The University of Kerala, founded as the University of Travancore

Background

The University of Kerala was founded in 1937 and was one of the first 16 universities in India.
It was formerly called the University of Travancore, in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore.
It came into being by a promulgation of the Maharajah of Travancore, Sri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, who was also the first Chancellor of the University.
Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Ayyar, the then Diwan of the State, was its first Vice-Chancellor.
The Kerala University Act (Act 14 of 1957) was brought into force and the University of Travancore was renamed the University of Kerala.
Its earliest origins are traced to University College, Thiruvananthapuram, founded as the Maharaja's Free School by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal in 1834 and grown into a college in 1866.
The other origin is the Trivandrum Observatory, founded in 1838 with the scientist John Caldecott FRS as its first Director; it is the oldest institution under the University.
The University once had campuses at Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode, and in 1968 the Kozhikode centre became a full-fledged university, the University of Calicut.
The Cochin University of Science and Technology and the Kerala Agricultural University followed in 1971 and Mahatma Gandhi University in 1983.
The University of Kerala's jurisdiction now covers Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha districts and some parts of Pathanamthitta district.