over whom the Zamorin of Calicut claimed certain nominal suzerain rights.The King was called 'raja'or 'thampuran' or...

, Kakkad, Beypore, Talapilli, Chirakkal, Kumbala, Kollamkode, Punnathur (All ruled by Samanthan Nairs); Kavalapara

Kavalappara Swaroopam

Kavalappara Swaroopam or Kavalappara is a former Hindu Nair feudal city-state in Malabar, South India. Kavalappara Nairs were the vassals of the Zamorins of Calicut, and ruled some parts of Ottappalam, Chittur and Palakkad. At the peak of his glory, king of Kavalappara ruled some 96 village from...

, Kurangott, Kuthiravattath, Payyurmala & Pulavai (All ruled by Moopil Nayar

Moopil Nair

Moopil Nair is the term used to denote Nair Naduvazhis and Desavazhis of tiny feudal kingdoms on the Malabar Coast, present day Kerala state, South India. Moopil Nairs belonged to the Samanthan Nair subcaste of the Nair caste in the Hindu Caste system...

s).

List(Incomplete)

They were:

1. Airur
2. Alangad
   Alangad
   ×Alangad is a village in Paravur Taluk, Ernakulam District, Kerala State in India. It is right in the middle of North Paravur and Aluva. The localities in Alangad are Kottappuram, Neerikodu, Malikampeedika, Panayikulam, Thiruvalloor etc. A nice place to live in...
   
    (Alangad Karthavu)
3. Arakkal or Cannanore
4. Beypore
   Beypore
   Beypore or Beypur is a ancient port town and part of Calicut municipal corporation in Kozhikode district in the state of Kerala, India. The place was formerly known as Vaypura / Vadaparappanad. Tippu Sultan named the town “Sultan Pattanam”.This place also has a marina and a beautiful beach...
   
   
5. Chavakkad
   Chavakkad
   Chavakkad is a municipality in Thrissur District of Kerala state in India. Chavakkad is noted for its beach and fishing. It lies on National Highway 17 is located about north of the city of Kochi, the commercial capital of Kerala and west of Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala.-History:The...
   
   
6. Chempakasseri or Purakkad (Ambalappuzha)
7. Cheranad
8. Chettuvai
9. Desinganadu (Kollam)
10. Dharmadhom
11. Edappally
    Edappally
    Edappally is one of Kochi's well known neighbourhoods. Its name in English literally translates as 'The City with a Church in the Centre' . The famous church in the centre is St. George's Church which is quite old and is a pilgrimage centre. It is said to be one of the fastest growing areas in...
    
    
12. Elaikovil or Karippath or Srikandapuram
13. Ilayidathu (Kottarakkara)the roots of which is also traced to Kannur who escaped Tipu sultan and settled down in Kollam and the descendants of the family now living scattered but belonging to Puthupally madom kovilakam - Kollam
14. Iruvazhinad
15. Izhathu Mannanars
16. Kadathanad or Vadakara
17. Kakkad
18. Karappuram
19. Karthikapalli
20. Karunagapalli or Martha
21. Kavalappara Swaroopam
22. Keezhmalainad
23. Cochin or Perumpadappu
24. Kodikkunninad
25. Kodungallur
26. Kollamkode
27. Konaad
28. Kongod
29. Koottanad
30. Kottayam or Wynad (Mutukur of Puraikizhanad)
31. Kozhimala
32. Kumbala
33. Kurangoth
34. Kurumbranad
35. Kuthiravattom
36. Madathinkur
37. Mankara
38. Mannoor
39. Mooshakam or Kolathunad or Chirakkal Raja
40. Munhanad
41. N. Parappanad
42. Naduvattom
43. Nanruzhainad
44. Nedunganad
45. Neeleswaram
46. Nilambur
47. Odanad or Onattukara or Kayamkulam
48. Paliath Achan
49. Panthalam
50. Paravur
51. Payurmalla
52. Payyanad
53. Polanad
54. Porainad or Nedumpurayoornad or Tharoor or Palakkad
55. Pulavayil
56. Punjar
57. Punnathur
58. Puraikizhanad
59. Ramanad
60. Randattara
61. S. Parappanad
62. Tamarasseri-Wynad
63. Temmalapuram
64. Thalappally
65. Thekkumkoor (Kottayam)
66. Thiruvattuvainadu (Thiruvalla)
67. Vadakkumkoor ( Vaikkam)
68. Vadamalapuram
69. Vempolinad
70. Venad
    Venad
    Venad Swarupam was one of the three prominent late medieval Hindu feudal kingdoms on Malabar Coast, south India, along with Kingdom of Calicut and Kingdom of Cannanore. In the early 14th century, Venad ruler Ravi Varma Kulasekhara had established a short-lived supremacy over southern India...
    
     or Travancore
    Travancore
    Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
    
    
71. Vettathunad or Tanur