The arrival of Europeans and the intervention of foreign missionaries had a profound impact on the field of knowledge.
In 1577, the Portuguese established printing in Kerala. 'Samshepavedartha' published in 1772 was the first book to be printed entirely in Malayalam.
German missionary Arnos Pathiri prepared the first Malayalam dictionary and grammar book.
Benjamin Bailey, a member of the Church Mission Society, published the English Malayalam Dictionary in 1846.
Hermann Gundert, a member of the Basel Evangelical Mission, prepared the first authoritative grammar book in Malayalam.
In 1847 he started two Malayalam newspapers named 'Rajyasamacharam' and 'Paschi Modayam'.
The London Mission Society (LMS) and the Church Mission Society (CMS) were established in Travancore in the first decade of the 19th century.
One of the members of the London Mission, Rev. Mead focused on education.
The Church Mission established a college and seminary at Kottayam in 1813.
They established a grammar school and girls' chapels to promote female education.
The first school in Kochi region was established in Mattanchery in 1818 by Dawson, an English missionary.
At the same time, Twinkle Tabb, a Spanish missionary of the Salvation Army, established English schools in the southern areas of Travancore, including Nagercoil.
The Basel Evangelical Mission (BEM) took the lead in promoting education in Malabar.
In 1841 Rev. Habik, a missionary, established an English school in Barnassery, Kannur.
The Basel Mission established primary English schools in 1848 at Kallai near Kozhikode and in 1856 at Thalassery.
