The Nasranis are an ethnic people and in that sense a single community. However the Nasranis have various denominations as a result of Portuguese persecution. As an ethnic community they refer to themselves as Nasranis referring to the common cultural heritage and cultural tradition. However as a religious group they refer to themselves as the Mar Thoma Christianis or in English as Saint Thomas Christians referring to the various and diverse religious denominations between them in terms of their religious tradition, despite a common ancestry of being the descendants of the early Mar Thoma church or Saint Thomas tradition of Christianity.
Throughout Kerala, one can find Christian families that claim their descent from Jewish ancestors who were baptized by Apostle Thomas. St. Thomas Christians were classified into the caste system according to their professions, in accordance with the Hindu tradition, with special privileges for trade granted by the benevolent Hindu kings. People in Hindu kingdoms, regardless of religion, were expected to strictly abide by stringent rules pertaining to caste and religion. This is why St. Thomas Christians had such a strong sense of caste and tradition, being the oldest order of Christianity in India.
The archdeacon was the head of the Church, and Palliyogams (Parish Councils) were in charge of temporal affairs. They had a liturgy-centered life with days of fasting and abstinence. Their devotion to the Mar Thoma Cross was absolute. Their churches were modeled after Jewish synagogues.
In short, the St. Thomas Christians of Kerala had blended well the ecclesiastical world of the East Syriac Church with the socio-cultural environment of their homeland. Thus, the East Syriac Church was South Indian in culture, Christian in religion, and Judeo-Syro-Oriental in worship
The early Christians have, indeed, made significant contributions to the culture of Kerala. The Portuguese missionaries introduced printing in Kerala besides opening several theological seminaries for the education of the clergy. Chavittunatakam is a Portuguese-Christian art-form. The Protestant missionaries from Germany and England laid the foundations of western education in Kerala by opening English grammar schools, high schools, and colleges. Some of the early Christian missionaries had performed valuable services for the development of the Malayalam language; the grammatical works and dictionaries by Arnos Patiri (Johann Ernestus Hanxleden), Angelo Francis, Rev. Bailey, Rev. Richard Collins, and Dr. Gundert are substantial contributions to the study of Malayalam.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Nasrani tradition today
A Wisdom Archive on Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Nasrani tradition today
Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Nasrani tradition today
A selection of articles related to Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Nasrani tradition today
More material related to Syrian Malabar Nasrani can be found here:
Main Page
for
Syrian Malabar Nasrani
http://www.experiencefestival.com/syrian_malabar_nasrani
Index of Articles
related to
Syrian Malabar Nasrani
http://www.experiencefestival.com/syrian_malabar_nasrani/articleindex
Index of Articles
related to
Syrian Malabar Nasrani - ...
http://www.experiencefestival.com/syrian_malabar_nasrani_-_nasrani_tradition_today/articleindex
Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Bibliography, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Christian Jewish tradition, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - List of prominent Nasranis, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Nasrani people today, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Nasrani symbol, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Nasrani tradition today, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Origins, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Persecution by Portuguese, Goa Inquisition
Though much of the Jewish tradition was obliterated and wiped out, some of the important traditions lived on. The symbol of the Nasrani people is still the Nasrani menorah based on the Jewish menorah. Other surviving Jewish tradition still followed by the Nasranis is the tradition of Pesah appam. On passover night, the Nasrani people have Pesah-appam (unleavened passover bread) along with Pesah pal (passover coconut milk). This tradition of Pesah appam is observed by the entire Nasrani people until this day.
The southern coast of the Indian subcontinent (hypothesized by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus to be the place mentioned as Ophir in the Old Testament) inevitably became a gateway from the Mediterranean world to the Far East. The people there traded in teak, ivory, spices and peacocks, and the area was endowed with a magnificent coastline with numerous ports from Mangalapuram to Kodungallur,
Nasrani people largely live in the districts of Kottayam in Kerala and neighbouring districts. They have also migrated to other cities in India like Mumbai and Bangalore. Others have migrated to the United states and work in the Middle East. At present (based on the Indian census report of 2004), there are approximately 5,000,000 Syrian-malabar nasranis from across the various denominations within the nasrani community. Nasrani people own large estates and engage in trade of rubber, spices and cash crops.
The symbol of the Nasranis is the Syrian cross, also called as Nasrani Menorah or Mar Thoma kurish in malayalam. It is based on the Jewish menorah, the ancient symbol of the Hebrews, which consists of a branched candle stand for seven candlesticks. In the Nasrani Menorah the six branches, (three on either side of the cross) represents God as the burning bush, while the central branch holds the cross, the dove at the tip of the cross represents the Holy Spirit. In Jewish tradition the central branch is the main branch, from which the other branches or other six candles are lit.
These early Christian Jews believed in Jesus as the Christ, but followed Jewish traditions and called themselves Nazaraeans or Nazrani (meaning Jews who followed the Messiah the Nazarene). The term Nazaraean was first mentioned in the New Testament in Acts 24:5. The term nasrani was used essentially to denote Jewish followers of Jesus from Nazareth, while the term Khristianos or (christian) was initially used
The Judeo-Nasrani tradition of the Syro-malabar Nasranis was wiped out when the Portuguese invaded Kerala, and denounced the Nasrani account of Christian faith as false. They imposed their European rituals and liturgy and obliterated the Jewish legacy from the Nasrani tradition. The Portuguese described the Nasranis as Sabbath keeping Judaizers. Archbishop Menezes of Goa, convened the Synod of Diamper in 1599, in Kerala. There he ordered all the texts of the syrian nasranis to be burnt. The Portuguese burned the Gospel of Thomas.
Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Persecution by Portuguese and Tipu Sulthan remains the worst things to have ever happened to Nasranis.
Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Nasrani tradition today
A selection of articles related to Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Nasrani tradition today
More material related to Syrian Malabar Nasrani can be found here:
Main Page
for
Syrian Malabar Nasrani
http://www.experiencefestival.com/syrian_malabar_nasrani
Index of Articles
related to
Syrian Malabar Nasrani
http://www.experiencefestival.com/syrian_malabar_nasrani/articleindex
Index of Articles
related to
Syrian Malabar Nasrani - ...
http://www.experiencefestival.com/syrian_malabar_nasrani_-_nasrani_tradition_today/articleindex
Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Bibliography, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Christian Jewish tradition, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - List of prominent Nasranis, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Nasrani people today, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Nasrani symbol, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Nasrani tradition today, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Origins, Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Persecution by Portuguese, Goa Inquisition
Though much of the Jewish tradition was obliterated and wiped out, some of the important traditions lived on. The symbol of the Nasrani people is still the Nasrani menorah based on the Jewish menorah. Other surviving Jewish tradition still followed by the Nasranis is the tradition of Pesah appam. On passover night, the Nasrani people have Pesah-appam (unleavened passover bread) along with Pesah pal (passover coconut milk). This tradition of Pesah appam is observed by the entire Nasrani people until this day.
The southern coast of the Indian subcontinent (hypothesized by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus to be the place mentioned as Ophir in the Old Testament) inevitably became a gateway from the Mediterranean world to the Far East. The people there traded in teak, ivory, spices and peacocks, and the area was endowed with a magnificent coastline with numerous ports from Mangalapuram to Kodungallur,
Nasrani people largely live in the districts of Kottayam in Kerala and neighbouring districts. They have also migrated to other cities in India like Mumbai and Bangalore. Others have migrated to the United states and work in the Middle East. At present (based on the Indian census report of 2004), there are approximately 5,000,000 Syrian-malabar nasranis from across the various denominations within the nasrani community. Nasrani people own large estates and engage in trade of rubber, spices and cash crops.
The symbol of the Nasranis is the Syrian cross, also called as Nasrani Menorah or Mar Thoma kurish in malayalam. It is based on the Jewish menorah, the ancient symbol of the Hebrews, which consists of a branched candle stand for seven candlesticks. In the Nasrani Menorah the six branches, (three on either side of the cross) represents God as the burning bush, while the central branch holds the cross, the dove at the tip of the cross represents the Holy Spirit. In Jewish tradition the central branch is the main branch, from which the other branches or other six candles are lit.
These early Christian Jews believed in Jesus as the Christ, but followed Jewish traditions and called themselves Nazaraeans or Nazrani (meaning Jews who followed the Messiah the Nazarene). The term Nazaraean was first mentioned in the New Testament in Acts 24:5. The term nasrani was used essentially to denote Jewish followers of Jesus from Nazareth, while the term Khristianos or (christian) was initially used
The Judeo-Nasrani tradition of the Syro-malabar Nasranis was wiped out when the Portuguese invaded Kerala, and denounced the Nasrani account of Christian faith as false. They imposed their European rituals and liturgy and obliterated the Jewish legacy from the Nasrani tradition. The Portuguese described the Nasranis as Sabbath keeping Judaizers. Archbishop Menezes of Goa, convened the Synod of Diamper in 1599, in Kerala. There he ordered all the texts of the syrian nasranis to be burnt. The Portuguese burned the Gospel of Thomas.
Syrian Malabar Nasrani - Persecution by Portuguese and Tipu Sulthan remains the worst things to have ever happened to Nasranis.
List of Syrian Malabar Nasranis who made significant contributions
This is a list of Syrian Malabar Nasranis who have made significant contribution to public service, science, sports, literature and the arts.
Politics and Public Service
* A. K. Antony, Defence minister of India and former Chief Minister of Kerala
* Oommen Chandy - Former Chief Minister of Kerala.
* John Mathai, Former Finance Minister of India.
* C. M. Stephen, Former Union Minister of India
* Prof. C. P. Mathew, Member of Parliament
* K. C. Abraham, Former Governor of Andhra Pradesh.
* K. M. Chandy, Former Governor of Madhya Pradesh
* P.C. Alexander, Former Governor of Maharashtra
* P. V. Cherian, Former Governor of Maharashtra
* M. M. Jacob, Former Governor of Meghalaya
* M. M. Thomas, Former Governor of Nagaland
* P. J. Kurian, Former Union Minister of State.
* K. M. Mani - Longest running MLA of Kerala
* Thachil Mathoo Tharakan - First non-Hindu minister of Travancore.
* T.M. Varghese, Founder Leader of Travancore State congress, Freedom Fighter, Later Minister.
* A. J. John, Anaparambil - Chief Minister of Travancore-Cochin (1951-53)
* R. V. Thomas - President (Speaker) of Travancore Legislative Assembly (1948-50)
* Mathai Manjooran - Indian freedom fighter and Socialist revolutionary.
* P. T. Chacko - The only Christian Member of Constituent Assembly from Kerala.
* Sebastian Edathy, German Member of Parliament
* E. John Jacob, Former State Minister
* P. J. Joseph, Former State Minister
* Josef Philip Winkler, German Politician (Nasrani mother)
* Riva Philip, Young Congress Leader
* Akkamma Cherian, Freedom Fighter
* T. M. Jacob, Minister, MLA, Kerala Congress leader
* P. P. Thankachan, MLA, Minister, Congress leader
* Cherian Philip , LDF leader and KTDC chairman
[edit] Literature and Media
A Syro-Malabar Catholic Church with the Holy of Holies containing the Nasrani Menorah or Mar Thoma Sliba(St. Thomas Cross) veiled by a red curtain in the tradition of ancient Jewish synagogue.
* Kandathil Varghese Mappillai, Founder of Malayala Manorama & Bhashaposhini
* Nidhiry Mani Kathanar, Founder of Deepika (erstwhile Naszrani Deepika), Eminent educationalist, Orator, Organizer and Ecumenist
* Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar, Author of the first travalogue in an Indian language.
* Mathew M. Kuzhively, The author of the first Encyclopedia in an Indian Language.
* Abu Abraham, Cartoonist
* K. C. Mammen Mappillai, Former Chief Editor of Malayala Manorama
* Parappuram Mathai, Novelist
* Ponkunnam Varkey, Essayist & Short-story writer
* Muttathu Varkey, Short-story writer
* K. M. Mathew, Chief Editor, Malayala Manorama
* Toms, Cartoonist
* M. P. Paul, Malayalam critic
* Zacharia, Author
* Yesudasan, Cartoonist
* Arundhati Roy, Author, winner of the Booker Prize
* Vinod Jose, Foreign Correspondent and award winning journalist
* Barrister George Joseph - Editor of Gandhiji's 'Young India'
* Pothen Joseph - Renowned Newspaper Editor
* Mahakavi Kattakayam Cherian Mappillai - Poet
* Mahakavi [[K.V Simon -Kunnumpurathu] - Poet http://tripatlas.com/K._V._Simon
* Mahakavi K.M Varughese-Kunnumpurathu - Poet
* Mahakavi Puthenkavu Mathen Tharakan - Poet
* Mahakavi P M Devasia - Poet
* Chemmanam Chacko - Poet
* M. C. Joseph, Sceptic and writer
* Meena Alexander, Poet
* D. C. Kizhakkemuri - Author ,Founder of D C Books and publisher.
* I C Chacko - Grammarian and one of the early recipients of the Sahithya Academy Award
* Sunnykutty Abraham, Journalist , Writer and the Chief Editor and COO of Jaihind TV
* B.G. Verghese, Magsaysay Award-winning journalist and former editor of The Hindustan Times
* T. N. Ninan, Editor and publisher of the Business Standard
* Jacob Joseph Puthenparambil, Executive Editor of DVV Media Groupand former Editor of IDG's LinuxWorld Middle East and Africa Edition, former Deputy Editor of Gulf Business, author of Nasrani [1]
[edit] Arts and Entertainment
* P. J. Antony, Actor; the first actor from Kerala to receive the National Award for Best Actor (Nirmalyam - 1974)
* Miss Kumari, One of early actresses of Malayalam movies.
* Captain Raju, Actor
* Asin Thottumkal, Actress
* Benny Mathews, American Director
* Johnson (composer) - Malayalam cinema composer
* John Abraham, Actor and Model
* Naveen Andrews, Actor
* Nayantara, Actress
* Meera Jasmine, Actress
* Suleka Mathew, Canadian Actress
* Sugith Varughese, Canadian Actor
* Shelly Malil, Actor
* Paul Varghese, Comedian
* Anchal Joseph, Model
* Kim Thayil, Guitarist of 90's vanguard grunge band Soundgarden
* Kunchacko Boban, Actor
* Serena Varghese, Indian American Actress
* Nafisa Joseph, Miss India Universe 1997,
* Annie Thomas, Miss India World 1998
* Sabrina Setlur, German Singer
* Anand Jon
* Kunchacko, Founder of Udaya Studios, and pioneer movie-maker of Malayalam Film
* Gopika, Actress
* Elisa Moolecherry, Actress
* Riju Raju Sam, Writer, Editor, & Director. See YouTube.com, Google videos, imdb.com, Yahoo Videos. Promoter of www.filmmakersspace.com . (Los Angeles, California).
[edit] Sports
* Abey Kuruvilla, Indian Cricketer
* Anju Bobby George, Athlete
* Jimmy George, Indian Volleyball Player
* Cyril Valloor, Indian Volleyball Player
* K. M. Beenamol, Athlete
* Shiny Abraham, Athlete
* T. C. Yohannan, Long Jumper
* Tinu Yohannan, Indian Cricketer
* Johnson Varghese, Boxer
* Tom Joseph, Indian Volleyball Player
* M. D. Valsamma, Athlete - Asiad Gold Medallist
* Mercy Kuttan, Athlete
* Leelamma Thomas, Indian Basketball Player
* Geethu Anna Jose, Indian Basketball Player
[edit] Business
* Reji Abraham - Chairman Aban Group; No.605 in the Forbes List of Global Billionaires.
* Dominic Joseph Kuruvinakunnel - Founder of Casino (CGH Earth) Group of Hotels and Father of Tourism Industry in Kerala.
* Chalakuzhy Paulose Matthen, Founder of the Quilon Bank Ltd. which merged to form TNQ Bank Ltd.
* K. C. Mammen Mappillai - Founder of Travancore National Bank Ltd. which merged to form TNQ Bank Ltd.
* Joseph Augusti Kayalackakom - Founder of Palai Central Bank Ltd.
* M C Cherian Manamel - Largest single plantation owner
* Thachil Mathoo Tharakan, First timber exporter of Southern India
* K. M. Mammen Mappillai, Founder of Madras Rubber Factory - MRF
* Kandathil Varghese Mappillai, Founder of Malayala Manorama
* Appu Kuttan, Founder of CyberLearning Universe and former owner of the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy
* Kulangara Paulo Hormis, Founder of the Federal Bank
* Kochouseph Chittilappilly, Industrialist - ( V-Guard / Veega Land)
* Joy Alukkas, Alukkas Group
* Ashok M. Kurien, Co-founder of Zee TV
[edit] Science and Technology
* E. C. George Sudarshan, Theoretical Physicist.
* Mathai Varghese, Mathematician
* Dr.K.T.Jacob,Pioneering Plant-Geneticist,Took over the work of Sir.Jagadish Chandra Bose.
* Thomas Kailath
* George Varghese
* K. Mani Chandy
* Thomas Zacharia
* Kochu Thresia, First Female Chief Engineer of Kerala
[edit] Medicine
* Thomas Thomas, The first Indian Cardio-Thoracic surgeon
* Mary Punnen Lukose - First lady doctor of India
* Abraham Verghese, American medico and author
* K. M. Cherian, Indian heart-surgeon
* Paul Antony, American Physician
[edit] Education and Government Service
* K.Kururvilla Jacob, India's most revered Educationist.
* Anna Chandy, First woman judge of an Indian High Court
* T K Kochuthomman, Former Justice of the Supreme Court of India.
* Ravi J. Matthai, Founding Director of IIM Ahmedabad
* Verghese Kurien, Founder of Amul and Father of the Indian White Revolution
* K.K. Mathew, Former Justice of the Supreme Court of India.
* Rachel Paulose, Youngest US woman attorney
* Joy Cherian, First Asian American to serve on the EEOC
* Peter Varghese, Director of the Office of National Assessments (Australia)
* P K H Tharakan, Former head of Research and Analysis Wing
* Abraham George
* K T Chandy, Founder Director of IIM Calcutta
[edit] Religion
* His Grace Mar Thoma I Metropolitan , First bishop of the Indian church.
* Abraham Malpan, (1795-1845). Leader of Reformation in Malankara Syrian Church.
* Mathews Mar Athanasius. (1818-1877). Malankara Syrian Christian Metropolitan.
* Gregorios Geevarghese, Saint Gregorios of Malankara Syrian Church
* Mar Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil, Major ArchBishop of Syro Malabar Church
* Baselios Thomas I, Catholicos of Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church
* Philipose Mar Chrysostom ,Metropolitan Bishop of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church
* Mar Joseph Powathil, Arch Bishop of Changanacherry- Kerala
* George Kovoor, Principal of Trinity College, Bristol[2]
* Sebastian Kappen, Liberation theologian
* K. V. Simon ,Christian Poet and Mahakavi
* Mar Sebastian Mankuzhikary.(1818-1877). First Bishop of Thamarasserry, Great Orator and Philosopher
* Mathew Mankuzhikary .(1909 - 2003). Pioneer of Parish Retreats in Kerala, Spiritual Guide of more than 1000 Catholic priests
* Rt.Rev. Abraham Karimpanathara Corepiscopa, Vicar, St. Mary's Church, Manarcad, Kottayam.
[edit] Others
* Dr. Verghese Kurien, Amul
* George Abraham Thampy, Winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2000
* Matthew Eappen, Baby who was murdered in the Louise Woodward case
* Vinod Thomas, Director-General of Independent Evaluation Group), World Bank
* Thankom Philip - The first and foremost culiniary expert of India
* M.O. Mathai, Private secretary to Jawaharlal Nehru
Politics and Public Service
* A. K. Antony, Defence minister of India and former Chief Minister of Kerala
* Oommen Chandy - Former Chief Minister of Kerala.
* John Mathai, Former Finance Minister of India.
* C. M. Stephen, Former Union Minister of India
* Prof. C. P. Mathew, Member of Parliament
* K. C. Abraham, Former Governor of Andhra Pradesh.
* K. M. Chandy, Former Governor of Madhya Pradesh
* P.C. Alexander, Former Governor of Maharashtra
* P. V. Cherian, Former Governor of Maharashtra
* M. M. Jacob, Former Governor of Meghalaya
* M. M. Thomas, Former Governor of Nagaland
* P. J. Kurian, Former Union Minister of State.
* K. M. Mani - Longest running MLA of Kerala
* Thachil Mathoo Tharakan - First non-Hindu minister of Travancore.
* T.M. Varghese, Founder Leader of Travancore State congress, Freedom Fighter, Later Minister.
* A. J. John, Anaparambil - Chief Minister of Travancore-Cochin (1951-53)
* R. V. Thomas - President (Speaker) of Travancore Legislative Assembly (1948-50)
* Mathai Manjooran - Indian freedom fighter and Socialist revolutionary.
* P. T. Chacko - The only Christian Member of Constituent Assembly from Kerala.
* Sebastian Edathy, German Member of Parliament
* E. John Jacob, Former State Minister
* P. J. Joseph, Former State Minister
* Josef Philip Winkler, German Politician (Nasrani mother)
* Riva Philip, Young Congress Leader
* Akkamma Cherian, Freedom Fighter
* T. M. Jacob, Minister, MLA, Kerala Congress leader
* P. P. Thankachan, MLA, Minister, Congress leader
* Cherian Philip , LDF leader and KTDC chairman
[edit] Literature and Media
A Syro-Malabar Catholic Church with the Holy of Holies containing the Nasrani Menorah or Mar Thoma Sliba(St. Thomas Cross) veiled by a red curtain in the tradition of ancient Jewish synagogue.
* Kandathil Varghese Mappillai, Founder of Malayala Manorama & Bhashaposhini
* Nidhiry Mani Kathanar, Founder of Deepika (erstwhile Naszrani Deepika), Eminent educationalist, Orator, Organizer and Ecumenist
* Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar, Author of the first travalogue in an Indian language.
* Mathew M. Kuzhively, The author of the first Encyclopedia in an Indian Language.
* Abu Abraham, Cartoonist
* K. C. Mammen Mappillai, Former Chief Editor of Malayala Manorama
* Parappuram Mathai, Novelist
* Ponkunnam Varkey, Essayist & Short-story writer
* Muttathu Varkey, Short-story writer
* K. M. Mathew, Chief Editor, Malayala Manorama
* Toms, Cartoonist
* M. P. Paul, Malayalam critic
* Zacharia, Author
* Yesudasan, Cartoonist
* Arundhati Roy, Author, winner of the Booker Prize
* Vinod Jose, Foreign Correspondent and award winning journalist
* Barrister George Joseph - Editor of Gandhiji's 'Young India'
* Pothen Joseph - Renowned Newspaper Editor
* Mahakavi Kattakayam Cherian Mappillai - Poet
* Mahakavi [[K.V Simon -Kunnumpurathu] - Poet http://tripatlas.com/K._V._Simon
* Mahakavi K.M Varughese-Kunnumpurathu - Poet
* Mahakavi Puthenkavu Mathen Tharakan - Poet
* Mahakavi P M Devasia - Poet
* Chemmanam Chacko - Poet
* M. C. Joseph, Sceptic and writer
* Meena Alexander, Poet
* D. C. Kizhakkemuri - Author ,Founder of D C Books and publisher.
* I C Chacko - Grammarian and one of the early recipients of the Sahithya Academy Award
* Sunnykutty Abraham, Journalist , Writer and the Chief Editor and COO of Jaihind TV
* B.G. Verghese, Magsaysay Award-winning journalist and former editor of The Hindustan Times
* T. N. Ninan, Editor and publisher of the Business Standard
* Jacob Joseph Puthenparambil, Executive Editor of DVV Media Groupand former Editor of IDG's LinuxWorld Middle East and Africa Edition, former Deputy Editor of Gulf Business, author of Nasrani [1]
[edit] Arts and Entertainment
* P. J. Antony, Actor; the first actor from Kerala to receive the National Award for Best Actor (Nirmalyam - 1974)
* Miss Kumari, One of early actresses of Malayalam movies.
* Captain Raju, Actor
* Asin Thottumkal, Actress
* Benny Mathews, American Director
* Johnson (composer) - Malayalam cinema composer
* John Abraham, Actor and Model
* Naveen Andrews, Actor
* Nayantara, Actress
* Meera Jasmine, Actress
* Suleka Mathew, Canadian Actress
* Sugith Varughese, Canadian Actor
* Shelly Malil, Actor
* Paul Varghese, Comedian
* Anchal Joseph, Model
* Kim Thayil, Guitarist of 90's vanguard grunge band Soundgarden
* Kunchacko Boban, Actor
* Serena Varghese, Indian American Actress
* Nafisa Joseph, Miss India Universe 1997,
* Annie Thomas, Miss India World 1998
* Sabrina Setlur, German Singer
* Anand Jon
* Kunchacko, Founder of Udaya Studios, and pioneer movie-maker of Malayalam Film
* Gopika, Actress
* Elisa Moolecherry, Actress
* Riju Raju Sam, Writer, Editor, & Director. See YouTube.com, Google videos, imdb.com, Yahoo Videos. Promoter of www.filmmakersspace.com . (Los Angeles, California).
[edit] Sports
* Abey Kuruvilla, Indian Cricketer
* Anju Bobby George, Athlete
* Jimmy George, Indian Volleyball Player
* Cyril Valloor, Indian Volleyball Player
* K. M. Beenamol, Athlete
* Shiny Abraham, Athlete
* T. C. Yohannan, Long Jumper
* Tinu Yohannan, Indian Cricketer
* Johnson Varghese, Boxer
* Tom Joseph, Indian Volleyball Player
* M. D. Valsamma, Athlete - Asiad Gold Medallist
* Mercy Kuttan, Athlete
* Leelamma Thomas, Indian Basketball Player
* Geethu Anna Jose, Indian Basketball Player
[edit] Business
* Reji Abraham - Chairman Aban Group; No.605 in the Forbes List of Global Billionaires.
* Dominic Joseph Kuruvinakunnel - Founder of Casino (CGH Earth) Group of Hotels and Father of Tourism Industry in Kerala.
* Chalakuzhy Paulose Matthen, Founder of the Quilon Bank Ltd. which merged to form TNQ Bank Ltd.
* K. C. Mammen Mappillai - Founder of Travancore National Bank Ltd. which merged to form TNQ Bank Ltd.
* Joseph Augusti Kayalackakom - Founder of Palai Central Bank Ltd.
* M C Cherian Manamel - Largest single plantation owner
* Thachil Mathoo Tharakan, First timber exporter of Southern India
* K. M. Mammen Mappillai, Founder of Madras Rubber Factory - MRF
* Kandathil Varghese Mappillai, Founder of Malayala Manorama
* Appu Kuttan, Founder of CyberLearning Universe and former owner of the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy
* Kulangara Paulo Hormis, Founder of the Federal Bank
* Kochouseph Chittilappilly, Industrialist - ( V-Guard / Veega Land)
* Joy Alukkas, Alukkas Group
* Ashok M. Kurien, Co-founder of Zee TV
[edit] Science and Technology
* E. C. George Sudarshan, Theoretical Physicist.
* Mathai Varghese, Mathematician
* Dr.K.T.Jacob,Pioneering Plant-Geneticist,Took over the work of Sir.Jagadish Chandra Bose.
* Thomas Kailath
* George Varghese
* K. Mani Chandy
* Thomas Zacharia
* Kochu Thresia, First Female Chief Engineer of Kerala
[edit] Medicine
* Thomas Thomas, The first Indian Cardio-Thoracic surgeon
* Mary Punnen Lukose - First lady doctor of India
* Abraham Verghese, American medico and author
* K. M. Cherian, Indian heart-surgeon
* Paul Antony, American Physician
[edit] Education and Government Service
* K.Kururvilla Jacob, India's most revered Educationist.
* Anna Chandy, First woman judge of an Indian High Court
* T K Kochuthomman, Former Justice of the Supreme Court of India.
* Ravi J. Matthai, Founding Director of IIM Ahmedabad
* Verghese Kurien, Founder of Amul and Father of the Indian White Revolution
* K.K. Mathew, Former Justice of the Supreme Court of India.
* Rachel Paulose, Youngest US woman attorney
* Joy Cherian, First Asian American to serve on the EEOC
* Peter Varghese, Director of the Office of National Assessments (Australia)
* P K H Tharakan, Former head of Research and Analysis Wing
* Abraham George
* K T Chandy, Founder Director of IIM Calcutta
[edit] Religion
* His Grace Mar Thoma I Metropolitan , First bishop of the Indian church.
* Abraham Malpan, (1795-1845). Leader of Reformation in Malankara Syrian Church.
* Mathews Mar Athanasius. (1818-1877). Malankara Syrian Christian Metropolitan.
* Gregorios Geevarghese, Saint Gregorios of Malankara Syrian Church
* Mar Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil, Major ArchBishop of Syro Malabar Church
* Baselios Thomas I, Catholicos of Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church
* Philipose Mar Chrysostom ,Metropolitan Bishop of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church
* Mar Joseph Powathil, Arch Bishop of Changanacherry- Kerala
* George Kovoor, Principal of Trinity College, Bristol[2]
* Sebastian Kappen, Liberation theologian
* K. V. Simon ,Christian Poet and Mahakavi
* Mar Sebastian Mankuzhikary.(1818-1877). First Bishop of Thamarasserry, Great Orator and Philosopher
* Mathew Mankuzhikary .(1909 - 2003). Pioneer of Parish Retreats in Kerala, Spiritual Guide of more than 1000 Catholic priests
* Rt.Rev. Abraham Karimpanathara Corepiscopa, Vicar, St. Mary's Church, Manarcad, Kottayam.
[edit] Others
* Dr. Verghese Kurien, Amul
* George Abraham Thampy, Winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2000
* Matthew Eappen, Baby who was murdered in the Louise Woodward case
* Vinod Thomas, Director-General of Independent Evaluation Group), World Bank
* Thankom Philip - The first and foremost culiniary expert of India
* M.O. Mathai, Private secretary to Jawaharlal Nehru
Tipu Sultan and the Syrian Christians
The Tiger's rampage through Kerala
By olikara Posted May 8, 2007 22:47:58
The invasion of kerala by Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan of Mysore in the latter half of the 18th century left a deep impact on kerala polity and society. This invasion of the mysoreans and Tipu in particular is called the ‘Padayottam’.
Much of it’s effects are visble deep down in the keralite psyche even today. To understand what effect this incursion into kerala had on the syrian christian community, we need to study the timeline of events during those tumultous times between 1766 and 1790 in kerala.
10 Feb 1766: Hyder Ali along with a formidable force is welcomed into kerala by the Ali Raja of Cannanore. The Mysorean army guided by Ali Raja and his brother seize the palace of the Raja of Kolathiri at Chirakkal. The Raja and his family flee south to take refuge at the English trading station in Tellichery.
15 Mar 1766: Hyder enters the Kottayam (North Kerala) Raja’s territory where the Raja’s moplah subjects desert him and join their compatriots withy the mysoreans. The kadathanad territory is sacked after Hyder’s forces rout the keralite forces.
The Zamorin is helpless in Calicut where Hyder rushes to meet him. Hyder demands 1 crore gold mohurs from the Zamorin, which he refuses to pay. Desperate and feeling humiliated, the Zamorin commits suicide in his palace. Calicut is stripped of all it’s wealth by Hyder.
Hyder sends missives to Cochin and Travancore asking them to submit to Mysore. Cochin, agrees to pay an annual subsidy of two lakhs of rupees and eight elephants. Travancore, defies Mysore. Hyder is now determined to enter Travancore. However the monsoon sets into kerala.
June 1766: Hyder retires to Coimbatore, and taking advantage of this, the keralites come out of their refuges and retake what they lost to Hyder. The mysorean strongholds of Calicut and Ponnani are besieged by the keralites. General Raza Saib leaves Mudukarai to quell the rebellion in Malabar where he is trapped by the torrential rain that traps him between the rebellious keralites and the swelling Ponnnani river.
Hearing about this grave situation Hyder dashes to kerala with 3000 cavalry and 10000 infantry. The keralites are unable to face this vast army and flee with much loss of life and carnage. To crush the martial spirit of the keralites, especially of the Nairs, Hyder declares that the keralites are forbidden to carry arms. Hyder marches back to Mysore to confront the British alliance which was marching to Seringapatam.
1771: Sardar Khan with his army marches through Cochin and takes Trichur. However the East India company now actively come to the keralites rescue and retake Calicut. Sardar Khan is dead. Hyder sends over Mukhdam Ali to restore order and he with a force of 7000 mysoreans meet the keralites in battle. The mysorean force is routed by the Nairs and English. Makhdum Ali is killed, drowned while fleeing.
The English reach Ponnani and shut themselves up in the fort there, where they are besieged by Tipu Sultan.
7 Dec 1782: Hyder Ali passes away and Tipu rushes back to Mysore.
11 Feb 1789: Tipu Sultan enters Malabar for the second time. He invests Kadathanad and marries off his son to the daughter of the Bibi of Cannanore.
After the monsoon, Tipu enters Palghat and summons the Cochin Raja to his presence. However the Cochin Raja balks out at the last moment and sends the crown prince, the soon to be legendary, Sakthan Tamburan in his place.
14 Dec 1789: Tipu enters Trichur. Mysorean incursions into the heartland of syrian christianity begin.
5 Jan 1790: Tipu attacks the Travancore Lines and suffers heavy casualties in this process. He falls down into a ditch during the battle losing his royal insignia in the process. He also injures his leg here. Enraged at the turn of events he summons heavy siege battery from Seringapatam and Bangalore and on their arrival demolishes the once impregnable Travancore Lines.
Tipu continues his victorious march forward into Alwaye where the monsoon puts a dampener to his activities.
24 May 1790: Tipu leaves Malabar never to return.
September 1790: The British with a regiment of Malabar Sepoys capture the Calicut fort and besiege Cannanore where the Bibi surrenders unconditionally.
Thus ends the series of events that perhaps marked the most tumultous series of events in Kerala history after the Chola invasions of the 11th-13th centuries.
Now let us delve into how the syrian christians fared during this period. The first recorded contact between Mysore and the Syrian Christians happened when Hyder after subduing the Zamorin was at Coimbatore. This was recorded by Tipu’s son, Prince Gholam Mohammed in his narrative of the history of his father and grandfather.
Here, the Jesuit provincial, an Italian, produced a letter from the Archibishop of Cochin, who recommended to him a Malabar priest of the community of Christians of St. Thomas, whose diocesan the Archibishop was. He was deputed, together with three other laymen of his country, to request of Hyder the permission to keep fire-arms, under the pretence that, by not being armed , they ran the risk of being robbed by the Nairs, and the soldiers of Hyder.
Hyder replied “You people (The Syrian Christians) have been disarmed, because you assasinated each other, being always at enimity on account of your different castes: I shall take care to place safe guards in the country, to prevent my people from molesting you, and I shall send troops sufficient to disperse the Nairs.”
Hyder was of course, referring to the divisions in the Syrian Christian church on account of the split into the Roman Catholic and Jacobite groups. We know from the narrative, that the syrian christian deputies who came to Coimbatore were stout men, with a ferocious air and manners. They had the figure of a small cross above their nose punctured in the skin, and a large scar on the right cheek, caused by a recoil of their muskets.
Thus ends Gholam Mohammed’s narrative about the meeting here. It is interesting from several perspectives. Firstly it shows us that the same dissensions that trouble the Syrian church in India today was there then too, albeit in a more violent form. It also shows that the Syrian Christians had among them armed warriors especially adept in using the matchlock. This could be on account of their close contact with the Europeans. Portuguese historian Gouvea says that “Christians had supplied the Raja of Cochin with an army of 50000 gunsmen”. It is very probable that in the keralite forces opposing the mysoreans, the syrian christian militia also played a useful role along with the Nairs. We must also compliment Hyder Ali for his knowledge of current affairs. No wonder, the British regarded him and his son as the greatest impediments to their dreams of an Indian Empire.
There is also an interesting account of a loan advanced to Brigadier-General Richard Mathews, Commander-in-Chief of the East India Company’s Bombay Council who was sent to capture Mangalore from the Mysoreans. This loan of 3,30,000 rupees was said to have been advanced to him by the Syrian Christian community as he was short of funds to effect the capture of Mangalore.
Brigadier-General Mathews would later be taken prisoner by Tipu and would die in captivity in Seringapatam in 1783, where in his last testament-recorded on 4 pewter plates found after Tipu’s death in 1799 and Seringapatam’s capture, he begged the British government to look after the Malabar christians. The syrian christian community was even then a prosperous community and had several merchants rich enough to advance that kind of a loan to the British.
Now let us look into the issue of the damage done to Syrian Christian life and property during the Mysorean invasion of kerala. There is no doubt about the fact that Tipu’s soldiers did great damage to several Christain churches and seminaries that they encountered in kerala.
The old Syrian christian seminary at Angamaly was razed to the ground by Tipu’s soldiers. Before the armed soldiers entered the building some priests showed the presence of mind to collect many of the valuable manuscripts in the seminary and load them into a boat so that they may be saved. However the boat sunk during the course of the journey and the manuscripts were lost for ever. The old seminary at Angamaly had been at the center of Nasrani religious education for several centuries and was relocated to kottayam after it’s destruction, where it exists to this date.
A contemporary account of the mysorean army at the doors of Alwaye has come down to us through Father Bartholomew who was on the spot then. He says that the mysorean army halted on the sandy basin of the Alwaye river. They planned to cross over the next day. The monks at the Catholic monastery of Verapoly began to pray for deliverance from Tipu’s wrath. What happened then was really miraculous. The mysoreans with their weapons were sleeping along the broad sandy banks of the river in April when a torrential downpour swelled the river and washed away the troops and their arms. Mir Hussein Kirmani, a contemporary of Tipu and a camp follower writes of this incident “The army that came to swallow Travancore was swept away into the Arabian Sea”. That was the farthest in kerala that Tipu could get to.
However by then much damage was done. Along with the old syrian seminary at Angamaly, many churches in the Malabar and Cochin were damaged. The Mor Sabor church at Akaparambu and the Martha Mariam Church attached to the old seminary at Angamaly bore the brunt of the mysoreans. Whatever remained of Syrian Christianity in Malabar since ancient times was destroyed. The Syrian Christian community had to flee Calicut and even towns like Arthat in Kunnamkulam. Several lives were lost too.
Tippu Sultan’s army set fire to the church at Palayoor and attacked the Ollur Church in 1790. Further the Mysoreans destroyed the Arthat church and the Ambazhakkad seminary was also destroyed. Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar, the author of malayalam language’s first travelogue and Governor of Kodungallur had his office at Alangad but he and others had to flee from there following the invasion of Tippu Sultan and they set up the office at Church at Vadayar and later at Ramapuram.
When Tipu Sultan invaded Guruvayur and adjacent areas, looting Temples and Churches, a large number of refugees came to Kunnamkulam headed by Rev. Father Pulikkottil Joseph Kathanar, Vicar of Arthatt Church. Thus Kunnamkulam received a large influx of syrian christian refugees and is today regarded as a centre of this community.
The Kanjur church has a mural which depicts a battle scene where the army of Tipu Sultan on the one side is shown fighting those of the English East India Company, aided by local militia, in all probability malabar sepoys, on the other.
The biggest loss to the Syrian christian community was not the damage to their institutions alone, but the indiscriminate destruction of coconut, arecanut, pepper and cashew plantations by the mysoreans when they swept through kerala. Most of the syrian christians were landed farmers and their prosperity derived from the land they farmed.
Whether these atrocities had Tipu’s sanction or were committed by bloodthirsty soldiers looking for plunder is for historians to judge and out of the purview of this article.
Sakthan Tamburan, the ruler of Cochin also helped the Syrian christian community in a great way to get through the mysorean calamity by encouraging Syrian businesses, plantations and emigration to new centres like Kunnamkulam, Chalakudi, etc. Colonel Macaulay, the British resident at Travancore was also helpful here.
The invasion of Hyder and Tipu led to the decline of the old feudal order in kerala and to the introduction of modern progressive ideas about state and government. The British had emerged supreme in the power game in kerala.
In the end, the syrian christians like their brethren among the hindus and jews recovered from this nightmare and continued trying to live their way of life as they had known for almost two millenia since the advent of St. Thomas in kerala. But then, nothing would be same again.
References: Wilks - Conduct of the war with the Late Tippoo Sultan
G. Mohammed-History of Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan
K.L. Bernard-Kerala History
Indian Church History Classics, Vol. I, The Nazranies
D. Forrest-The Tiger of Mysore
Also Posted by Olikara on Wordpress NSC
By olikara Posted May 8, 2007 22:47:58
The invasion of kerala by Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan of Mysore in the latter half of the 18th century left a deep impact on kerala polity and society. This invasion of the mysoreans and Tipu in particular is called the ‘Padayottam’.
Much of it’s effects are visble deep down in the keralite psyche even today. To understand what effect this incursion into kerala had on the syrian christian community, we need to study the timeline of events during those tumultous times between 1766 and 1790 in kerala.
10 Feb 1766: Hyder Ali along with a formidable force is welcomed into kerala by the Ali Raja of Cannanore. The Mysorean army guided by Ali Raja and his brother seize the palace of the Raja of Kolathiri at Chirakkal. The Raja and his family flee south to take refuge at the English trading station in Tellichery.
15 Mar 1766: Hyder enters the Kottayam (North Kerala) Raja’s territory where the Raja’s moplah subjects desert him and join their compatriots withy the mysoreans. The kadathanad territory is sacked after Hyder’s forces rout the keralite forces.
The Zamorin is helpless in Calicut where Hyder rushes to meet him. Hyder demands 1 crore gold mohurs from the Zamorin, which he refuses to pay. Desperate and feeling humiliated, the Zamorin commits suicide in his palace. Calicut is stripped of all it’s wealth by Hyder.
Hyder sends missives to Cochin and Travancore asking them to submit to Mysore. Cochin, agrees to pay an annual subsidy of two lakhs of rupees and eight elephants. Travancore, defies Mysore. Hyder is now determined to enter Travancore. However the monsoon sets into kerala.
June 1766: Hyder retires to Coimbatore, and taking advantage of this, the keralites come out of their refuges and retake what they lost to Hyder. The mysorean strongholds of Calicut and Ponnani are besieged by the keralites. General Raza Saib leaves Mudukarai to quell the rebellion in Malabar where he is trapped by the torrential rain that traps him between the rebellious keralites and the swelling Ponnnani river.
Hearing about this grave situation Hyder dashes to kerala with 3000 cavalry and 10000 infantry. The keralites are unable to face this vast army and flee with much loss of life and carnage. To crush the martial spirit of the keralites, especially of the Nairs, Hyder declares that the keralites are forbidden to carry arms. Hyder marches back to Mysore to confront the British alliance which was marching to Seringapatam.
1771: Sardar Khan with his army marches through Cochin and takes Trichur. However the East India company now actively come to the keralites rescue and retake Calicut. Sardar Khan is dead. Hyder sends over Mukhdam Ali to restore order and he with a force of 7000 mysoreans meet the keralites in battle. The mysorean force is routed by the Nairs and English. Makhdum Ali is killed, drowned while fleeing.
The English reach Ponnani and shut themselves up in the fort there, where they are besieged by Tipu Sultan.
7 Dec 1782: Hyder Ali passes away and Tipu rushes back to Mysore.
11 Feb 1789: Tipu Sultan enters Malabar for the second time. He invests Kadathanad and marries off his son to the daughter of the Bibi of Cannanore.
After the monsoon, Tipu enters Palghat and summons the Cochin Raja to his presence. However the Cochin Raja balks out at the last moment and sends the crown prince, the soon to be legendary, Sakthan Tamburan in his place.
14 Dec 1789: Tipu enters Trichur. Mysorean incursions into the heartland of syrian christianity begin.
5 Jan 1790: Tipu attacks the Travancore Lines and suffers heavy casualties in this process. He falls down into a ditch during the battle losing his royal insignia in the process. He also injures his leg here. Enraged at the turn of events he summons heavy siege battery from Seringapatam and Bangalore and on their arrival demolishes the once impregnable Travancore Lines.
Tipu continues his victorious march forward into Alwaye where the monsoon puts a dampener to his activities.
24 May 1790: Tipu leaves Malabar never to return.
September 1790: The British with a regiment of Malabar Sepoys capture the Calicut fort and besiege Cannanore where the Bibi surrenders unconditionally.
Thus ends the series of events that perhaps marked the most tumultous series of events in Kerala history after the Chola invasions of the 11th-13th centuries.
Now let us delve into how the syrian christians fared during this period. The first recorded contact between Mysore and the Syrian Christians happened when Hyder after subduing the Zamorin was at Coimbatore. This was recorded by Tipu’s son, Prince Gholam Mohammed in his narrative of the history of his father and grandfather.
Here, the Jesuit provincial, an Italian, produced a letter from the Archibishop of Cochin, who recommended to him a Malabar priest of the community of Christians of St. Thomas, whose diocesan the Archibishop was. He was deputed, together with three other laymen of his country, to request of Hyder the permission to keep fire-arms, under the pretence that, by not being armed , they ran the risk of being robbed by the Nairs, and the soldiers of Hyder.
Hyder replied “You people (The Syrian Christians) have been disarmed, because you assasinated each other, being always at enimity on account of your different castes: I shall take care to place safe guards in the country, to prevent my people from molesting you, and I shall send troops sufficient to disperse the Nairs.”
Hyder was of course, referring to the divisions in the Syrian Christian church on account of the split into the Roman Catholic and Jacobite groups. We know from the narrative, that the syrian christian deputies who came to Coimbatore were stout men, with a ferocious air and manners. They had the figure of a small cross above their nose punctured in the skin, and a large scar on the right cheek, caused by a recoil of their muskets.
Thus ends Gholam Mohammed’s narrative about the meeting here. It is interesting from several perspectives. Firstly it shows us that the same dissensions that trouble the Syrian church in India today was there then too, albeit in a more violent form. It also shows that the Syrian Christians had among them armed warriors especially adept in using the matchlock. This could be on account of their close contact with the Europeans. Portuguese historian Gouvea says that “Christians had supplied the Raja of Cochin with an army of 50000 gunsmen”. It is very probable that in the keralite forces opposing the mysoreans, the syrian christian militia also played a useful role along with the Nairs. We must also compliment Hyder Ali for his knowledge of current affairs. No wonder, the British regarded him and his son as the greatest impediments to their dreams of an Indian Empire.
There is also an interesting account of a loan advanced to Brigadier-General Richard Mathews, Commander-in-Chief of the East India Company’s Bombay Council who was sent to capture Mangalore from the Mysoreans. This loan of 3,30,000 rupees was said to have been advanced to him by the Syrian Christian community as he was short of funds to effect the capture of Mangalore.
Brigadier-General Mathews would later be taken prisoner by Tipu and would die in captivity in Seringapatam in 1783, where in his last testament-recorded on 4 pewter plates found after Tipu’s death in 1799 and Seringapatam’s capture, he begged the British government to look after the Malabar christians. The syrian christian community was even then a prosperous community and had several merchants rich enough to advance that kind of a loan to the British.
Now let us look into the issue of the damage done to Syrian Christian life and property during the Mysorean invasion of kerala. There is no doubt about the fact that Tipu’s soldiers did great damage to several Christain churches and seminaries that they encountered in kerala.
The old Syrian christian seminary at Angamaly was razed to the ground by Tipu’s soldiers. Before the armed soldiers entered the building some priests showed the presence of mind to collect many of the valuable manuscripts in the seminary and load them into a boat so that they may be saved. However the boat sunk during the course of the journey and the manuscripts were lost for ever. The old seminary at Angamaly had been at the center of Nasrani religious education for several centuries and was relocated to kottayam after it’s destruction, where it exists to this date.
A contemporary account of the mysorean army at the doors of Alwaye has come down to us through Father Bartholomew who was on the spot then. He says that the mysorean army halted on the sandy basin of the Alwaye river. They planned to cross over the next day. The monks at the Catholic monastery of Verapoly began to pray for deliverance from Tipu’s wrath. What happened then was really miraculous. The mysoreans with their weapons were sleeping along the broad sandy banks of the river in April when a torrential downpour swelled the river and washed away the troops and their arms. Mir Hussein Kirmani, a contemporary of Tipu and a camp follower writes of this incident “The army that came to swallow Travancore was swept away into the Arabian Sea”. That was the farthest in kerala that Tipu could get to.
However by then much damage was done. Along with the old syrian seminary at Angamaly, many churches in the Malabar and Cochin were damaged. The Mor Sabor church at Akaparambu and the Martha Mariam Church attached to the old seminary at Angamaly bore the brunt of the mysoreans. Whatever remained of Syrian Christianity in Malabar since ancient times was destroyed. The Syrian Christian community had to flee Calicut and even towns like Arthat in Kunnamkulam. Several lives were lost too.
Tippu Sultan’s army set fire to the church at Palayoor and attacked the Ollur Church in 1790. Further the Mysoreans destroyed the Arthat church and the Ambazhakkad seminary was also destroyed. Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar, the author of malayalam language’s first travelogue and Governor of Kodungallur had his office at Alangad but he and others had to flee from there following the invasion of Tippu Sultan and they set up the office at Church at Vadayar and later at Ramapuram.
When Tipu Sultan invaded Guruvayur and adjacent areas, looting Temples and Churches, a large number of refugees came to Kunnamkulam headed by Rev. Father Pulikkottil Joseph Kathanar, Vicar of Arthatt Church. Thus Kunnamkulam received a large influx of syrian christian refugees and is today regarded as a centre of this community.
The Kanjur church has a mural which depicts a battle scene where the army of Tipu Sultan on the one side is shown fighting those of the English East India Company, aided by local militia, in all probability malabar sepoys, on the other.
The biggest loss to the Syrian christian community was not the damage to their institutions alone, but the indiscriminate destruction of coconut, arecanut, pepper and cashew plantations by the mysoreans when they swept through kerala. Most of the syrian christians were landed farmers and their prosperity derived from the land they farmed.
Whether these atrocities had Tipu’s sanction or were committed by bloodthirsty soldiers looking for plunder is for historians to judge and out of the purview of this article.
Sakthan Tamburan, the ruler of Cochin also helped the Syrian christian community in a great way to get through the mysorean calamity by encouraging Syrian businesses, plantations and emigration to new centres like Kunnamkulam, Chalakudi, etc. Colonel Macaulay, the British resident at Travancore was also helpful here.
The invasion of Hyder and Tipu led to the decline of the old feudal order in kerala and to the introduction of modern progressive ideas about state and government. The British had emerged supreme in the power game in kerala.
In the end, the syrian christians like their brethren among the hindus and jews recovered from this nightmare and continued trying to live their way of life as they had known for almost two millenia since the advent of St. Thomas in kerala. But then, nothing would be same again.
References: Wilks - Conduct of the war with the Late Tippoo Sultan
G. Mohammed-History of Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan
K.L. Bernard-Kerala History
Indian Church History Classics, Vol. I, The Nazranies
D. Forrest-The Tiger of Mysore
Also Posted by Olikara on Wordpress NSC
Tippu Sultan the worst thing to have happened for Kerala
Tippu Sultan's invasion of the Malabar had an adverse impact on the the Syrian Malabar Nasrani community of the Malabar coast. Many churches in the Malabar and Cochin were damaged. The old Syrian Nasrani seminary at Angamaly which had been the center of Catholic religious education for several centuries was razed to the ground by Tippu’s soldiers. A lot of centuries old religious manuscripts were lost forever. The church was later relocated to Kottayam where it still exists to this date. The Mor Sabor church at Akaparambu and the Martha Mariam Church attached to the seminary were destroyed as well. Tippu’s army set fire to the church at Palayoor and attacked the Ollur Church in 1790. Furthernmore, the Arthat church and the Ambazhakkad seminary was also destroyed. Over the course of this invasion, many Syrian Malabar Nasrani were killed or forcibly converted to Islam. Most of the coconut, arecanut, pepper and cashew plantations held by the Syrian Malabar farmers were also indiscriminately destroyed by the invading army. As a result, when Tippu's army invaded Guruvayur and adjacent areas, the Syrian Christian community fled Calicut and small towns like Arthat to to new centres like Kunnamkulam, Chalakudi, Ennakadu, Cheppadu, Kannankode, Mavelikkara, etc. where there were already Christians. They were given refuge by Sakthan Tamburan, the ruler of Cochin and Karthika Thirunal, the ruler of Travancore, who gave them lands, plantations and encouraged their businesses.
Forced conversion of nasranis by rome.
From the "Land of Perumals" by Francis Dey, page 221:-
"..it was found impossible to convert the St.Thomas christians(nasranis) by religious exhortations or speeches(1537).
It was understood that only force or tactic could work. It was decided to use force and their "metran"(bishop) was arrested and taken to Portugal"
The "Indian" Empire by William Wilson Hunter , page 242 (also quoted in Nestorian Missonary Enterprise, page 125):
"Inorder to convert the Nasranis into the Roman Church, the Portuguese influenced the local rulers. The assets and land of Nasranis were confiscated and they were persecuted in other ways"
Brave resistance by the Malankara Nasranis!
From the book "History of the Church of Malabar", p 44,46:
"Jesuits had to flee with their lives from places like Angamaly and Kadathuruthy. When they found out that the Nasranis were in rage, they feared to venture into these areas.
During prayer inside the church, one of the students of the Vypincotta(chenthamangalam) Jesuit seminary uttered the name of the roman pope instead of the Syriac Patriarch.
He was given a beating by the nasrani priests and send out of the church. And the boy's father was given the advice that "until his sickness of remembering the pope ends, give him a sound beating".
D' Orsey B.D., Knight Commander of the Portuguese Order of Christ, tells us in his book-("Portuguese Discoveries, Dependencies, and Missions in Asia and Africa, P.190)how some of the,
"mountain-dwelling St.Thomas Christians forcibly ejected some troublesome Jesuit priests from their Presence; and this action took place some forty Years after the infamous Inquisition had commenced operations!"
"..it was found impossible to convert the St.Thomas christians(nasranis) by religious exhortations or speeches(1537).
It was understood that only force or tactic could work. It was decided to use force and their "metran"(bishop) was arrested and taken to Portugal"
The "Indian" Empire by William Wilson Hunter , page 242 (also quoted in Nestorian Missonary Enterprise, page 125):
"Inorder to convert the Nasranis into the Roman Church, the Portuguese influenced the local rulers. The assets and land of Nasranis were confiscated and they were persecuted in other ways"
Brave resistance by the Malankara Nasranis!
From the book "History of the Church of Malabar", p 44,46:
"Jesuits had to flee with their lives from places like Angamaly and Kadathuruthy. When they found out that the Nasranis were in rage, they feared to venture into these areas.
During prayer inside the church, one of the students of the Vypincotta(chenthamangalam) Jesuit seminary uttered the name of the roman pope instead of the Syriac Patriarch.
He was given a beating by the nasrani priests and send out of the church. And the boy's father was given the advice that "until his sickness of remembering the pope ends, give him a sound beating".
D' Orsey B.D., Knight Commander of the Portuguese Order of Christ, tells us in his book-("Portuguese Discoveries, Dependencies, and Missions in Asia and Africa, P.190)how some of the,
"mountain-dwelling St.Thomas Christians forcibly ejected some troublesome Jesuit priests from their Presence; and this action took place some forty Years after the infamous Inquisition had commenced operations!"
Nasrani Art forms presented in London.
The Nasrani folk arts were presented in London for the Parumala Perunal at St. Gregorios Indian Orthodox Church there.
Margam Kali and Parichamuttu kali--nasrani art forms were presented as part of the perunal festivities.
Thiruvaathira, Mohiniyattom and Bharathanaatyam were also conducted.
The Women's Margam Kali performance was based on the biblical event Hosanna, while the men's margam kali depicted the biblical account of Adam and Eve
The Thiruvaathiri, Mohiniyattom and Bharathanaatyam also depicted biblical events or were based on christian themes.
Photos from London.
Margamkali(women):- http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/London%20Church/photos/photo19.html
Margamkali(men):- http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/London%20Church/photos/photo21.html
Parichamuttukali:- http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/London%20Church/photos/photo18.html
The choir:- http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/London%20Church/photos/photo20.html
The procession:-
http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/London%20Church/photos/photo6.html
The procession blessed by the presence of a coptic orthodoxbishop as well:- http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/London%20Church/photos/photo4.html
Margam Kali and Parichamuttu kali--nasrani art forms were presented as part of the perunal festivities.
Thiruvaathira, Mohiniyattom and Bharathanaatyam were also conducted.
The Women's Margam Kali performance was based on the biblical event Hosanna, while the men's margam kali depicted the biblical account of Adam and Eve
The Thiruvaathiri, Mohiniyattom and Bharathanaatyam also depicted biblical events or were based on christian themes.
Photos from London.
Margamkali(women):- http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/London%20Church/photos/photo19.html
Margamkali(men):- http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/London%20Church/photos/photo21.html
Parichamuttukali:- http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/London%20Church/photos/photo18.html
The choir:- http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/London%20Church/photos/photo20.html
The procession:-
http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/London%20Church/photos/photo6.html
The procession blessed by the presence of a coptic orthodoxbishop as well:- http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/London%20Church/photos/photo4.html
Coonen Cross Revolt-1653 AD.
The Portuguese tried to bring us under the Pope and to latinise us. But we resisted and stuck to our nasrani syrian christian ways.
But with portuguese colonisation, we were subject to violent persecution and indoctrination by the portuguese and their jesuit priests. Syrian christian bishops from Persia and the Holy lands were denied entry to kerala by the portuguese who now controlled the seas.
We suffered for about 5 decades under almost complete portuguese domination.
In 1653,a syrian christian bishop called Ahattallah who came from west asia was captured by the portuguese and murdered.
Some say he was drowned in the cochin sea, some that he was burned at the stake in some Goan Inquisition chamber.
But when this news reached the martial nasrani race, they lost even fear for their life and 25,000 nasrani men from all over kerala proceeded towards cochin, the centre of portuguese naval activity.
They reached Cochin and revolted, smashing the gates of the portuguese forts and then assembling under a Cross.
They saddened and enraged by the murder of their syrian bishop, took an oath that day that neither of them nor their descendants would ever accept the Roman Pope or his roman church.
They also boycotted Jesuits and threw them out of nasrani dominated areas.
Soon after that Portuguese power waned from Kerala and the Dutch became the new colonial force on west coast of india.
With the loss of sea power of portuguese in kerala's coasts, the syrian christians brought a new Syriac Orthodox Bishop from the holy land--he was the Syriac Patriarch of Jerusalem and ordinated an indigenous nasrani bishop--Marthoma I.
Thus ending the 50 year portuguese atrocities and latin/jesuit domination of kerala nasranis.
We threw away western colonial yoke and re-affirmed our oriental orthodox faith. This being the first revolt of its kind in all of India.
But with portuguese colonisation, we were subject to violent persecution and indoctrination by the portuguese and their jesuit priests. Syrian christian bishops from Persia and the Holy lands were denied entry to kerala by the portuguese who now controlled the seas.
We suffered for about 5 decades under almost complete portuguese domination.
In 1653,a syrian christian bishop called Ahattallah who came from west asia was captured by the portuguese and murdered.
Some say he was drowned in the cochin sea, some that he was burned at the stake in some Goan Inquisition chamber.
But when this news reached the martial nasrani race, they lost even fear for their life and 25,000 nasrani men from all over kerala proceeded towards cochin, the centre of portuguese naval activity.
They reached Cochin and revolted, smashing the gates of the portuguese forts and then assembling under a Cross.
They saddened and enraged by the murder of their syrian bishop, took an oath that day that neither of them nor their descendants would ever accept the Roman Pope or his roman church.
They also boycotted Jesuits and threw them out of nasrani dominated areas.
Soon after that Portuguese power waned from Kerala and the Dutch became the new colonial force on west coast of india.
With the loss of sea power of portuguese in kerala's coasts, the syrian christians brought a new Syriac Orthodox Bishop from the holy land--he was the Syriac Patriarch of Jerusalem and ordinated an indigenous nasrani bishop--Marthoma I.
Thus ending the 50 year portuguese atrocities and latin/jesuit domination of kerala nasranis.
We threw away western colonial yoke and re-affirmed our oriental orthodox faith. This being the first revolt of its kind in all of India.
A history of patriotism and service.
"They not only occupied a very high position in the social scale, but also enjoyed at different times the rare distinction of forming part of the bodyguards of the King and the Militia of the country"
--- Castes and Tribes of Southern India, volume 6, page 447.
"The Surianis of Malabar trained their children in martial arts from the age of 8 to 25. They always carried a sword in their right hand and some even carried guns. Though they carry weapons, they are generally and very gentle and peaceful people"
-- Padmanabhamenon, Kochirajyacharithram Volume 1,page 472-473.
"The portuguese respected the MALANKARA syrian christians as allies and good soldiers. Because the Malankara Syrian christians of St.Thomas are the best warriors, more courageous and handy with the musket in the whole of Malabar"
---Gouvea, Travancore State Manual 11.page 154
"Only when they went to church did they laid down their weapons. Since they were much sought out by kings for use in wars,they were not entitled to pay any taxes"
---Bishop Middleton,Lives of missionaries in India,page 54-54
"In arms, in arts and possibly in virtue, they excelled the natives of Hindustan. The husbandsmen cultivated the palm tree, the merchants were enriched by the pepper trade. The Soldiers preceded the Nairs or nobles of Malabar, and their hereditary privileges were respected by the gratitude or the fear of the King of Cochin and by the Zamorin(Samoothiri) himself"
---History of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire,1787,page 836.
--- Castes and Tribes of Southern India, volume 6, page 447.
"The Surianis of Malabar trained their children in martial arts from the age of 8 to 25. They always carried a sword in their right hand and some even carried guns. Though they carry weapons, they are generally and very gentle and peaceful people"
-- Padmanabhamenon, Kochirajyacharithram Volume 1,page 472-473.
"The portuguese respected the MALANKARA syrian christians as allies and good soldiers. Because the Malankara Syrian christians of St.Thomas are the best warriors, more courageous and handy with the musket in the whole of Malabar"
---Gouvea, Travancore State Manual 11.page 154
"Only when they went to church did they laid down their weapons. Since they were much sought out by kings for use in wars,they were not entitled to pay any taxes"
---Bishop Middleton,Lives of missionaries in India,page 54-54
"In arms, in arts and possibly in virtue, they excelled the natives of Hindustan. The husbandsmen cultivated the palm tree, the merchants were enriched by the pepper trade. The Soldiers preceded the Nairs or nobles of Malabar, and their hereditary privileges were respected by the gratitude or the fear of the King of Cochin and by the Zamorin(Samoothiri) himself"
---History of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire,1787,page 836.
Kerala: Asia's Cradle of Christianity
Christianity took root on the Malabar coast (now Kerala) in the first century AD around the seven churches that St. Thomas established there. Christian faith has since flourished across the land, coexisting with other religions. Now 11 of the 23 dioceses in India are in Kerala.
Kerala is a narrow stretch of lush green territory that lies on the southwest coast of the Indian subcontinent. Hindu legends claim that Kerala rose from the sea as a gift of God. The name Kerala means "the land of coconuts". The scenic beauty of Kerala is one of the most outstanding in India. The entire land is interlaced with rivers, placid lagoons, paddy fields and coconut palms. Plantations of rubber, tea, coffee, pepper, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and other spices cover the highlands in the east, earning Kerala the nickname of "the spice coast of India".
The lure of spices attracted traders from the Middle East and Europe to the many trading ports - Calicut, Cranganore, Cochin, Alleppey and Quilon - long before the time of Christ. And it was on a trading vessel plying between Alexandria and the Malabar coast that St. Thomas the Apostle arrived in Cranganore in 52 AD.
There he began preaching the Gospel. His teachings were accepted not only by those who chose to become Christians but also by those who chose to remain Hindus. The teachings eventually got integrated into the beliefs and traditions of the local communities, into their family history, into their songs and dances. St. Thomas established seven Christian communities or churches in Kerala. They are in Cranganore, Paravur(Kottakavu), Palayoor, Kokkamangalam, Malayattoor, Niranam, Chayal (Nilackal) and Kollam (Quilon). Throughout Kerala, one can find Christian families that are proud to claim descent from ancestors who were baptized by Apostle Thomas. Sankarapuri, Pakalomattom and Maliekal are the prominent ones. Some details of this combined tradition may be found in songs - the "Rabban Pattu", the "Veeradyan Pattu", the "Margam Kali Pattu" and others that now exist in written records.
The Church in Kerala had a high missionary spirit. Christians from Malabar spread their faith as far as Maldives and Indonesia.
St. Thomas Christians were considered high caste, along the Hindu tradition, with special privileges granted by the kings. The archdeacon was the head of the Church, and Palliyogams (Parish Councils) were in charge of temporal affairs. There were women deacons. They had a liturgy-centered life with days of fasting and abstinence. Their devotion to the St. Thomas Cross was absolute. Their churches were modelled after Hindu temples. In short, the St. Thomas Christians of Kerala had blended well the ecclesiastical world of the East Syrian Church with the socio-cultural environment of their homeland. Thus, the East Syrian Church was Hindu in culture, Christian in religion and Syro-Oriental in worship.
In 1498, when the Portugese navigator Vasco da Gama landed on the Malabar coast, there were an estimated two million Christian souls across the land, and they had 1,500 churches under the jurisdiction of a single Metropolitan who lived in Angamale. Besides, the Church had, by then, expanded to the neighbouring Mylapore and Nilgiris as well as northward along the Arabian Sea coast to Goa, Saimur (Chual), Thana, Sopara, Gujarat and as far as Sind, now a part of Pakistan. This, indeed, was the Golden Age of the East Syrian Church.
The arrival of Vasco da Gama, however, marked the start of a turning point and heralded a new struggle for the East Syrian Church. Because the Portugese, who later established trading posts in Goa, Daman and Diu north of Kerala, moved against the East Syrian Church leading to tragic, ecclesiastical incidents.
According to Joas de Castro, the Portugese Viceroy in Goa in 1548, the sword of the Portugese was wielded "mainly against the centuries-old Christians of Kerala". This was because only in Kerala did the laity stand steadfast against Western colonization, and maybe the Portugese, who were under the Roman Church, considered everything outside Roman as heretic.
The move against the Syrian Church was followed by Western Church establishing a European diocese in Goa in 1534. In 1557, Pope Paul IV declared Goa an archdiocese with its supremacy extending from the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa to China, and all Christians, including the East Syrian Church, brought under its jurisdiction. The East Syrian Archdiocese of Angamali then became a dependent of Goa.
This Europeanization process led to divisions in the Church, as there was considerable resistance against Western domination. The Christian communities then split into many groups - East Syrian Catholics, West Syrian Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Jacobite Syrian Orthodox, Marthoma (those who accepted the Anglican Church but with the Eastern Liturgy), Church of the East (those who accepted the Nestorian Patriarch), and the Latin Church.
In 1887 Pope Leo XIII issued the bull of "Quod Jam Pridem", which liberated the Syrians from the jurisdiction of the Latin prelate of Verapoly and placed them under two Eparchies - one in Trichur and the other in Kottayam (both in Kerala). More recently, on January 23, 1993, a papal declaration again upgraded Ernakulam to major Arch Episcopal Church with the title of Ernakulam Angamaly.
Today, there are 23 dioceses in India. Eleven of them are in Kerala with a number of priests from Kerala working in many parts of the world. Kerala has one vocation (priest brother, sister) for every 70 Catholics. No other community in the world has so many vocations. Most of the Syrian families have a priest, a religious guide and mentor.
http://www.indianembassy.org/new/newdelhipressfile/new_delhi_press_file.htm
Kerala is a narrow stretch of lush green territory that lies on the southwest coast of the Indian subcontinent. Hindu legends claim that Kerala rose from the sea as a gift of God. The name Kerala means "the land of coconuts". The scenic beauty of Kerala is one of the most outstanding in India. The entire land is interlaced with rivers, placid lagoons, paddy fields and coconut palms. Plantations of rubber, tea, coffee, pepper, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and other spices cover the highlands in the east, earning Kerala the nickname of "the spice coast of India".
The lure of spices attracted traders from the Middle East and Europe to the many trading ports - Calicut, Cranganore, Cochin, Alleppey and Quilon - long before the time of Christ. And it was on a trading vessel plying between Alexandria and the Malabar coast that St. Thomas the Apostle arrived in Cranganore in 52 AD.
There he began preaching the Gospel. His teachings were accepted not only by those who chose to become Christians but also by those who chose to remain Hindus. The teachings eventually got integrated into the beliefs and traditions of the local communities, into their family history, into their songs and dances. St. Thomas established seven Christian communities or churches in Kerala. They are in Cranganore, Paravur(Kottakavu), Palayoor, Kokkamangalam, Malayattoor, Niranam, Chayal (Nilackal) and Kollam (Quilon). Throughout Kerala, one can find Christian families that are proud to claim descent from ancestors who were baptized by Apostle Thomas. Sankarapuri, Pakalomattom and Maliekal are the prominent ones. Some details of this combined tradition may be found in songs - the "Rabban Pattu", the "Veeradyan Pattu", the "Margam Kali Pattu" and others that now exist in written records.
The Church in Kerala had a high missionary spirit. Christians from Malabar spread their faith as far as Maldives and Indonesia.
St. Thomas Christians were considered high caste, along the Hindu tradition, with special privileges granted by the kings. The archdeacon was the head of the Church, and Palliyogams (Parish Councils) were in charge of temporal affairs. There were women deacons. They had a liturgy-centered life with days of fasting and abstinence. Their devotion to the St. Thomas Cross was absolute. Their churches were modelled after Hindu temples. In short, the St. Thomas Christians of Kerala had blended well the ecclesiastical world of the East Syrian Church with the socio-cultural environment of their homeland. Thus, the East Syrian Church was Hindu in culture, Christian in religion and Syro-Oriental in worship.
In 1498, when the Portugese navigator Vasco da Gama landed on the Malabar coast, there were an estimated two million Christian souls across the land, and they had 1,500 churches under the jurisdiction of a single Metropolitan who lived in Angamale. Besides, the Church had, by then, expanded to the neighbouring Mylapore and Nilgiris as well as northward along the Arabian Sea coast to Goa, Saimur (Chual), Thana, Sopara, Gujarat and as far as Sind, now a part of Pakistan. This, indeed, was the Golden Age of the East Syrian Church.
The arrival of Vasco da Gama, however, marked the start of a turning point and heralded a new struggle for the East Syrian Church. Because the Portugese, who later established trading posts in Goa, Daman and Diu north of Kerala, moved against the East Syrian Church leading to tragic, ecclesiastical incidents.
According to Joas de Castro, the Portugese Viceroy in Goa in 1548, the sword of the Portugese was wielded "mainly against the centuries-old Christians of Kerala". This was because only in Kerala did the laity stand steadfast against Western colonization, and maybe the Portugese, who were under the Roman Church, considered everything outside Roman as heretic.
The move against the Syrian Church was followed by Western Church establishing a European diocese in Goa in 1534. In 1557, Pope Paul IV declared Goa an archdiocese with its supremacy extending from the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa to China, and all Christians, including the East Syrian Church, brought under its jurisdiction. The East Syrian Archdiocese of Angamali then became a dependent of Goa.
This Europeanization process led to divisions in the Church, as there was considerable resistance against Western domination. The Christian communities then split into many groups - East Syrian Catholics, West Syrian Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Jacobite Syrian Orthodox, Marthoma (those who accepted the Anglican Church but with the Eastern Liturgy), Church of the East (those who accepted the Nestorian Patriarch), and the Latin Church.
In 1887 Pope Leo XIII issued the bull of "Quod Jam Pridem", which liberated the Syrians from the jurisdiction of the Latin prelate of Verapoly and placed them under two Eparchies - one in Trichur and the other in Kottayam (both in Kerala). More recently, on January 23, 1993, a papal declaration again upgraded Ernakulam to major Arch Episcopal Church with the title of Ernakulam Angamaly.
Today, there are 23 dioceses in India. Eleven of them are in Kerala with a number of priests from Kerala working in many parts of the world. Kerala has one vocation (priest brother, sister) for every 70 Catholics. No other community in the world has so many vocations. Most of the Syrian families have a priest, a religious guide and mentor.
http://www.indianembassy.org/new/newdelhipressfile/new_delhi_press_file.htm
Nedumpally
Nedumpally is one of the earliest and largest families in Kerala. It has now Hindu, Christian and Muslim branches and the Christian branch is again sub-divided into Catholics and Jacobites. Each branch has hundreds of members. Their ancestors might have reached Kerala from North India after 1000 BC among many other AryanBrahmins and settled in Palayoor. The Time that changes everything also split Nedumpally into many branches. Now there are Nedumpally Families in Kottayam, Irinjalakkuda (Thrissur District), Malappuram and in Sreekrishnapuram (Palakkad district).
The complete history of Nedumpally is yet unknown and has many gaps. Only a few written documents gives hint about this family. “Acts of Thomas” can be referred on this account. The strongest source of reference is the traditional songs of Syrian Christians called “Ramban songs“[1] . To sense the soul of Nedumpally one must go through the early Indian History.
Aryans and the Dravidians
[edit] Dravidians
Most of the Ethnologists believe that Dravidians in India is a branch of Elamite race who founded the civilization at Sumeria and Indus Valley. They reached India in prehistory and evolved in India at about 15000 BC. Dravidians became the elite inhabitants of India. The Dravidian civilization was found in the prehistory. They are also called Indus Valley people as it is one of the greatest and earliest civilizations world has ever seen. They had well planned City States built with baked bricks, swimming pools and plumbing. They had their own language and script, agriculture but no strong military. They had trade with the Mesopotamia.The period of this great civilization is estimated between BC 2500 to BC 1500[citation needed][original research?].
[edit] Aryans
Aryans (Arya means "NOBLE") were Indo-Europeans lived earlier in Euro-Asia. They were War-like people and had a strong military with horses. According to Aryan Invasion theory of Max Muller they attacked Indus valley in around 1500 BC. Dravidians were pushed to South. They settled in North India and it gave rise to a new culture that may be called as Vedic culture. Their life was not city based but it was a village based one. Slowly the intellectual and priestly (Vaidik) people who were called Brahmins founded the four varnas while the Kshatriyas founded many kingdoms in the Gangetic plains.
[edit] Dravidians in Kerala
The Dravidians evolved in India by addition of many races. Kerala was first inhabited by Ayar or Konar who were Yadavas. Some started living there doing Agriculture. Since South-West corner of India was the best option for them to do agriculture in terms of natural resources and environment upper class Dravidians settled in the land, which was later, named Kerala. The South Dravidian culture of Ayvels, Pandia and chera kingdom are depicted in Sangha Literatures such as Ahananooru, Purananooru and Silappathiharam written by a Chera Prince. It may give a graphic detail of the Sangha era and ancient kerala including foreigners.
[edit] Aryans in Kerala
By 1000 BC the south India was ruled by the Powerful Pandiyan dynasty which included most of the Kerala. The Chera dynasty which which was founded in the 300 BC with capital at Vanjimanagaram was perhaps founded by Panans as the Chera kings were called Banapperumals. Cheran Chenkuttuvan was a famous king. Later it extended to sea at Kodungaloor(Trichur). A number of Brahmin (Vediars in Sangha literatures)families from the North migrated to the south and settled down, maintaining friendly relations with the Dravidians around 200 AD. Brahmins pleased Dravidian kings with their intellectual skills and they were adorned in RajaSabha(court). Brahmins told Puranic stories and Mahabharata to the Chera and Pandiya kings of kerala. Kodungalloor(Mussiris) Musirippatinam was the major harbor city of cheran domain at that time and it was nearby the Cheran-capital Thiruvanchikulam. Thondi(Tyndis)and Bharkare(Purakkadu) were the other ports. Nelkinda was the southern capital of Pandiyas and Ayvels.
[edit] Trade with the Middle East
The earliest people to visit India from the Middle East were Arabs as early as 3000 BC. The ancient Tamil Literatures mention about Yavanas (fair people), the Greeks and Romans who had been given permission to build fortified towns called yavanappatinams or Yavanacherrys. The Jain Pandiyan Kings used to rule most of the kerala prior to 300 BC when the Chera kingdom was founded by the immigrants (chera, Vellian and Puraiyans). Pandiyans were well known to Greek historian Tolemy while Pliny Elder visited the Chera capital of Kodungalloor in 24 AD.
Even before 1000 BC there was a large number of Jews in the region now called Kerala who used to trade with Syria, Palestine and other Middle Eastern countries. They bought commodities like pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and sandalwood in return for gold, silver, copper, bronze and perfumes. Many Jews settled in Kerala during the period of Nebuchadnezzar in 6th century BC in the Yavanacherys. The Pandiyan navy was sailing from founded sea roots from Syria, Persia to china. The Jews might have settled in the Chera city of Kodungalloor and the Pandiyan city of Nelcynda.
Hippaulus a Greek sailor found a Sea route to India in 600BC through Red Sea.
There is a mention about Essenes in Manimekhalai who could have been converted Jewish Christians. Brahmins were virtually non extinct in Sangha literatrue during the Christian period.
[edit] The Malayalam language
The language of the Dravidians was Tamil. Although Aryans migrated south, their language was limited to religious functions and ceremonies. By AD 1300 this language Malayalam became an independent language. During the early days this language had a round script. Later it adopted an elongated script. Actually Malayalam script originated from Brahmi script, which is India's National script, which in turn is an Aryan script. The Malayalam of today has a mixture of the both.
[edit] St. Thomas's ministry in India
One among the Twelve Apostles was St. Thomas. Palestine, Mesopotamia, Persia and Media were some of the places where he converted people to Christianity. During that time the area from Syria to Patria was under Roman rule and because of this traveling through this region was relatively easy. Saint Thomas came to know about Indian culture through Haban one of the prominent Jewish merchant in India and reached Kodungalloor(Krankanoor)at AD 52. Over here he stayed with the Jewish community, preached the Gospel and evangelized the People. St. Thomas Christian Communities Evolved in places like Kodungaloor, Kollam, Niranam, Nillakal, Kokkamangalam, Kottakavu and Palayoor. Oral tradition says that St. Thomas established 7 Churches in Kerala Ancient history is mainly in Sangha Literatures.
[edit] History of Nedumpally
[edit] Conversion of Nedumpally Brahmins
During AD 59 in Palayoor[2], which was a Sea Port, there were lots of Jews who were traders. St. Thomas stayed with these traders and converted a lot of people to Christianity. In one of the Temple Ponds he performed a miracle. Some Vaidik Brahmins were throwing water upward to adore Sun and St. Thomas asked why the drops returned down if Sun was a live God. St. Thomas threw water in the name of Jesus and it stood still in the air and glitterd like diomond. By this "Experience" many Brahmins accepted Christianity while the other Brahmin Families cursed the place and left saying that they will bathe their next bath at Vembanattu. Even today the place is known as Sapa-kadu or Chavakadu which means The forest of curse. The unhappy Brahmins ran away to Vembanattu and settled down there. This place is still called Pudumanassery or the “Place of the new Mana( Illam ).Pudumanassery namboothiri was ruling from a small principality north of Walluvanad in the 1300 AD. This incident can be proved on the basis of names of the corresponding villages and the paintings in Palayoor Church([3]). Nedumpally, Madeipur, Koykkam, Muttodal, പകലൊമററം (Malayalam script)(Pakalomattam in American English), Panakkamattam, Sankarapuri, Kalli, Kallikavu, etc. were among the families who were Baptised in Palayoor. St. Thomas could have converted some Jewish families. Later some Syrian Christians who emigrate from Persia during the Sassanian empire might have mixed with them. There is some mention of Essenes a group of Christians among foreigners (Jews and Yavana) though no Sanga literature mention about Christianity among natives or brahmins.
[edit] Spreading of Palayoor families
Some families left Palayoor in 2nd or 3rd century. Pakalomattom, Sankarapury etc include in this list. Nedumpally stayed there until Tippu Sultan(1749-99) attacked Kerala and reached Thrissur. A lot of people were converted to Muslims by his army. One branch of Nedumpally reached ThekkumKoor and got shelter there. Thekkumkoor is now a part of Kottayam District. Kasaragode, Alappuzha, Kozhikode etc districts also have Nedumpally Christian families.
[edit] Nedumpally Muslims
Tippu's army converted many upper class Hindus as well as Christians to Muslims. Some Nedumpally Christians were also converted to Muslims. This branch is now mainly settled in Malappuram.
[edit] Nedumpally now
* Main branch of Christian Nedumpally can be found in Kottayam and majority of its members are Syrian Catholics. Mukkudi, Mukkudimali, Thekkenedumpalli, Mali, Panthookiniyil,Kalichira etc are well known families in Parampuzha village. More than 100 families belong to Nedumpally. They convene annual meetings and share their experience.
* Hindu Brahmins of Nedumpally who left Palayoor in 1st century settled in different parts of Kerala and their caste was later named Namboothiri. They are Rigvedis and are in the Gothram of Angirasan who was one of the Saptharshis. This branch is mainly settled in Palakkadu district.
* Muslim Nedumpally is fully settled in Malappuram district. A large number of their men are Hajis and have a prominent role in society.
[edit] References
1. Kerala Charithram: A.Sridhara Menon
2. The Syrian Church in Malabar: J. C. Panjikkaran,1914, alias SARAS Edition, ICHC I, The Nazranies, pp.277, 278
3. The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India All about India’s Christianity ISBN 81-87132-01-9 (Vol. I-In..Edn.) 8187132078 (Intn’l) (Vol. II- 8187132132l) Lib. Cong..Card..:73-905568 BX 166.2b. S24
4. BERNARD: A Brief Sketch of the History of the St. Thomas Christians.
The complete history of Nedumpally is yet unknown and has many gaps. Only a few written documents gives hint about this family. “Acts of Thomas” can be referred on this account. The strongest source of reference is the traditional songs of Syrian Christians called “Ramban songs“[1] . To sense the soul of Nedumpally one must go through the early Indian History.
Aryans and the Dravidians
[edit] Dravidians
Most of the Ethnologists believe that Dravidians in India is a branch of Elamite race who founded the civilization at Sumeria and Indus Valley. They reached India in prehistory and evolved in India at about 15000 BC. Dravidians became the elite inhabitants of India. The Dravidian civilization was found in the prehistory. They are also called Indus Valley people as it is one of the greatest and earliest civilizations world has ever seen. They had well planned City States built with baked bricks, swimming pools and plumbing. They had their own language and script, agriculture but no strong military. They had trade with the Mesopotamia.The period of this great civilization is estimated between BC 2500 to BC 1500[citation needed][original research?].
[edit] Aryans
Aryans (Arya means "NOBLE") were Indo-Europeans lived earlier in Euro-Asia. They were War-like people and had a strong military with horses. According to Aryan Invasion theory of Max Muller they attacked Indus valley in around 1500 BC. Dravidians were pushed to South. They settled in North India and it gave rise to a new culture that may be called as Vedic culture. Their life was not city based but it was a village based one. Slowly the intellectual and priestly (Vaidik) people who were called Brahmins founded the four varnas while the Kshatriyas founded many kingdoms in the Gangetic plains.
[edit] Dravidians in Kerala
The Dravidians evolved in India by addition of many races. Kerala was first inhabited by Ayar or Konar who were Yadavas. Some started living there doing Agriculture. Since South-West corner of India was the best option for them to do agriculture in terms of natural resources and environment upper class Dravidians settled in the land, which was later, named Kerala. The South Dravidian culture of Ayvels, Pandia and chera kingdom are depicted in Sangha Literatures such as Ahananooru, Purananooru and Silappathiharam written by a Chera Prince. It may give a graphic detail of the Sangha era and ancient kerala including foreigners.
[edit] Aryans in Kerala
By 1000 BC the south India was ruled by the Powerful Pandiyan dynasty which included most of the Kerala. The Chera dynasty which which was founded in the 300 BC with capital at Vanjimanagaram was perhaps founded by Panans as the Chera kings were called Banapperumals. Cheran Chenkuttuvan was a famous king. Later it extended to sea at Kodungaloor(Trichur). A number of Brahmin (Vediars in Sangha literatures)families from the North migrated to the south and settled down, maintaining friendly relations with the Dravidians around 200 AD. Brahmins pleased Dravidian kings with their intellectual skills and they were adorned in RajaSabha(court). Brahmins told Puranic stories and Mahabharata to the Chera and Pandiya kings of kerala. Kodungalloor(Mussiris) Musirippatinam was the major harbor city of cheran domain at that time and it was nearby the Cheran-capital Thiruvanchikulam. Thondi(Tyndis)and Bharkare(Purakkadu) were the other ports. Nelkinda was the southern capital of Pandiyas and Ayvels.
[edit] Trade with the Middle East
The earliest people to visit India from the Middle East were Arabs as early as 3000 BC. The ancient Tamil Literatures mention about Yavanas (fair people), the Greeks and Romans who had been given permission to build fortified towns called yavanappatinams or Yavanacherrys. The Jain Pandiyan Kings used to rule most of the kerala prior to 300 BC when the Chera kingdom was founded by the immigrants (chera, Vellian and Puraiyans). Pandiyans were well known to Greek historian Tolemy while Pliny Elder visited the Chera capital of Kodungalloor in 24 AD.
Even before 1000 BC there was a large number of Jews in the region now called Kerala who used to trade with Syria, Palestine and other Middle Eastern countries. They bought commodities like pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and sandalwood in return for gold, silver, copper, bronze and perfumes. Many Jews settled in Kerala during the period of Nebuchadnezzar in 6th century BC in the Yavanacherys. The Pandiyan navy was sailing from founded sea roots from Syria, Persia to china. The Jews might have settled in the Chera city of Kodungalloor and the Pandiyan city of Nelcynda.
Hippaulus a Greek sailor found a Sea route to India in 600BC through Red Sea.
There is a mention about Essenes in Manimekhalai who could have been converted Jewish Christians. Brahmins were virtually non extinct in Sangha literatrue during the Christian period.
[edit] The Malayalam language
The language of the Dravidians was Tamil. Although Aryans migrated south, their language was limited to religious functions and ceremonies. By AD 1300 this language Malayalam became an independent language. During the early days this language had a round script. Later it adopted an elongated script. Actually Malayalam script originated from Brahmi script, which is India's National script, which in turn is an Aryan script. The Malayalam of today has a mixture of the both.
[edit] St. Thomas's ministry in India
One among the Twelve Apostles was St. Thomas. Palestine, Mesopotamia, Persia and Media were some of the places where he converted people to Christianity. During that time the area from Syria to Patria was under Roman rule and because of this traveling through this region was relatively easy. Saint Thomas came to know about Indian culture through Haban one of the prominent Jewish merchant in India and reached Kodungalloor(Krankanoor)at AD 52. Over here he stayed with the Jewish community, preached the Gospel and evangelized the People. St. Thomas Christian Communities Evolved in places like Kodungaloor, Kollam, Niranam, Nillakal, Kokkamangalam, Kottakavu and Palayoor. Oral tradition says that St. Thomas established 7 Churches in Kerala Ancient history is mainly in Sangha Literatures.
[edit] History of Nedumpally
[edit] Conversion of Nedumpally Brahmins
During AD 59 in Palayoor[2], which was a Sea Port, there were lots of Jews who were traders. St. Thomas stayed with these traders and converted a lot of people to Christianity. In one of the Temple Ponds he performed a miracle. Some Vaidik Brahmins were throwing water upward to adore Sun and St. Thomas asked why the drops returned down if Sun was a live God. St. Thomas threw water in the name of Jesus and it stood still in the air and glitterd like diomond. By this "Experience" many Brahmins accepted Christianity while the other Brahmin Families cursed the place and left saying that they will bathe their next bath at Vembanattu. Even today the place is known as Sapa-kadu or Chavakadu which means The forest of curse. The unhappy Brahmins ran away to Vembanattu and settled down there. This place is still called Pudumanassery or the “Place of the new Mana( Illam ).Pudumanassery namboothiri was ruling from a small principality north of Walluvanad in the 1300 AD. This incident can be proved on the basis of names of the corresponding villages and the paintings in Palayoor Church([3]). Nedumpally, Madeipur, Koykkam, Muttodal, പകലൊമററം (Malayalam script)(Pakalomattam in American English), Panakkamattam, Sankarapuri, Kalli, Kallikavu, etc. were among the families who were Baptised in Palayoor. St. Thomas could have converted some Jewish families. Later some Syrian Christians who emigrate from Persia during the Sassanian empire might have mixed with them. There is some mention of Essenes a group of Christians among foreigners (Jews and Yavana) though no Sanga literature mention about Christianity among natives or brahmins.
[edit] Spreading of Palayoor families
Some families left Palayoor in 2nd or 3rd century. Pakalomattom, Sankarapury etc include in this list. Nedumpally stayed there until Tippu Sultan(1749-99) attacked Kerala and reached Thrissur. A lot of people were converted to Muslims by his army. One branch of Nedumpally reached ThekkumKoor and got shelter there. Thekkumkoor is now a part of Kottayam District. Kasaragode, Alappuzha, Kozhikode etc districts also have Nedumpally Christian families.
[edit] Nedumpally Muslims
Tippu's army converted many upper class Hindus as well as Christians to Muslims. Some Nedumpally Christians were also converted to Muslims. This branch is now mainly settled in Malappuram.
[edit] Nedumpally now
* Main branch of Christian Nedumpally can be found in Kottayam and majority of its members are Syrian Catholics. Mukkudi, Mukkudimali, Thekkenedumpalli, Mali, Panthookiniyil,Kalichira etc are well known families in Parampuzha village. More than 100 families belong to Nedumpally. They convene annual meetings and share their experience.
* Hindu Brahmins of Nedumpally who left Palayoor in 1st century settled in different parts of Kerala and their caste was later named Namboothiri. They are Rigvedis and are in the Gothram of Angirasan who was one of the Saptharshis. This branch is mainly settled in Palakkadu district.
* Muslim Nedumpally is fully settled in Malappuram district. A large number of their men are Hajis and have a prominent role in society.
[edit] References
1. Kerala Charithram: A.Sridhara Menon
2. The Syrian Church in Malabar: J. C. Panjikkaran,1914, alias SARAS Edition, ICHC I, The Nazranies, pp.277, 278
3. The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India All about India’s Christianity ISBN 81-87132-01-9 (Vol. I-In..Edn.) 8187132078 (Intn’l) (Vol. II- 8187132132l) Lib. Cong..Card..:73-905568 BX 166.2b. S24
4. BERNARD: A Brief Sketch of the History of the St. Thomas Christians.
Apostle St. Thomas in India
Saint Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles, was born in Galilee and supposed to have died in Madras, India.
Thomas was known as the 'doubtful one'. It is said that he was doubtful at first about the Resurrection, then Christ reappeared and asked Thomas to touch his wounds. His sudden realization of truth came out as "My Lord and my God", and this made Thomas the first person to explicitly acknowledge Jesus' divinity. (John 20:19-29)
Thomas is supposed to have gone to India in AD 52, and was to be the founder of Christianity in India. Thomas preached Christianity to the Brahmins of Malabar and the Jew settlers, who became the first Christians in India. Later he moved to Madras where he died. His burial place is still called St.Thomas Mount in Madras. Christians in South India, trace their ancestry to these events which date back to the Biblical times.
What's the Problem?
Well, the problem is that Western Theologians, today, doubt the above narrative. Vatican does n't make an explicit clarification about it. Scholars who discuss A-Z details, run away from this. Basic issue is that Churches in the West do not want to accept the fact that there was Christianity in India, even before there were Christians in Rome! And also, to say that Christianity there was started by none other than one of the twelve, is just unbelievable to them.
What are the facts?
Facts are very clear. After the crucification of Jesus Christ, the whole of Israel was under the Romans, who were not believers of Jesus those days. Followers were hunted and had to run away. The Apostles were also dispersed. Ecclesiastical History of Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea (4th century), says"(Peter)..at last, having come to Rome, he was crucified head-downwards; ... What do we need to say concerning Paul, who preached the Gospel of Christ from Jerusalem to Illyricum, and afterwards suffered martyrdom in Rome under Nero?"
Ecclesiastical History also says Thomas evangelized Parthia (part of today's Iran). Acts of Thomas, written in Syriac also supports this. It says Thomas visited the court of the Indo-Parthian king Gondophernes, who put him in charge of building a royal palace. He was also imprisoned there some time for spending the money for charity.
The above are coming from books which are very old. There are no hidden motives for anyone those days to simply say Thomas went to Parthia or India.
Once in Iran, the journey to India is not very far. There are archeological evidence of trade between South India and Roman Empire. Roman seals have been excavated in several places in Kerala, S.India. Thomas is supposed to have landed by sea at the port of Muziris(Cranganore today) in central Kerala. Local traditions and beliefs strongly support this theory. Today there is a memorial at the location.
St. Thomas landing
Cranganore, Kerala, India
St. Thomas Stamp
Issues by Govt of India
After preaching in Malabar, Thomas moved to Madras where he was to spend the rest of his life. The monuments are St.Thomas Mount (where he died and was buried) and San Thome Cathedral in Mylapore (Madras City). Acts of Thomas adds that his relics were taken to the West and finally enshrined at Ortona, Italy.
St. Thomas is recognized as the founder of the Chruch of the Syrian Malabar Christians. "High-caste" Hindu customs followed by the original Thomas Christians in Kerala show that they were converted from Brahmins also in addition to the Jews who were living along the Malabar coast. "Nasrani Mappila" (Respected Nazarene) became common appendage to many Christians. Olden days, untouchability was practised in Kerala. ie lower-caste Hindus were considered "pollutants" by caste Hindus. But Thomas Christians were considered equal to higher caste. All this show only one thing: Thomas Christians have been there "forever" as the locals believe.
Contrary to what many people in the West think, Christianity in India did not start with the Colonial Era. In fact, British East India Company did very little religious work; they were interested only in business, money and later political power! Portuguese who did take religious interest in Kerala in the 16th century ended up in taking a hardline along with Rome against the local Thomas Christians. When missionaries started the conversion of lower-caste Hindus, Thomas Christians did not encourage this; later Thomas Christians themselves became the target of serious missionary efforts.
Traditional sources, beliefs and very old books - all are consistent. But 'western experts' cannot believe. These are reflected in the words like "Thomas' subsequent history is uncertain", "Though some of the Acts of Thomas are probable, evidence remain inconclusive" Encyclopedia Britannica Vol 11, Page 712 1989 Edition] On the contrary, there is absolutely no evidence to support anything else. There is no evidence to refute Thomas' trip to India in any writing. And there are no references anywhere else about St. Thomas' whereabouts.
Ridiculous Attempts
There have been attempts in the West in recent times to prove that the "Thomas" Indians talk about is not the apostle but another "Thomas"! In the fourth century, the head of the Christian Church in Mesopotamia dispatched a colonizing group headed by Thomas of Canaan to Kerala. Western experts are trying to prove that this might be the beginning of Christianity in Kerala. It is quite possible that many more people with name "Thomas" traveled to India, later also. But this does not prove that apostle Thomas did not come to India! Also local Brahmins would not have listened to a merchant group on spiritual matters. The very fact earlier writings of 3rd century (The Doctrine of the Apostles and the Acts of Thomas) mention the apostle's visit to India, disproves the Western experts' theory . But do not underestimate the 'modern experts'. They come up with another theory:
"Many Indias!"
This fancy theory is centered around a notion that Romans and others in the middle east did not know where exactly India was! They say that "Where for that matter was 'India'? In the first century it would have been applied to several regions around the Arabian Sea. It could have been anywhere from west coast of India to northwest frontier (today's Pakistan and Afghanistan) or even Ethiopia and Southern Arabia". Well, Afghan frontier like Gandhara (today's Kandahar) are historically mentioned as part of Indian Empires, but Ethiopia and Arabian peninsula were never thought of part of India, not even by mistake.
Roman traders were in business with South India. Muziriz (today Cranganore in Kerala) was the port. Roman historian of 1st century Pliny writes that Roman emperors were lavish in their use of luxury items from India. Exports from Rome did not cover the costs of the imports (one expensive item was pepper!). Rome had to pay a great deal in gold (Probably this might be the origin of the craze for gold ornaments among women in Kerala, which is the case even today). So the argument that India was a region "ill-defined" in the Roman world comes from today's imagination only. Romans, Jews and Mesopotamians knew very well where India was. Cochin still has got one of the oldest synagogues and one street in Madras is still called "Armenian Street".
One modern writer even implies that the author of Acts of Thomas (4th century) knew the above facts and probably assumed that Thomas could have gone to any Indian port from the mouth of Indus to Muziris on the Malabar Coast. But he did not go anywhere at random and the port is not chosen at random either. Romans did business mainly with South India. The spices are grown in Kerala, and not on the banks of river Indus!
Ephraem of Edessa
Syriac theologian of Mesopotamia, Ephraem (4th century) in one of the hymns, includes some allusions to Thomas' mission to India.
"Lo, in India, are thy miracles,O Thomas
And in our land is thy trumph,
And everywhere our festival"
"The sunburnt India thou has made fair...
A tained land of dark people thou hast purified.."
These do not need any commentary!
A Danish Wallpainting
In the Northern part of Danish Zealand, near the town of Holbæk, one finds the ruins of monastery Æbelholt which was consecrated to the apostle Thomas. In the nearby Church of Sønder Jernløse one finds the legend of Saint Thomas told in wallpaintings . The first picture shows Jesus ordering Thomas to go to India. The second picture shows Thomas on board the ship to India.
Today's Situation
Today, Christians in Kerala constitute 20+% of the Kerala population of 30 million. They are not considered as "converts" or "new comers" in Kerala. Understandably quite a large number of churches, schools, colleges and hospitals are named after St. Thomas. In particular, there are seven churches people consider to be founded by the apostle himself. People in Kerala do not discuss the "question of St Thomas' trip to India". For them, there are no such questions. They know that it is a historical fact, no amount of fancy writings by the western experts is going to change that.
UPDATE . FEB 2005
The author is a non-religious person, so my views here not prejudiced by any religious feelings. Quite recently I have come across a book in Malayalam by well known rationalist Edamaruku Joseph, describing St Thomas's visit to India as just a fabricated story. Edamaruku is a person I do respect, but some of his arguments in this regard are not sound. I will be writing here more on this later. Bottomline is that even after reading Edamaruku, I think St Thomas indeed came to India!
St Thomas in India Time article from 1953
http://www.indianchristianity.com/ Valuable Guide to Christianity in India
Marthoma Church Link Prof Ninan's article
Trichur Diocese Information in PDF format
Hinduism later than Christianity in Kerala by Prof. George Menachery
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