[5][6][7] Initially, their influence appeared limited to the area between present-day Quilon and Quilandy, but later extended to up to Chandragiri river in north Kerala and to Nagercoil in the south.

[12] Nambudiri-Brahmin settlements of agriculturally rich areas (fertile wet land) were another major source of support to Chera state.

[2][14][15] Modern scholars have accused early Kerala historians of inventing a "Second Chera Empire" to rival the glories of the imperial Cholas.

[17] Suggestions pointing to the other extreme, that the Chera king at Kodungallur had only a "ritual sovereignty" and the actual political power rested with "a bold and visible Brahmin oligarchy" has also emerged.

[6] His kingship was only ritual and remained nominal compared with the power that local chieftains (the udaiyavar) exercised politically and militarily.

[11] The kingdom was attacked, and eventually forced into submission, by the Cholas in the early 11th century CE (in order to break its near monopoly of trade with the Middle East).

These were the transit areas, ports of call for the Arab traders and ships to Southeast Asia and China, which were the source of the valuable spices sold at a high profit to Europe.

"The Perumal kingship remained nominal compared with the power that local chieftains, the so-called "nattu-udaiyavar" or "nadu-vazhumavar", exercised politically and militarily.

[15] The Chera Perumal only held direct authority over the country that extended from Palakkad to Vembanad Lake, including the port of Kodungallur.

[23] The earliest attestation of Malayalam language [as an inscriptional variety] is also tentatively dated to the Chera Perumal period or a little later in Kerala.

[27] The Thousand or the Ayiram were the personal Nair protection guards of the Chera Perumal king (related to the Kodungallur Bhagavathi Temple).

[15] Through the analysis of the medieval Kerala inscriptions relating to the Chera Perumal period, scholars have substantiated the existence of several chieftaincies.

From north to south, they are as follows: Kolla-desam (or) Kolathu-nadu (proposed name[28]), Purakizha-nadu, Kurumporai-nadu, Erala-nadu, Valluva-nadu,[15] Kizhmalai-nadu (the Eastern Hill Country[29]), Vempala-nadu, Munji-nadu, Nanruzhai-nadu[15] and Venadu or Kupaka (Kollam[28]).

[15][30] The Perumal held direct authority over the country that extended from Palakkad to Vembanad Lake (including Kodungallur in the Periyar Valley).