The taluk was among several in Thiruvananthapuram district that with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 were transferred from Thiruvananthapuram district, Travancore-Cochin State to the newly created Kanyakumari district of Madras State (the latter later renamed as Tamil Nadu State).
The taluk was part of the Princely state Travancore Kingdom; the latter which subsequently became part of the then Travancore-Cochin State.
Thovalai, Kalkulam, Vilavancode, and Agastheeswaram taluks were transferred from Thiruvananthapuram District of the Travancore-Cochin State to Kanyakumari district, Madras State.
According to the 2011 census, the taluk had a population of 550,283 with 271,936 males and 278,347 females.
Child population in the age group below 6 was 24,950 males and 24,164 females.