Parashurama killing off Kshatriyas, especially Kartavirya Arjuna & his Heheya clan of Mahishmati is a famous legend. But there exists a tradition in which Parashurama enthroned Hehaya prince as king of ancient Kerala.

A thread on Mushika dynasty (മൂഷികവംശം) of north Kerala.

Mushika, or alternatively as Mushaka, was name of an ancient dynasty that existed in North Kerala. They were based at Ezhimala in present day Kannur.
The recorded history of Mushika dynasty is from around the 8th-9th century.

During that time the Mushika dynasty were the vassals or Samantans of the second Chera Perumal kings based on present day Kodungallur who were the supreme emperors of Kerala at that time.

Not much is known about the origins of Mushikas. Some historians have suggested that the dynasty was derived from the Sangam age Tamil Ezhimala kings who formerly existed in the North Malabar. But there is no clear evidence for this.

The poet known as Atula, wrote in Sanskrit an epic kavya named "Mushikavamsha". This text contains chronology of legendary Mushika kings, and is similar to Kashmiri text Rajatarangini of Kalhana. As per this Mushikavamsha, the dynasty is said to have originated from North India.

According to the legends from Mushikavamsha, Ramaghata Mushika, the founding king of the Mushika dynasty, was the son of a pregnant queen from Heheya lineage who fled to south fearing Parashurama's wrath when he annihilated Kshatriyas.

It is said that when this queen came to Kerala and took refuge in Ezhimala, a large rat appeared and that the rat was actually the cursed spirit of Ezhimala. The queen later gave birth to a prince named Ramaghata at Ezhimala.

Later after slaying the Kshatriyas, Parashurama became sympathetic to the widowed queen & her son after knowing about their survival in south. He later performed a great Yajna and conducted the royal concentration of Ramaghata as first king of Mushika dynasty with his own hands.

In addition to this legend related to Heheyas, the Mushikavamsha describe the ancient kingdoms of North India such as Magadha and Chedi. From this it is evident that the origin of the Mushika family is from North India.

The text also speaks about Ramaghata going to his ancestral kingdom of Heheya & repelling the Magadhan forces who invaded the kingdom. After that he installed his elder son as the ruler of Heheya kingdom and he returned back to northern Kerala.

His younger son succeeded him as the king of northern Kerala after him.

In addition to these events, Mushikavamsha also mentions the Chola, Chera and other dynasties that existed in South India at the time.The Mushikas and Chera rulers also had connection through marriage alliance.

Although initially the Mushikas followed Makkathayam or patrlineal succession system, gradually they were the first recorded dynasty in Kerala to adopt the Marumakkathayam or matrilineal succession system.

Marumakkathayam system was dominant in later times mostly among rulers, nobles, and warriors belonging to the Nair caste in Kerala till pre modern times.

The Mushikas also built an important city known as Kolam in addition to many ancient Hindu temples. The name of the region in north Malabar, Kolathu Nadu, is derived from the this city.

They also patronized Buddhists and Jains of Kerala during that time. For example the Mushikas renovated the ancient Buddhist site of Srimulavasa in Kerala.

Just like their origins, the decline of Mushikas is also not completely known. Last known king of Mushika dynasty was named as Srikantha and the aforementioned poet Atula seems to have been his contemporary.

Perhaps the Kerala were attacked by the Cholas during his reign, around 11th and the Mushika kingdom was subjugated by them when they waged war against the Chera Perumals during their expansion.

The Kolathiris, who later ruled the northern Malabar after 12th century and were named after the town of Kolam which was built by the earlier Mushikas, may have been descendants of the Mushikas.

Later, the rulers of Venad (later Travancore) also frequently adopted heirs from matrilineal Kolathiri lineage by adopting their matrilineal succession system since 13-14th centuries.

Hence, biologically Venad became part of Kola Swaroopam or royal house of Kolathiris even when the Travancore/venad kings held the Kulashekhara Perumal title of Chera kings and inherited the Chera crown after the fall of the central rule of Chera Perumals after 12th century CE.

The popular legend of Parashurama reclaiming land of Kerala from sea is a well known. But this association of Parashurama with Mushikas could also be an archaic legend hinting at a movement happened into Kerala from north during early historic or classical era.

End of thread.