The Syrian Christians of Kerala form a caste that is as distinctive as any other in India. Within this caste, there are many sects. Syrian Christians may be Syrian Catholics or Jacobites or Orthodox or Marthomites or even Anglican Christians. Syrian Catholics owe allegiance to the Pope in Rome, the Jacobites to the Patriarch (or Bava) based in Antioch (modern day Turkey), the Orthodox Syrian Christians to a Catholicos based at Devalokam in Kottayam, Kerala, the Marthomites to a Metropolitan based at Thiruvalla in Kerala and the Anglicans to the Archbishop at Canterbury.
Most (but not all) Syrian Christians, irrespective of their sect, have two pet beliefs. One is that each and every Syrian Christian is descended from a Namboodiri or Keralite Brahmin convert to Christianity. The other belief is that their ancestors were converted by St. Thomas, one of Jesus’s twelve disciples, who reached Kerala in the year 52 A.D.
I use the word ‘belief’ for the notions I have mentioned above, because that’s just what they are.
The first belief, that all Syrian Christians have a Brahmin heritage, was never taken too seriously by historians or other experts. I remember reading a book by Sheila Chandra many years ago (I can’t lay hands on this book now) which explains in detail why this is a ridiculous idea.
Recently Varkey Cardinal Vidayathil, the senior most Catholic clergy man in Kerala and one of the cardinals in the Papal conclave which elected Pope Benedict XVI, was interviewed by author Shinie Antony for a Rupa anthology on Kerala titled ‘Kerala, Kerala, Quite Contrary’ (which by the way has one of my short stories titled ‘A Matter of Faith’). Cardinal Vidayathil’s interview is published in this anthology in the form of an article titled ‘Stone the Sin, Not the Sinner.’ In this piece, the Cardinal says that the theories about the Brahminical origin of Syrian Christians are baseless and shouldn’t be taken seriously.
The second belief is that St. Thomas visited the land, which is now called Kerala, and converted a number of Namboodiris (Brahmins of Kerala) to Christianity. According to this belief, St. Thomas did not seek or make converts from any other caste. Anyone with a basic idea of either Indian history or Christian ethos will realise why this sounds very ridiculous. If at all St. Thomas visited India, he is unlikely to have been casteist and would not have focussed only on the upper castes. After all, wasn’t Christ’s mission all about helping the poor and the down-trodden?
Unlike other disciples like Peter or Mathew or Luke, not much is known about the early life of St. Thomas, that is, his life before he became a disciple of Jesus. In fact, it is not even clear if ‘Thomas’ was his real name. ‘Thomas’ means ‘twin’ in Aramaic and it was most probably just a nickname. It is well known that Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishermen and that Mathew was a tax collector. If St. Peter were to have visited India, you can be sure that he would have had a special message for fisher folk, though he is very unlikely to have interacted only with the fisher folk. If St. Thomas had been the son of a rabbi, he might have found it easier to converse with the learned Namboodiris, but he is very unlikely to have focussed only on them.
Secondly, if you subscribe to the Aryan migration/invasion theory, which I do, the migrant Namboodiris made their way to Kerala only by around the 7th century. If there were no Namboodiris in Kerala two thousand years ago, St. Thomas is unlikely to have converted them to Christianity.
It is also a matter for debate whether St. Thomas visited Kerala in the first place. Even though Syrian Christian tradition fervently believes that St. Thomas did visit Kerala, Christian scholars and western historians are yet to agree on this. A few years ago, Pope Benedict XVI created a controversy when, while addressing a vast crowd at the St Peter’s square, he stated that “Thomas first evanglised Syria and Persia and then penetrated as far as western India from where Christianity reached also south India”. In other words, according to Pope Benedict XVI, St. Thomas never visited or evangelised Kerala, but only visited the land which is now Pakistan and if at all Christianity spread to Kerala, it was from north India.
Pope Benedict VI’s statement caused a furore in Kerala. George Nedungatt, a Keralite scholar based in Rome, declared that the Pope’s statement was tantamount to declaring that St. Thomas was the 'Apostle of Pakistan', rather than that of India. George Nedungatt is a faculty member of the Oriental Pontifical Institute, Rome.
Pope Benedict XVI, despite various shortcomings, is a scholar and a theologian. He is the first Pope to seriously question the belief that St. Thomas visited and evangelised Kerala. Prior to that most Popes had towed the populist line without actually affirming that St. Thomas was in Kerala. For example, in 1990, Pope John Paul II wrote that the Syro-Malabar church of Kerala "as the constant tradition holds, owed its origin to the preaching of Apostle St Thomas."
It is a fact that when the Portuguese arrived in India, they found Christianity already in existence in Kerala. It was an Indianised form of Christianity, barely differentiable from Hinduism. Jesus was yet another God in the Indian pantheon of Gods. The Portuguese didn’t like what they saw, especially the fact that the Christians owed allegiance to the Syrian Orthodox Church which had its head quarters and a bishop in Antioch (then a part of the Ottoman empire, now in modern day Turkey) and that the mass was recited in Syriac or Aramaic (hence the name Syrian Christians). The Portuguese, using a mix of force and persuasion, managed to convert many of the Syrian Christians to Catholicism. Those converts became Syrian Catholics and switched allegiance from the Patriarch in Antioch to the Pope in Rome, though their mass continued to be in Syriac. Till 1965 when the Second Vatican Council decided to allow mass in the vernacular, Syrian Catholics continued to have their mass in Syriac, while other converts to Catholicism used Latin. Since almost all those converted from Hinduism to Christianity by the Portuguese were lower castes, in Kerala, Latin Christians came to be classified as a backward class, which Syrian Christians, supposedly the descendants of Namboodiris, were treated as upper castes.
Syrian Christians have always occupied a very high position in Keralite society. Those who believe in a Brahminical lineage would say that this status is because all Syrian Christians are Namboodiri converts. However, it is very likely that the initial converts to Christianity came from a variety of backgrounds, but because of their ties with the traders who converted them, were much more commercial and hence prosperous and respected. Over a period of time, before the arrival of the Portuguese, they must have coalesced into a monolithic community.
Despite pressure to switch to the Catholic faith and the Pope in Rome, many Syrian Christians refused to tow the Portuguese line and continued to owe allegiance to the Patriarch in Antioch. In 1653, a number of them took a public oath at a place called Koonan Cross or Koonan Kurisu to defy the Portuguese and to persist with the Syrian rites and liturgy. This section, now called the Jacobites, have seen various splits in their ranks in the last two hundred years.
In 1836, a reformist movement arose within the Jacobite Church, which sought autonomy from the Patriarch at Antioch. This movement eventually led to the formation of what is now called the Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church. As mentioned above, the Marthomite church is headed by a Metropolitan based at Thiruvalla in Kerala.
In 1879, missionaries from Church Mission Society of London (part of the Anglican Church) established a branch of the Church of England in Kerala. Many Jacobites and a few Syrian Catholics joined this Church which is now called the Church of South India (CSI). However, most members of the CSI Church are direct converts from Hinduism.
In 1911, Bishop Wattessril Mor Dionysius led a group of Jacobites, mainly from southern Kerala, who broke off from the Jacobite church and formed the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church which doesn’t have any ties to the patriarch at Antioch. Instead, they report to a Catholicos of the East based at Devalokam in Kottayam, Kerala,
On 20 September 1930, Bishop Mar Ivanios broke off from the Jacobites and joined the Catholic Church. The Jacobites who thus became Catholics form the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, which can be described as a semi-autonomous church within the Catholic Church.
Apologies for having digressed, but to get back to the issue as to whether St. Thomas did visit Kerala, the answer is, ‘we don’t know for sure’. However, we do know that Christianity has been in existence in India, especially in Kerala, much before the arrival of the Portuguese. In all probability, Christianity arrived in Kerala along with the spice trade that has been going on for many millennia. It is an accepted fact that a bunch of Christians from Syria came to Kerala in the 4th century and settled there. This community which is called the Knanaya (meaning “of Canaan”) community, did not co-mingle or blend with the native population, whether or not there were any Christians in Kerala at that time. It practised and still practices purity laws akin to that of the Parsis whereby anyone who marries outside the community is ostracised.
Prior to the arrival of the Portuguese, the Syrian Christians of Kerala, not only owed allegiance to the Patriarch at Antioch, they also had pretty good cultural exchanges with other Syrian Christians elsewhere in Asia Minor.
None of this however can prove or disprove whether St. Thomas did visit Kerala.
It is understandable that many Syrian Christians were upset by Pope Benedict’s statement that St. Thomas never visited Kerala. I would like to see Syrian Christians take the view that it doesn’t matter whether St. Thomas visited Kerala or not. Christianity is supposed to be an egalitarian religion. One converted by St. Thomas can’t be superior to one converted by a common trader from Asia Minor or someone else. However, as a matter of curiosity, I would like to see historians establish the truth one way or the other, in my lifetime that is.
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1 – 200 of 228 Newer› Newest»A great post, as usual. Just a small quibble about the date of the arrival of Nambudris in Kerala. As far as I understand, in the past five or six years scholars have begun to come around to the view that there were two waves of Brahmin migrants to the Tamil country (of which Kerala was then a part). The bigger one was the group of migrants who arrived in the 7th and 8th centuries, and who - as Burton Stein describes - played a major role in the formation of South Indian states in that period. That's the migration you're referring to. But there was also a smaller group who migrated in the Sangam period - these were the "anthanars" and "parppans" of Sangam poetry (whose presence is otherwise somewhat puzzling). These guys went totally native and Tamil over the years - producing, amongst others, quintessentially Tamil poets like Kapilar and the Brahmins amongst the Alvars. So there were likely to have been at least some Brahmins in Kerala at the time of Christ, even if the bulk of them arrived a few centuries later.
Otherwise, an excellent post - and thanks to this, I've finally understood the difference between the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, which was something of a mystery to me. Just in passing, there is still at least one Hindu-style church in TN (near Karaikkudi), complete with an Ayyanar-esque figure of St. James on horseback and wielding a sword!
Oskeladden, thank you for your comment. I am sure you are right when you say there were two waves of Brahmin migration to the Tamil country (which includes most of what is now called South India).
On a different note, can you please tell me what Oskeladden means? Is it a version of Ash Lad?
Yes. The Ash Lad, in Norwegian, is either "Askeladden" or "Oskeladden", depending on how you write it.
I would agree with you that it is unlikely all Syrian Christians are descended from Brahmins, although some of them are clearly from a high caste or non-Dravidian background. As the wiki says here, they are a community of "people from many ethnic groups of Kerala including different trading diaspora of Jews; Dravidian people; and Christian settlers of successive centuries like Knanaya people."
Regarding St Thomas, although there is no physical proof that he actually landed in Kerala there is circumstantial evidence that points to his presence there. The Gnostic gospel "Acts of Thomas" clearly says Thomas had been summoned to India by King Gondophares. Gondophares was in fact a real historical figure who ruled from A.D 19 to A.D 45 in north west India. It is therefore not an impossibility that St Thomas proceeded to Kerala in the south after that as Kerala which was a major centre of commerce at that time.
But there is at least one very good reason for the absence of documentary proof: the entire historical documentation of the Syrian Christians was reduced to ashes in the sixteenth century by the Portuguese who regarded these Christians as heretics.
I'm heading to India today in fact and I will be visiting Kerala. I'm looking forward to going a houseboat cruise from Alleppey to Kumarakom.
When I was an undergraduate at SOAS in London, Dr John Marr always used to say in his introductory lectures about South India (for those of us who were concerned more with the north), that the Thomas responsible for the first wave of Christian Proselytism in south India was a 'Thomas of Antioch' who was dated to the 3rd century of the Christian Era. Dr Marr said so with some confidence and authority so I have always presumed that it is likely to be true. Dr Marr has since been awarded the Padma Shri for his services to India, so perhaps he is a little more careful to whom he says such things these days. In any event he is still held captive in the prison of this life and is available to be questioned on the sermons he delivered when he was just a budding lecturer rather than a blossoming lotus.
Personally I prefer the story that after he had survived his ordeal on the cross, Christ fled the holy land and went back to India where he had spent most of his younger life. According to the story, supported by a number of apocryphal gospels, he took with him Thomas and his mother Mary. She died near modern Rawalpindi, where her shrine survives to this day. Christ himself went to Kashmir in order to be near the tomb of Moses. Christ spent the rest of his life in Kashmir and is buried near Srinagar. His tomb is today looked after by followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani. Thomas took the message to South India which is where this blog began.
Rae
Rae, when where you at SOAS? Dr. Marr used to teach there ages ago. Any idea where he is now? I know that after his retirement, he was the director of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
Some things to note:
1) The article mentions that the Portuguese found an "Indianized" form of Christianity where Jesus was another God in the pantheon of Hindu Gods. This is not correct. We have pretty good records of what Christianity was like back then (during the 1300-1600 era) since we still possess Syriac texts from that era. And these texts are certainly not heterodox, they are East Syriac texts of both the "Nestorian" and "Chaldean" variants. So Christianity back then was not some weird hybrid. It is true that the Portuguese found outlying Christians to be lax and Christian in name only, frequenting temples, etc. But where the clerics were found (Angamaly, etc.) we had bona fide Christianity.
2) You mention the Portuguese were annoyed because the Christian were allied to the Syriac Orthodox patriarch of Antioch. This is untrue. At the time of the Portuguese arrival, the Christians were allied to one of two East Syriac patriarchs: either the Nestorian Patriarch of Babylon or his Chaldean counterpart. Both are EAST Syriac prelates --- both are considered heretics by the Syriac Orthodox "Jacobite" patriarch.
The connection to the Jacobites only came a century later with the arrival of Mor Gregorios Abdul Jaleel. Basically, the Indians tried to get a bishop of their own rite from Babylon (either a Nestorian or a Chaldean --- all they wanted was an East Syriac prelate), but the Port's wouldn't allow it. So they eventually got a bishop from the Jacobites --- who are actually diametrically opposite to the Nestorians and Chaldeans!
After accepting the Jacobite faith, there was a slow change from East Syriac to West Syriac over the next two hundred years, finally ending in the 1800s.
Apart from these mistakes, I agree, the Brahmin story is ridiculous. And I also highly doubt St Thomas came to India. The unassailable historical reports of Christianity in India begin with Cosmas Indicopleatus and he pointed to communities of Persians.
So, it is likely that the Indian "Syriac" Christians are actually descendants of Persian immigrants, as well as other immigrants from West Asia (Jews, Assyrians, Phoenicians, etc.). The Assyrians/Arameans and Persians probably brought their St Thomas legends over, and their descendants (us) maintained them.
Now ... who was buried in Mylapore... Perhaps that was just a Nestorian monastery, a launching pad for their (i.e., our ancestors') expeditions into Java, and the south China sea... Perhaps someone important was buried there ... perhaps a Persian or a Syrian or an Indian named Thomas.
Dear all,
THERE WERE BRAHMINS IN KERALA BY AT LEAST 550 BC.IT IS NOT UNDERSTANDABLE IF VEDISM AND BRAHMINISM CAN REACH TAMILAKAM AND LANKA BY EARLY 600 BC WHY NOT MALABAR COAST.THE NAME NAMBOOTHIRI COULD BE A CONFUSION AS IT WAS A POSITION MADE AND GRANTED TO MANY SO CALLED BRAHMINS BY THE PERUMAL KINGS SO AS TO GET THEM ORGANISED BY THE GREAT SHANKARACHARYA.IN ANCIENT TIMES BRAHMIN'S WERE KNOWN BY NAMES AT PARAPPAN,PATTAR,ANTHANAR -THE IYERS OF SOUTH INDIAN AGREE THEY WERE KNOWN BY OTHER NAMES EARLIER.
THE GREAT KAUTILYA WHO WROTE ARTHASHASTRA-CHANAKYAN THE PRIME MINISTER OF PATALIPUTHRA.WAS BRAHMIN FROM KOLLAM-KERALA.
there is also a version that says the arrival of mar sabrisho and mar piruz to kollam in kerala was to establish the first full church of kerala at thevallakara as all others were temples and half hindu.as this was marked as the beginiing of the kolla varsha or the malayalam calendar.
the ancient church in kerala was more of an extented ancient indian hindu religion.the term hindu is/was more of a country denoting term untill the britishers came and ruled india.
their is some proof to say that the ancient church as it was called \”issaniya sampradaya \” as it had more of the brahmin converts than any others.it was as such till about 12 century.only after the portugese arrival by 15th century did we have the present so called european church equivalent.
the family names like pakalomattom means p akal om mattom -people who had authority of surya and om and mattom,that is worship,religion,god and markets/courts.
kalli,kallinkal comes from the ancient kalli worship,shankarapuri comes from family who had authority over shiva temples.the if we look into the migration of the pakalomattom and other families to south,they came to the places that had or were part of the 64 brahmin gramams blessed by sage parashurama.be it aluva,angamaly,kudamaloor and of course ettumanoor which is very near to kuruvilangad,a place where most st.thomas christians fine their lineage.till about the 1930\’s many pakalomattom families had priviledges in temples to do thaila purification as thailashanthi\’s,it was a good omen to make them do that by many royal and namboothiri familes across kerala like in royal families of panadlam,thiruvalla,anaparmapal-alapuzha,thripunithura.all this would have been only possible due to brahmin orgin or no one places them on par with kings/brahmins.pakalomattom family were fully veggetarians in many places were they had temple links till about a century back.still some among the pakalomattom are still vegetarian and follows strict nampoothiri customs,ways of life on par with strong christian faith.its a topic not to be discussed on net.
brahmin or royal standards for st.thomas christians.anyway not of semitic orgin which was a taboo for brahmins.also the customs of st.thomas christians were same as those of namboothiris in almost all ways till about a century ago.or else st.thomas nazranis will have to be a ruling class for the brahmins to adopt it in ancient times.which might not be possible as they as vedic purohits are very strict.
many indian brahmins have west asian dna which may prove the aryan invasion theory true.especially western indian brahmins like the chitpavan and kokanastha brahmins.
after all we cannot assume gauthama buddha’s brothers family who ruled nepal never had buddhist links.but as of now they are a kshatriya clan.that is how things change over a period of 500-1000yrs.we have 2000 yrs of tracing.
lets us be FAITHFULL in all ways.
Interesting post. A few comments:
1. "Prior to the arrival of the Portuguese, the Syrian Christians of Kerala, not only owed allegiance to the Patriarch at Antioch..."
The above statement is not supported by what meager evidence that exists concerning our community:
a. The West Syriacs make no mention of Malabar prior to the 17th century
b. The only Syriac literature in Kerala that predates the 17th century is East Syriac
c. All observations of the Malabar Christians by West Asian sources indicate that we were Nestorians (not Jacobites)
d. Our oldest examples of epigraphy from West Asia are in Pahlavi --- the language of Persians who were, generally East Syriac
2. It may be "widely accepted" that a so-called immigration of West Asians came in the 4th century and resulted in the Knanaya people; however, this is unsupported by any evidence.
What we do know about the West Asian immigrants is that:
a. They didn't seem to have a problem intermarrying with Indians, and there are letters of authorization by the Catholicos-Patriarch of Babylon allowing Indian/Persian intermarriage.
b. The supposed migration of the Knanaya is not based on anything other than fiction. On the other hand we definitely know that there was a 7-10th century immigration of Syriac/Persian Christians to Kollam and Kodungalloor. And they definitely intermarried with Indians --- there are still families in Kerala that claim to descend from these immigrations and they are not endogamous. The Knanaya adopted the term "Knanaya" only in recent times, with a corresponding myth that they descend from a "Thomas of Cana". This is not a historical legend; it's a one hundred year old legend.
Likely the Knanaya ("Southists" actually) descend from Black/Brown Jews who converted to Syriac Christianity (a numerically and politically stronger religion in Kerala) to escape persecution by Muslims. Which is why they continue the exclusivist endogamous policies of Judaism. They are likely not Persians or Syriacs at all --- since those communities were Christians ones, for whom such backwards ideas as endogomy were not generally accepted. There are copious examples of bonafide Syriac and Persian intermarriage with Indians.
the Knanaya people do marry syrian christians. Also as i recall the original inhabitants treated them as migrants only.
dear vinodh
I was actually browsing the net for syrian christians when i landed in your xlnt blog and read this ,somethign which has always intrigued me is the legend of namboothir conversion by st thomas and also the many factions of todays kerala christians ,all this threw a lot of light incidentally my weekend trip to syria this month end made me go into this topic !
tks enjoyed it
xlnttttttttttttt
Seems the author tries take a jabobite side.
Please remember that even untill the famous Vaikom Sathyagraha, the lower caste people were not allowed to be in the vicinity of uppercaste. Since it is beleived that St. Thomas came in a Jew merchant it is obvious that the merchant knew the local language and had dealings with the upper caste or royal community.
St Thomas converting only Nampothiris is nothing strange. St. Thomas was a traveller with new ideas. The ancient Kings of Kerala always welcomed such new ideas. Islam, Christianity, Jewism, Buddism and Jainism were all welcomed by our old Kings. This shows their greatness. There is no palce in the world where these religions got integrated as in Kerala, especially the ancinet Travancore. St Thomas would never be able to get access to the lower castes those days as there were strict caste conventions existed. Lower castes would never appear before upper castes and could not dream of appearing before a foreigner who was allowed to move freely by the King. Moreover only Brahmins were encouraged for learning(basically religion). That is how the Syrian Christians inherited a flair for leaning which gave them an advantage over other communities.
NO REAL BRAHMINS NEVER CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANS BY ST:THOMAS.
SYRIAN STORY IS INCREDIBILY BLUNDER!!!!!!!!!!
i saw a documentry its xcalled history of indiaby michel wood(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Wood_(historian)) in this they mention kerakla namboodri's are coming from africa and their ritual says that they are from africa also their mathra (not all)) is not sanskrit
well it doesnot matter, from where you choose JESUS as your SAVIOUR and the Way, Truth and Life to Eternal Salavation. Noone is converted, They choose the TRUTH.
Portuguese established a community of Indian Mestizos in the 16th century Kerala by integrating the Persian/ Syriac Nestorian Christians into Roman Catholicism. Mestizos had three Subgroups during the Portuguese rule between 1498 to 1660 AD.1)Mestizo (mixed European and Asian ancestry) who were soldiers and aristocrazy who owned vast estates.
Mestizos could own slaves but cant travel beyond Cape of Goodhope or Europe 2)Castizo Indian born Europian white 3)Toepass mostly Indian converts. The Indian Mestizo community appeared in Kerala when Portuguese soldiers married Kerala women, had many mistresses and numerous slave women. The Portuguese who came to Kerala thus could organise a power army of Mestizos withwhom the Syrian Nestorians joined the Catholic Church.
Syrian Mestizos were at Mattancherry Fort which was the Portuguese army headquarters. This is where the famous Koonan Kurisu oath of 1653 was taken. At 1653 Portuguese were already on the decline. Koonan Kurisu like Sepoy Revolt could be important. Mattancherry cross was inside the fort where none other than Portuguese soldiers. The intollerant religeos bigots, the Portuguese never conducted inquisition in Keraa (unlike the infamous Goan inqusition). Because all were devout Latin Catholics in that era.
The Nestorians appeared in Kerala only after the Arab ships of Iraq / Bhagdad after 800 AD. Tharissappalli Shasanam issued by Venads Tamil Ay King Ayyanadikal Thiruvadikal in 825 AD granting permission to build a Church at Tharissappalli to Nestorian Syrian trader Marvan Sapir Easho was the first authentic Dravidian document in Tamil. The signatories of Tharissapalli Sashanam had signed in three languages Hebrew Pahlavi and Kufric languages indicating that they are with Jewish Persian and Palestinian roots. Christianity was not a known religeon to Dravidian Tamils of Kerala in ancient or medival times until the end of 13th century except few immigrant Nestorian Syrians (Nasrani Mapillas) practiced it.
The ancient Tamil Sangam literature (470 books) many written by Tamil aristocracy of Kerala speak about Jainism Dravidian Hinduism and Buddhism but not Christianity. Silappatikaram a Tamil work written by Chera Dynasty prince Ilango Adigal at 4th century from his palace at Kana Vayil Kottam (ancient Kochi) gives vivid accounts about ancient Kerala. Syrian Christians or Jews were never mentioned in Sangam literature. Saint Thomas was not known to ancient Tamils of Tamilakam (Tamil Nadu and Kerala). Nambudiri Brahmins are not Tamils but ar from Tulunadu who had migrated from Ahichatra in Nepal-Uttarkhand to Banavasi in Karnataka in 345 AD. Nambudiris appeared in Kerala only in the 8th century AD when Karnatakas Chalukya dynasty invaded and subjugated Kerala.
The Nestorians appeared in Kerala only after the Arab ships of Iraq / Bhagdad after 800 AD. Tharissappalli Shasanam issued by Venads Tamil Ay King Ayyanadikal Thiruvadikal in 825 AD granting permission to build a Church at Tharissappalli to Nestorian Syrian trader Marvan Sapir Easho was the first authentic Dravidian document in Tamil. The signatories of Tharissapalli Sashanam had signed in three languages Hebrew Pahlavi and Kufric languages indicating that they are with Jewish Persian and Palestinian roots.
Christianity was not a known religeon to Dravidian Tamils of Kerala in ancient or medival times until the end of 13th century though few immigrant Nestorian Syrians (Nasrani Mapillas) practiced it. The ancient Tamil Sangam literature (470 books) many written by Tamil aristocracy of Kerala speak about Jainism Dravidian Hinduism and Buddhism but not Christianity. Silappatikaram a Tamil work written by Chera Dynasty prince Ilango Adigal at 4th century from his palace at Kana Vayil Kottam (ancient Kochi) gives vivid accounts about ancient Kerala. Syrian Christians or Jews were never mentioned in Sangam literature. Saint Thomas was not known to ancient Tamils of Tamilakam (Tamil Nadu and Kerala). Nambudiri Brahmins are not Tamils but are from Tulunadu who had migrated from Ahichatra in Nepal-Uttarkhand to Banavasi in Karnataka in 345 AD. Nambudiris appeared in Kerala only in the 8th century AD when Karnatakas Chalukya dynasty invaded and subjugated Kerala. Prior to 800 AD none of the Dravidian documents mention Christians in Kerala neither foreign nor Tamil.
Christianity was not a known religeon to Dravidian Tamils of Kerala in ancient or medival times until the end of 13th century though few immigrant Nestorian Syrians (Nasrani Mapillas) practiced it. The ancient Tamil Sangam literature (470 books) many written by Tamil aristocracy of Kerala speak about Jainism Dravidian Hinduism and Buddhism but not Christianity. Silappatikaram a Tamil work written by Chera Dynasty prince Ilango Adigal at 4th century from his palace at Kana Vayil Kottam (ancient Kochi) gives vivid accounts about ancient Kerala. Syrian Christians or Jews were never mentioned in Sangam literature. Saint Thomas was not to ancient Tamils of Tamilakam (Tamil Nadu and Kerala). Nambudiri Brahmins are not Tamils but are from Tulunadu who had migrated from Ahichatra in Nepal-Uttarkhand to Banavasi in Karnataka in 345 AD. Nambudiris appeared in Kerala only in the 8th century AD when Karnatakas Chalukya dynasty invaded and subjugated dKerala. Prior to 800 AD none of the Dravidian documents mention Christians in Kerala neither foreign nor Tamil.
John of Monte Corvino and Friar Jordanus Catalanini (1324 AD) were the first ever European missionaries to convert Indians to Latin Christianity who at Quilon converted few thousand Malali Tamils at Kollam. Kollam Latin Catholics faced threat from Arabs as well as Pandyan Kingdom. But after 1350 the Latin missionaries stopped coming the Latin Catholics might have joined the Nestorians of Kollam. When Portuguese came in 1498 AD the Latin Catholics of Kollam had completely integrated with the Nestorian Syriac Christianity (Nasrani Mappilla). Only Nestorian Syrian Christianity under Eastern Orthodox Christianity existed in Kerala at 1498 AD. Thus European missionaries like Giovanni Montecorvino and Friar Jordanus might have been responsible for increasing the Nasrani Mapilla population of Kollam from few hundred to three thousands in the 14th century. These middle eastern immigrants with some local mixture were called Nasrani (Christian) Mappilla (Son in law) because the Syrian sailors married Kerala girls. As the trade winds which would enable their return journey to Iraq wil blow in the reverse direction only after six months they married hence called Syrian Mapillas. Portuguese Mestizo community had integrated these Syrian Mappillas into Latin Catholicism and army.
When Portuguese came to Kerala Keralas language was Tamil. However the Tamil Chera (Villavar) Vellalar and Ayar aristocracy had been defeated and replaced by Tulu tribes (Nayara Menava Samantha) by the invasion of Malik Kafur in 1310 AD. Portuguese printed many books in the native language Lingua Malabar Tamul. Early Lingua Malabar Tamul or Malayalam-Tamil Christian books were using Portuguese script to write alternating lines of Portuguese and Tamil. Jesuits of Angamaly Kollam and Thalassery printed books in Tamil (eg Flos Sanctorum or Thamburan Vanakkam written bz Henrique , copies preserved at Copenhagen).In the 16th century except a few Paravas of Tuticorin Tamilnadu did not have Christians. Thousands of Tamil books printed in Kerala in the 16th to 18 th centuries by the Jesuits or Eesho Sabha at Angamaly Quilon and Thalssery suggest that Mestizo-Syrian catholics were using Tamil as their Liturgical language used in Church. Though Portuguese established a Syriac college Syriac was never used for preaching or giving sermons. Few lines of Syriac was read out by the Kattiyakaran in the Churches 17th century onwards which Malayalees never understood. Similarly Sanskrit was never used by Keralas Christians prior to British residency. Monro-Mecaulay Dewan-Resident of Kerala in the 1815 forced Kerala Christians to adopt the Tulu-Sanskrit language of Nambudiris as Malayalam while using Tulu script to write it. (See: Neria Haris Hebbar Tulu language)
Friar Jordanus Catalanini was the first ever European missionary to convert Indians to Latin Christianity who at Quilon converted few thousand Malali Tamils at Kollam. Kollam Latin Catholics faced threat from Arabs as well as Pandyan Kingdom. But after 1350 the Latin missionaries stopped coming. When Portuguese came in 1498 AD the Latin Catholics had completely integrated into the Nestorian Syriac Christianity (Nasrani Mappilla). Only Nestorian Syrian Christianity under Eastern Orthodox Christianity existed in Kerala at 1498 AD. These middle eastern immigrants with some local mixture were called Nasrani (Christian) Mappilla (Son in law) because these sailors married Kerala girls. Portuguese Mestizo community had integrated these Syrian Mappillas into Latin Catholicism and army.
When Portuguese came to Kerala Keralas language was Tamil. However the Tamil Chera (Villavar) Vellalar and Ayar aristocracy had been defeated and replaced by the the invasion of Malik Kafur in 1310 AD. After 1310 Kerala was occupied and ruled by Tulu tribes (Nayara Menava Samantha) etc. The new rulers of Kerala after 1310 might descend from the Naga tribes brought by Karnatakas kadamba kings from Nepal as slave warriors hence called Bunts. Bands of Nagas from Ahichatram had migrated to Tulunadu under Brahmin(Nambudiri Shivally Brahmins). Since the Buntas were not allowed to marry or have families a Matriarchal society had evolved. The Tulunadus Bunt/Nair dynasties of Kerala practiced Matriarchy and Polyandry. Tamil Chera Pandya or Chola dynasties had never practised Matriarchy. Kerala with a Tamil population,(Villavar/Panickar Vellalar/Pillai Parathavar and Ayar) ruled by ethnically and culturally different Bunts (Samantha Nayara Menava Kuruba etc) and Nambudiris with Tulumadu roots. Portuguese chose to support the primitive weak Matriarchal Tulu Samantha rulers with their Christian Mestizo army. The Mestizo support to the Tulu Samantha rulers with Nepalese/Ahichatra origins led to the destruction of Dravidian Tamil culture of Kerala.
The Indian Mestizo Christian army might have been a racial intermixture of Poruguese Syriac and Tamils. Nestorianism was abandoned and Catholicism became official. Chavittu Natakams or Tromping dance performed in Tamil was the main entertaintment of Malayali Christians throughout colonial period. Chinnathambi Annavi a migrant from south was the Shakspeare for Portuguese printed many books in the native language of Kerala Lingua Malabar Tamul or Malayalam-Tamil. Jesuits of Angamaly Kollam and Thalassery printed books in Tamil (eg Flos Sanctorum or Thamburan Vanakkam , copies preserved at Copenhagen). The political alignment of Portuguese with the Tulu migrants (Bunt/Nair and Nambudiri) against Tamils(Villavar Vellalar Ayar Paradavar etc) declined. NonDravidianTulunadu customs such as Matriarchy and Polyandry flourised as the colonial rulers supported the Tulu tribes with their Mestizo Christian army. The decline and disappearance of Tamils in Kerala was the result of genocide. Though Malayalam-Tamil survived till 19th century the British replaced it with the Tulu-Sanskrit language of Nambudiris written with Tulu script in the 19th century
European missionaries claimed that ancient Tamiakam was dominated by Many of the Syrian family names are in medival Tamil indicating military service eg Padayattil Payinedathu( payilunnedathu) etc. Thachil (Carpenter house in Tamil) Tharakan (broker) Mapillai(Son in law) etc. After the Portuguese left the Portuguese mixed Catholics of Kerala were left in the care of new Dutch Colonial rulers in 1660. Dutch were Protestants. So some of the Mestizo-Syrians left Latin Catholicism and founded Syro-Malabar Catholic sect in 1662 when Pope sent an emissary. Some Mestizo-Syrians founded Syro-Malankara (Jacobite) sect under Western Orthodoxy (Nestorians had been under Eastern Orthodox y ) in 1665 when the Bishop of Jerusalem was sent by Syriac Patriarch of Antioch Turkey. Syro-Malankara split into various modern sects Marthomite Jacobite, Orthodox Reeth and Knanaya sects. Only Foreign Methrons (Bishops) were allowed till 1875. Syrian Christians were integral part of European colonialism who occupied high offices. British tried to rule Kerala with Thachil Mathu Tharakan in 1800s provoking a revolt by Veluthampi Thampy Thalava. British appointed Syrian Judges and ministers in the 19th century.
British missionaries claimed that Nambudiris (with Ahichatra Tulunadu roots) owned ancient Kerala not Tamils. Europeans could claim that Saint Thomas came and converted Nambudiris .Only Tamils (Villavar Vellala Meenavar Maravar etc)are mentioned in ancient records of Kerala. Jews or Syrian Christians or Nambudiris were unknown to ancient Tamils of Keralas Chera Kingdom.
The important landmarks 1)As the Arab ships from Bhagdadian empire of Iraq started dominating the waterways first Syrian Mappillas appeared in Kerala as mentioned in the Tharisappalli shasanam of 825 AD. Mar Sapir Esho Mor Proth and perhaps Kanai Thomman may belong to this group as Kodungaloor became famous only after the Arab ships started frequenting Keralas port cities after 800 AD (The Second Chera empire). Tha Nasrani Mapillas were very few perhaps few hundred who stayed around Kollam, Kayaal and other port cities along with Arabs. 2)Patriarch John of Monte Corvino and Friar Jordanus Catalini convert many to Latin Christianity who join the Nestorian Mappillas after the Italian franciscans stopped coming after 1350s.
3)Portugguese soldiers establish a strong Mestizo community with three subsects Mestizo, Castizo and Toepass.
4)The alignment of Portuguese with the Tulu Bunt/Samantha/Nair ruler of cochin leader leads to the strengthening of the Mestizos who mostly practiced Latin Catholicism
During Portuguese period (1498-to 1660) the Portuguese period only Roman Catholicism ie Latin Catholicism existed.It is ridiculous to say that Syrian Christians were revoliting against Portuguese. Only after the Portuguese came Christian population leaped to thousands. as The Mestizos were owning vast tracts of land and doing Pepper cultivations. The Mestizo sub castes Castizo Mestizo and Toepass are mentioned in the Portuguese and Dutch records not Syrian Christians. Syrian Christians were integral part of the Portuguese colonialim and Mestizo culture.Koonan Kurisu was itself situated at the Portuguese fortified port of Mattancherry where only Portuguese soldiers were allowed entry. The 2000 strong Syrian Christians who demonstrated at Koonan Kurisu at 1653 in a peaceful manner by tying a rope and singing songs were left alive by the Portuguese because of their Mestizo connection. Though the Mestizos survived in the Dutch period (1660 to 1760) they were relatively weak as the Portuguese mixed inland Christian community of Kerala increasing identified themselves as Syrian Christians. Even during the British period the Syrian Christians were a pillars of the British colonial rule. Thachil Mathu Tharakan was appointed along with Sankaran Namboothiri and Sankaran Chetty as the administrators of Travancore. Velluthampi Thalava revolted against them. Still Mathu Tharakan continued as the first ever Christian minister of Kerala. The Forest minsister Mathu Tharakan stripped Keralas forests to aid the British in the Nepoleanic wars. Palayayam Horona Palli was built by him. The Syrian Christians were appointed as judges by the British in the 1800s who aided British. The European colonilalism favoured group of Christians of Kerala with Syrian Mapilla-Mestizo roots who inturn supported colonialism.
http://www.gnosis.org/library/actthom.htm
Saint Thomas did come to the Kingdom of Gondophares at Takshashila at the Indo-Persian border. But Gondohphares was not an ethnic Indian but a Persian (Parthian) with Greek mixture. This kingdom was situated at presentday northern borders of Pakistan. Saint Thomas visited the kingdom Gondophares as a building contractor promising a palace to the king.Because of Gad Saint Thomas escaped Gondophares wrath. However Saint Thomas earned the wrath of King Misdeus of Persia when saint Thomas converted Princess Tertia, son Juzanes courtiers Marikia Carisius and Princess Mygdonia (Mygdonia is a province between Euphrates and Tigris). Saint Thomas became a martyr in Persia when King Misdeus or Mazdai ordered four of his soldiers to take him to a nearby hill and execute him by pierching with spears. Saint Thomas could not talk any language other than Hebrew. Even in the Gondophares kindom a Hebrew girl translated his language to the king.
Edessa where the Mortal remains of Saint Thomas was taken was also in Persia. Many of the Indian Nasrani Mapillas also come from Iraq and Persia. But there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Saint Thomas came to Chera Pandya or Chola kingdoms of Tamils. Not only Jews were not known to ancient Tamils. Jews though very important people to Christianity were perhaps only sheperds who were mostly slaves to Persians Romans and Assyrians. Greeks and Romans were well known to ancient Tamils who were known as Yavana (Ionian).Portuguese used the Saint Thomas legend to their own advantage. Marco Polo initially identified the Saint Thomas grave at Kayalpattinam. But once Portuguese had interests at Bombay Cochin and Madras Portuguese declared all these places were visited by Saint Thomas. Thus King Misdeus of Persian became a Tamil king from Madras. King Gondophares comfortably became Cheraman Perumal. Nasrani Mapillas from Iraq were declared as Brahmin Namboothiri converts who were not even present in South India in the early Christian era.Portuguese also had suggested the Bombay Kalyan could be Calamina (possibly if Madras failed they can shift the Portuguese empire to Bombay). None of the Dravidian legends support such Portuguese fabrications. Gonophares, Misdeus,Tertia, Carisius, Syphorus, Juzanes all these names of Greco-Persian and not Tamil names. Madras gained importance only after it became the southernmost outpost of the Delhi Sulthanate in the 13th century. The Earlier Chola kingdom never knew about Saint Thomas or Christianity. But it is quite possible that some of the earlier Nasrani Mapillas were converted by Saint Thomas before they booked a deck in an Iraqi ship to come to India. But after Portuguese came only Mestizos existed
All the Non-Dravidian people of South India joined the European colonial rulers during the five hundered years of colonial rule in the South India.Thus Aryan Brahmins who migrated to south India (Nambudiris migrated from Ahichatra in Uttarpradesh Nepal border at 345 AD during the rule of Kadamba king Mayuravarma to Banavasi and Tamil and Telugu Brahmmins otherwise called migrated from Narmadha river basin after the Somnathpur attack in the 13th century. Tamil and Telugu Brahmins still wear the Gujarati dress and have fair colour and northern accent) in the past 2000 years eagerly join Syrian Christians often supporting their claims. Ancient Dravidian Hinduism was radically different from laterday Aryanised Hinduism. Anthanar Vediar, Maraialar Velar were the priests in the ancient Dravidian country. The word Brahmin was rarely used to denote priesthood. Most of the priests were Dravidians some of whom was trained in Vedas. Kapilar was a Dravidian priest not an Aryan Brahmin. Vedic Yagas were conducted in the ancient Dravidian country Palyaghasalai Mudhukudumin Peruvazhuthi was a ancient king who performed Yagas. While the early Brahmins were called Parpanars or supervisors of the Vedic rites. Parpanassery Parapanagadi are few placed linked with them.The Aryan Brahmins (Aryar or Ayyars) have Gotras to indicate their Aryan origins (Kasyapa(Caspian) Bhargava or Angirasa(Anglo)Kaudinya(Afganistan ancient Kaund)). The ancient Dravidian priests like Kapilar or Gauthamar never had these Aryan Gotras. British not only organised all the Non-Dravidian people against the Dravidians they did everything to undermine the Dravdian culture. The indigenous Dravidian Malyalam-Tamil or Malayanma language was banned by British thereby destroying all the Kerala records since time immemorial. They replaced Keralas langauge with the Tulu- Sanskrit langugge of Nambuthiris. Most of GRANTHA books of Nambuthiris written in the 17th and 18th centuries were not at all Malayalam but Sanskrit written with Tulu Script even today unintelligible to most Malayalees. (Tulu Script was banned in Tulu Nadu by the British while it was being promoted in Kerala http://shivallibrahmins.com/tulu-language/tulu-language-and-script/).
The British ruled Kerala with Syrian Christians and Madras Brahmins (Telugu and Tamil Brahmins). British Government in Tamil Nadu and Kerala were dominated by Non-Dravidians.
I am convinced that the modern day syrian Christians of Kerala are the descendants of Persian settlers who were present in large numbers in Kerala, for many centuries. There is also a possibility of these Persians intermarrying the local keralites, to give rise to the present day Syrian Christians. Whatever it may be, the syrian Christians have a distinct culture and tradition, and they enjoy a very high social status in kerala.. They were traditionally aristocratic, wealthy and educated, and were known for their loyalty, Valour and hardwork. They are strictly endogamous too.
While it remains that the bulk of the SYrian Christians of Kerala are the descendants of the Persian settlers, who came to India at least 1500 years ago, the are some who clearly trace their ancestral origins to authentic namboothri Brahmin families - Brahmins who converted to Christianity centuries ago. These conversions might have occurred due to the active evangelization by Syrian and Persian missionaries, who did carry out such missions from the 9nth century onwards. So one cannot thoroughly say that there are no Christians who are of brahminical descent. Many traditional and aristocratic Syrian Christian families such as pakalomattom, shankarapuri, kalliyankel, and kalliyil trace their roots to brahminical origins.
The fact remains that the modern Brahmins cannot trace their lineage beyond the 7th century. The Namboodiri web site will confirm that. But that does not mean there were no Aryan Brahmins in Kerala in the first century AD because the Raman invasion of Ravana territory took place from Kerala. So it is certain that Aryans stayed on in the Kerala and were there. They may have been a weak ethnic group probably a few families.
However they somehow disappeared from history soon after the first century? The only possible explanation is that the whole Brahmin community embraced the new way of Thoma.
Otherwise we are left with the task of explaining the absense of Brahmins from Kerala while they were still present all around Kerala.
All the Hindu rituals, beliefs, customs followed by Christians before the Synod of Dampier are clear evidences to show that Syrians were converted from untouchables. Pariahs and Pulayas believed in transmigration and they offer even today flowers and sacrifices (vavu bali) to dead souls thinking they would continue to bless them in transmigrated status. It is foolish to say that Christian children attended Hindu schools, for there were no Hindu schools at that time. Portuguese started theological schools and CMS missionaries started regular schools and colleges. As a matter of fact, caste Hindus (Brahmins and Nairs) vied with one another to get admission in CMS schools where low-caste Christian students were studying in large numbers. .Exorcism, astrology, marriage customs are similar to Hindu Pariahs and Pulayas and that is why the Synod wanted to civilize Syrian Christians.Christians were asked to believe in resurrection and not trtansmigration. In dress, Hindu women were not allowed to cover their breasts, and that was the common practice not merely of untouchables from whom Syrians were converted, but even among caste Hindus such as Nambbodiris and Nairs. When Syrian immigrants married lower caste women, they were almost naked except a small piece of loin cloth to cover the genital area. So, like the Arab immigrants in Malabar, they stitched a collarless shirt called Chatta (Tamil word for shirt) and a long piece of single cloth to cover the bottom portion from navel to calf called Mundu ( a Tamil word for dhoty) and the excess cloth was not cut off to avoid waste but frilled and tucked at the back. . Most of the maid servants and poor women in huts all over Kerala wear chatta and mundu. The Synod wanted to civilize Syrian Christians because they wee all from untouchable castes. In the initial stage, a few West Asia immigrants would have married some untouchable women, like Anglo-Indians, but at a later stage it was mass marriage among untouchables who had become Christians. That is why they retained all the rituals of untouchable Hindus. Read Thurston’s customs. beliefs, marriage (Tali tying) of untouchables such as Pariahs, Pulayas, Mukkuvas, Kuravas and Ezhavas. Then you will understand how the Synod wanted to civilize and modernise Syrians who came from that stock. False identity claiming Namboodirii and Nair caste will boomerang, for Nairs and Nambbodiris do not accept Syrians as converted from their castes. They ridicule and pooh-pooh these insane claims, ignoring historical and demographic evidences.
There are many reasons why only upper caste was followed st.thomas.As we know st.thomas was landed in mussiris(kodungallore)in search of lost tribes of israel(may be at the time of babilon exile)they were settled the centre part of kerala.and there are namboodris who were also decendents of messoppotomians,persians etc.And because of extme castism there were no other caste lower to these castes (except royal family)were staying that areas.
REPLY Part I
According to Syrian Christian tradition St. Thomas came to Kerala in 52 A.D., and converted some Nambudiri Brahmin families such as Kalli, Kaliankara, Sankarapuri, Madapur, Vyampalli, Muttedal, Kottakara, Panakamattom, and Pakalomattom . These names of Nambudiri families are fictitious and cannot be traced in any of the records of Nambudiri Brahmins. Besides, this tradition evolved at a much later date and was not a contemporary account. These fictional names are being maintained to legitimize fanciful claims. Syrian Christian tradition and many other legends found in ancient Christian songs like the Veeradian Pattu, Thomma Parvom, and Margom Kali Pattu, claim conversion of Nambudiri Brahmins by St. Thomas. But all these songs originated after more than thousand years or much later, and not composed in the first century when St.Thomas was in Kerala. Conflicting dates, AD 1601 and AD 1792, assigned to these works give room for suspicion about their authenticity. Even the composer’s name, Ramban Thomas, alleged to be a Nambudiri Brahmin, is highly doubtful as there was no such person in Nambudiri records. The notable document concerning St Thomas is the ‘Acta Thoma’ attributed to a Syrian named Bardasanes , an apocryphal work bearing transparent signs of its Gnostic origin. It was preserved with some modifications in Greek and in Syriac. It also tells about the missionary activities of St. Thomas and his martyrdom. But this work too was of a later origin and different dates are given by scholars, AD 220 or AD 400. According to another Syrian Christian tradition four Nambudiri families of Niranam, Tayyil, Pattamukkil, Manki and Madathilen of Thiruvalla were converted by St.Thomas. But there is no historical evidence about these Nambudiri settlements in Thiruvalla in the 1st century AD. It is probable that some fugitive St Thomas Christians of Mylapore or lower caste converts would have used these fabricated names with the false claim they were Nambudiri converts to avoid persecution by caste-Hindus. None of the Nambudiri records has also any reference to the existence of converted Nambudiri settlements in Thiruvalla in the 1st century AD or the conversion of their community members. Even in the Brahmin tradition found in Keralolpatti there is no reference at all to the conversion of Nambudiris, although it tells about a certain ‘Thomman,’ an opponent of all Vedas’, came to Malabar and ‘converted many prominent people in the land, including the reigning king, Bana Perumal. But Keralolpatti, embellished with myths and legends, was a compilation of 18th century to bolster the superiority and authority of Brahmins in Kerala and not a contemporary narration. It is likely that the Mylapore migrants and local converts, mostly untouchables such as Ezhavas and other outcastes, who moved into Thiruvalla from other areas coined new family names or adopted locality names of Niranam, Tayyil, Pattamukil, Manki and Madathilen and claimed for themselves superior status to hide their past. It must be borne in mind that the converted untouchables and slaves were fleeing from their original places to other areas to escape persecution and oppression in the form of compulsory ooxhiyam service. With no Nambudiri or Nayar available for conversion in Thiruvalla and nearby regions, the emergence of a large Syrian population in that region is a clear proof that they were all from lower castes. The claim for the existence of Nambudiri Christian settlements in Thiruvalla was a mixture of fable, hearsay and calculated false propaganda which has made even foreign writers think that it was a fact of history.
REPLY Part II
It is a stark reality that it was due to large scale conversion of untouchables, especially Ezhavas that Christian settlements arose in those areas. Logan points out that the Nambudhiri settlements were mostly in the Calicut, Ernad, Walluvanad and Ponnani taluks of Malabar, and in the Cochin territory in North Travancore. No Nambudiri family of pure birth had settled to the south of the Kollam River in the 1st century AD. Francis Day and Samuel Mateer also affirm that the Travancore Rajas have “in vain tried every means in their power to induce them to reside there.” It is quite improbable, therefore, that Nambudiri settlements existed in Thiruvalla area when St. Thomas or at a later period when Thomas of Cana came to Kerala. Missionary records give us an idea of how new settlements of lower caste and untouchable Christians came into existence in different places and how those converts were tutored to assume for themselves the status of higher castes just to escape persecution by upper caste Hindus. As S.N. Sadasivan, an eminent research scholar who has gone through missionary records, points out: “From the beginning it was the practice of the converts to leave their native village and settle down in a place normally few miles away or as a distant station as possible and to take up avocations other than that of their caste for intelligible reasons. It has enabled them to conceal their past, sever from their close relations and claim a status better than that of their unconverted brethren still struggling to stand up against their neighbouring caste-Hindus, in the new environment they had chosen. The first missionary who understood this social value of this mobility and anonymity was Joseph Peet who always for the safety of his converts from slave caste sent them to other places where they could make new claims and build up a better image for themselves.”
Good read. I have done some research on this subject and please find this on http://antonyka.blogspot.in/
I don't think Namboodiri's presence or absence in Kerala at a particular time has anything to do with the Aryan invasion theory.
From Portuguese records we learn that one Michael Jougue got into the Portuguese ship with a view to go to Palestine. The commander of the ship, Pedro Alvarez Cabral, was returning from Calicut after inflicting heavy casualties on the Zamorin’s navy. Panikkar calls Michael Jougue a Malayali Christian of the Syrian church. But it can be inferred from the name of this Christian that he was a refugee from Mylapore settled in Kodungallor. Cabral used Jougue to negotiate with the Raja of Kochi and sent a Portuguese along with him. It was a successful negotiation and the Kochi Rjah gave immediate permission to buy whatever the Portuguese wanted. Later Cabral himself met the Kochi Raja and a treaty was signed to build a Portuguese factory at Kochi.
During Vaco da Gama’s second visit to Kerala, Syrian Christians met him at Kochi. K.M.Panikkar gives this account about their meeting: “These men, believing that with the arrival of the Christian Portuguese, the time of good fortune and greatness had come for them, approached him and offered their allegiance to the King of Portugal. They suggested that, if a fort was built by the Portuguese in the area where they were strong the whole of Kerala could be conquered.” It was during this interview the name of the kingdom of Villarvattom (Valayedathu) was first mentioned by the Syrian Christians and they presented the scepter of the king of Villarvattom to da Gama. But Vasco da Gama was never taken to the site of Villarvattom kingdom. He was not shown the regnant king or the successor of the previous king (Raja Thoma). Vasco da Gama did not bother to investigate the authenticity of the sword presented to him.
It was only through the oral statement of Syrian Christians that the existence of Valarivattom kingdom is known to us. There is no literary, sculptural or numismatic evidence about this kingdom. Even smaller kingdoms such as Ilayadathu Swaroopam, Pandalam, and Kayamkulam have literary and historical evidences. The Valarivattom kingdom was supposed to have existed in Kochi area. The kingdom of Kochi was also known as Preumpadappu Swaroopam. But there is no reference to Vallarivattom in the records of Kochi royal family. Even the surviving manuscripts, such as Keralolpathi, Keralamahatmyam, and Perumpadapu Grandavari, although collections of myths and legends, do not have any reference to Vallarivattom. Cochin kingdom ruled over a vast area in central Kerala before the arrival of the Portuguese. Their state stretched up to Ponnani and Pukkaitha in the north, Anamalais in the east, and Cochin and Porakkad in the south, with capital at Perumpadappu on the northern border.The Brahmin chief of Perumpadappu (Chitrakuda, Vannerinadu, Ponnani taluk) had married the sister of the last Chera king, Rama Varma Kulashekhara, and as a consequence obtained Mahodayapuram, These were the official territories that belonged to the Raja of Kochi. Quite surprisingly, even in the territories legitimately belonging to the kingdom of Kochi, there was no place marked as Vallarivattom kingdom.
(Continued from the previous post)
The Noticias of India, at the time of the arrival of the Portuguese, mentions the chief of Mangat, a few miles to the east of Cochin, and the chief of Parur, a few miles to the north, as the rulers of importance; it also states that the country surrounding Cochin was in the hands of Kaimals. To the south-east lay the small but important principality of Vadakkumkur. A few miles to the east of Cochin was the Brahmin principality of Edapalli, and to the south the peninsula of Shertallay was divided between 73 petty lords.’’ (Noticias da India- Vol.1,p.p.225-230). Although Chieftains and principalities are mentioned, there is absolutely no reference to Vallarivattom. So it was a figment of Imagination and the fable was created by Syrian Christians just to show their importance to win the favor of the Portuguese. Scholarly research has not found any official or authentic record about Valaripattopm kingdom. It is further claimed that Pope Eugene sent envoys to the king of Vallarivattom with a letter. But the envoys never reached Kerala and the letter is also missing. It is quite improbable that a Roman Pope would write a Nestorian, heretic king of Vallarivattom, if at all a king had existed. When the Dutch came Syrian Christians told them about a copper plate granting privileges to another fictitious figure, Thomas of Cana. The Dutch searched for the copper plate to write a history of Malabar. But a Syrian priest told them that it was all a lie. The Dutch Governor, Moens, says that a Syrian Priest has confessed to him that “although he was born in Malabar, had grown up among the Syrian Christians, and even be one of their priests, nothing of the sort was known to him, so that the search for this written patent was vain…” Ref. A. Galletti, The Dutch in Malabar, Madras, Government Press, , 1911, p.173. In all probability Valaripattom kingdom was also another hoax to claim royal descent like the other claims of Nambudiri and Jewish descent for Syrian converts..
Ankita, thank you for your detailed comment.
There was news about a European scholar staying in Kerala and collecting Aramic and Syrian manuscripts in Kerala. If we are not careful then after sometime our heritage will end up as some European nation's heritage. These manuscripts can even be sold or looted. Recently even in India people have started searching for old manuscripts to reveal something about hidden technologies, etc. We have to be very careful in protecting our heritage and sharing it only after we fully realise the value and thoroughly examine what we have. Otherwise even our heritage will be looted by whites and we can see such documents put up for sale in Sotheby's and other auction houses.
Ancestors of most of the christians (roman,syrian jacobie, marthomas) in India were lower caste hindus, tribes. Funny thing is that all of them saying their ancestors were Brahmins. Still Indian dirty castism is inside all of them.
Of course :) Caste system is deep rooted in India be it Hindu, Christian or Muslim but exploring one's roots is a different matter all together. All our hands are bloody as far as caste goes.
Syrian Christians specially and all other Christians in India have very wide gene pool. i.e there are almost all castes gene in them and they also have genes of jews (worlds one of the very high class community), Persians etc. This is very apparently seen in their appearance, just observe , you can notice all royal looks and also low caste looks, jews sharp features, all sort of fair and dark completions etc can be noticed amongst them. As we all know gene cross will produce excellent progeny and this can be noticed that this christian community has excelled in all aspects.So there is no doubt they are mixture of upper caste,lower caste and many ethnics. Even many brahmins, kings treated them with high respect in the previous centuries even when untouchability existed very strongly and still many hindu’s treat them with very high respect.
I feel the blogger is bit biased and is hellbent in debunking the great diaspora of syrian christians of kerala.
Cochin was one of the most busiest ports of ancient days. So its obvious if the traders from arabian peninsula came to Cochin, so Saint Thomas too can reach Kerala.
Secondly if u remember Son of Lord Jesus Christ was basically involved in evangelising the JEWS.
This is the reason why Saint Thomas chose Kerala to preach Gospel. Because he being a real disciple of Christ remembered his teachings and basically wanted to talk about the Messiah to the Jewish Community (basically the traders) of Kerala. Now when the portugese arrived in kerala, they were probably jealous of knowing that there are real DNA of Abraham surviving in Kerala. So with the help of the Roman catholic church they just wanted to erase this DNA.So they destroyed the ancient Syrian Nasrani Bible.
About the Nambothiri connection, my grandmother is from one such family, and even now once in a year the Hindu Mahadevar temple and the Church members meet each other and party like brothers.
Just because things are not convinient to certain people who wrote the history of India, you cant throw away the truth.
Accept it or not, the DNA analysis of Kerala Christians proves more Jewish and Aryan DNA than any other population in the planet earth.
Kerala had only Tamil Kingdoms prior to 1310 AD. The Chera Dynasty was the dynasty of Tamil Villavar people. Chrisitianity was not a known religeon to ancient or Medival Tamils.
After the fall of the Chera Dynasty following the attacks of Tulunadus Bunt/Nairs with the help of Arabs the northernmost portions ie Kannur fell under Tulu tribes which practice Matriarchy. Kerala was integral part of Pandyan Kingdom till 1310. Tharisappalli Sasanam was given to Foreign traders from Persia(Pahlavi), Palestine(Kufic) and Jewish (Hebrew) people as their signatures would suggest. Though permission to establish church was given at 825 AD Christianity was a known religeon to Tamils.Neither no mention of Jesus or Apostles was made in any Tamil inscriptions during the Chera Pandyan and Chola periods. Nambudiris arrived in 8th century in Kerala after the Chalukya invasion. Indeed all kinds of Brahmins existed in Kerala in the earlier period including the migrants from Ahichatram ie Nambudiris between 800 to 1102 period. In the ancient Chera kingdoms of Cheras there was never a mention of Christianity or Syrian Christians or Nambudiris. There is mention of Anthanar and Parpanar(Supervisors) of Vedic rites. But in that era the priests were mostly drawn from Tamils. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Christianity existed in Sangam age neither Nambudiris. The Nambudiri migration along with Bunt/Nairs from Ahichatra occured during the reign of Kadamba king Mayuravarma to Tulunadu in 345 AD.
After the invasion of Delhi under Malik Kafur in 1310 brought an end to the Tamil Kingdoms. Tulunadus Bunt subgroups such as Nayara Menava Kuruba Samantha became the lords of Kerala after 1310. Matriarchy became a norm after 1310. After the fall of Pandyan Dynasty European priests starting from Jordanus started converting to Christianity at Quilon in the 14th century. After 1206 when Persian became the state language of India when the Turkish Sulthanate of Delhi was established large scale migration of Chrisitians from Syria Antioch (Turkey) and other middle eastern countries might have occured. Madras which was the southernmost outpost of the Delhi Sulthanate became a favorite destination of the Syriac/Turkish/Iraqi/Persian Christians who migrated to India and were part of the lucrative Spice trade. Similarly these Syriac Christians were found in all the Arab landing harbours such as Quilon and KayalPattinam. These Persian Christians were Nestorians. Mar Jacob was a priest of the Nestorians in Angamaly who might have invited the Portuguese as the Lisbon papers suggest. After Portuguese arrived a Mestizo community was formed in Kerala who practised Roman Catholicism. The mixture of Middle Eastern, Tamil and Portuguese might have created this community.The books used to be printed in Lingua Malabar Tamul or Malayanma in that era. Portuguese and Lingua Malabar were printed in alternate lines. Mestizo/Castizo and Topazi Christians dominated the Kerala and owned extensive spice estates.The Portuguese Mestizo community established a strong Catholic community in Kerala. Portuguese used Mestizo and allied with the Tulu tribes thereby exterminating the old Tamil dynasties. The Myth stating the arrival of St.Thomas and conversion of Nambudiris was not known to Tamils of Sangam age. But this story appeared when Portuguese Mestizos appeared in Kerala. Keralas Syrian Christians display middle eastern and European mixture. Their culture is a mixtue of Middle eastern and Portuguese cultures. Qurbana (persian) is conducted in a Portuguese styled Churches while the priests wear the Antiochan Turkish robes. Even today Syrian Christians are strongly Pro Western in contrast to the Dravidians. The Syrian Christians could not be Nambudiris or Brahmins. But they could be mixture of Tamils with Portuguese and Persian/Syrian people.Flos sanctorum and other Catholic books printed in medival Tamil is still preserved at Copenhagen.
Ambalacatta, Quilon and Thalassery were the places where Tamil Christian books were printed by European missionaries in large numbers for more than 300 years.Between 1500 to 1700s hardly any Christians were there in Tamil Nadu requiring mass printing in Tamil.For whom the Jesuits and Portuguese printed lakhs and lakhs of Chrisitan books in Lingua malabar ie Malayanma a form of Tamil? (No Chrisian books in any Indian languages have been found prior to Portuguese arrival). Western Colonialism was quite successful in Kerala. It could erase the Dravidian identities and create new identities.
It will be nice if you scrutinize your comments based on when printing of books and when malayalam language evolved ( i.e by AD 1500-1600)
further the customs followed by the namboothiri families were so ridiculus and now it seems unbelivable and nowadays they too feel shame to tell all that.but it is the true past and nothing to gain from concealing and covering it.reformation movements which started in india has changed the most degraded society of india and also it has helped to better the lives of all ,also the indian independence too was the result of such movements.that all movements helped people to come together ,meet and discuss the problems in the society.open talking was the base thing for the progress.but there were practices of untouchability.if a bhrahmin touches a nair it was taught he gets poluted and have to do penance and bathing .there were others such as ezhavar,thiyyar,pulayas etc whom if the namboothiri come closer beyond some limit then the namboothiri had to bath before he enter his house or temple.these namboothiris were commonly the priests of the temples belonging to the ruling family and other savarnas.there were worshiping systems and places for the ezhavars and thiyyas ,it was some sort of small temples ,but there all the poojas and worships were conducted by the persons from amoung them.pulayar and parayar were also had some form of worshiping .their main worshipping figure was goddess nowadays considered as kali(kali was a common name amoung them from very early period).they too perfomed poojas themselves.it may be interesting to point out here that kali was the cheif goddess worshipped by the warriors of india.eventhough pulayar and parayar were considered to the most downward caste earlier,actually they had a golden past.the words pulayar and parayar were in use in early times of sangam age when these were the names associated people who were the main men nearer to the then kings.sangam literature depicts of pictures of possessions of kings accompanied by pulayar and parayar.also modern researches shows that many places in kerala had kingsor rulers belonging to this caste.even today in second decade of 21st century they are the ones who raise the pride of kerala by winning medals in athletics and other strenious sports.
The savarnas( the term was mainly used by namboothiris to denote themselves earlier) were much interested in creating castes and new subcastes.this created a lot of subcastes amoung the so called upperclass.bhrahmins of kerala was also divided by different subcastes.the top most is the wealthy namboothiris called as addyians and poor was called aasiyans. As found every where poor did't got much respect and their situation did't improved much. They were given jobs to assist wealthy namboothiris as servants.in the 20th century there were many namoothiri hotels which served food for money.but at first they were mainly intented for the bhrahmins,some permitted upto nairs but for them seperated place and plates were used.but avarnas were not served there.at that time all the workers in these hotels were namboothiri. Later it these namboothiri hotels meant reduced to the hotel name ,that means the workers were taken from all castes even from other religion too. All were allowed to dine there.
Even with highest social status the customs of bhrahmins of kerala was too pathetic. Only the first son of the family was allowed to marry.other sons have no right to marry.but they can mate with any women upto nairs. Not all but some kshatriya families of kerala were ready to allow their ladies to enter in relation with these namboothiris . the most infamous amoung these family was the cochin rulers or thrippunithura kovilakam.these practice created a lot of branches headed with seperated women. The namoothiris which entered in relation with these royal families were like in service or like given job.they were treated well money was given to them and to their familes. Ofcourse these money came from the state treasury and to the treasury from the working people.the income generating people were the farmers , traders and few industrialists.they made the majority of kerala population and consists mainly of so called avarnas which included ezhavar,pulayar and others.but they were not given recognition and rights. Ezhavars which forms the largest community of kerala is belived to be the Buddhist followers earlier.learning institutes were maintained by them which offered studying sanskrit and tamil languages. Medical treatment was one of their main occupation.anyone who is brilliant enough to learn sanskrit and medicine was allowed to learn in these institutes and can become a doctor. They were revered by the royal families and the namboothiris even during the period of untouchabilities. But the rules for untouchability was always relaxed when question of survival and workability comes.numerous stories and court case records shows these practices. Trade and factories were mainly run by the members belonged to this caste.
the ambalavasi caste in kerala is that caste consists of people who were living doing jobs related to temples.this caste consists numerous subcastes.they doesn't were the owners or authorities of the temples but were doing the jobs such as cleaning,sweeping,singing,using drums and other instruments etc.they were not allowed to do the poojas which was done mainly by the bhrahmins.the bhrahmins many times were the authorities of these temples and they were the people who handle the income to the temple.at that time the temple income was mainly from the state treasury,given by the kings.this helped the owners or namboothiris to live well without necessary for doing any useful work.those persons living with jobs related to temples or ambalavasis were actually were dependentant on bharhmins as they can be denied job at any stage by these bhrahmins.so naturally they tried to keep the bhrahmins satisfied.they too practised the sambandam or were ready to entertain namboothiris with their women lot.bhrahmins entered into sambandan or a concubineship with these familes.it was not considered or accepted as marriage by the bhrahmin comunity.still the ambalavasis prefered to get a bhrahmin relation for their woman. this was way they have found to keep their job secure and income intact.so they prefer to have bhrahmin relative.if the namboothiri was a learned man and have income it was an added advantage for them.but generally if not all ,the members of ambalavasi castes are very poor and lagged behind in kerala.this was not because of any social backwardness but because of their way living superstitions.many tend to pursue their traditional occupation which have less income.their reluctance to modern education was also another reason.still they are not too poor to live as they can live by finding job and food from the temples even now.
it should also be noted that the sambandam by namboothiris with kshathriyas and ambalavasis were different than with the nairs.the bhrahmins used to live in the houses of these kshathriyas and ambalavasi familes with whom they have started sambandam.usually the ladies doesnot have other males in relation to her.that is kshtriyas and ambalavasis used to make sambandam with only one namboothiri at a time if not for the life time.it was like a marriage as the man and lady live together in the same house just like husband and wife.even though the namboothiris doesnot consider this as a marriage and children born in this relation had no right on the father and also on the property and wealth he ever possessed.this was not the case with the nairs.not only namboothirs but anyone from bhrahmin to nairs can have relations with any nair women.she can have any number of males as she desires at the same time.these men does not stay at these nair houses nor they drink water or take food from these houses as it was considered an act punishable with bhrasht under social laws.the namoothiris or bhrahmins doesnot enter in relation or mate with a nair lady if she is a virgin.its said that they were not ready to pull a lady to prostitution as it was a sin which would fall on them.so the nairs practiced a custom or ritual just after a lady attains puberty or mensuration.a ceremony was conducted in which the girl was declaired to attain womanhood.then her mother invites a man from a sub caste of nairs who would mate with lady accepting presence or money.this subcaste does't exists now.but they were held in high esteem till the end of 19th century.they would only accept the invitation only when satisfied by the money and presents given to them.in some places a ritual marriage was also arranged which would last only for few days.when this phase is over the family can invite namboothiris and others to enter sambandam with the girl.the namboothirs and others were now come to have relation with her.these men come only at night and if there is no one he can sleep with the woman he choosed.but he would not stay there after the sun rise and never take food or drink even water.it may sound unbelivable now but it was the social custome practiced by the nairs till 20th century.it seized to exists only with the modern education and social reform movements.after independance this practise was declaired unlawful by framing new laws.
but why the caste name nair got so famous and became known to all keralites despite kerala was divided in different countries ruled by many kings.why was the caste name nair be selected and claimed as all same from kshtriyas to bottom most caste of savarnas as nair.its one of the classic examples which shows how the mind set of people can be changed with education which was far distanced or have no corelation to the actual facts.it has been shown earlier that the word nair itself was not considered as a good word and it contained a bad meaning attached to it and how untiringly many have tried to give new meaning to it.the word was not mentioned in any official records such as stone inscriptions,land records ,orders from the king etc.one other reason for this may be it denoted a very small subcaste mainly employed as house hold servents.even no good literature in the medivial kerala used that word.but there were some reference to this caste indirectly in some literatures such as chambu set of literature which uses a mixture language of malayalam and sanskrit ,which was more popular amoung the bhrahmins of kerala.but from the second quarter of 19th century this word nair became popular slowly.this was because of the modern english education.some how when portughese came to kerala they some how got the idea that the soldiers of kerala were all nairs.may be they called the soldiers as nairs.in the books and writings they wrote they used the word nair to denote the soldiers of kerala.they being came from a thick and last era of fedualism,where class division of society was strong ,they were easy pray to the misunderstanding that nairs where the soldiers or nairs alone where the soldiers of kerala.this misconcept was passed on to others and was continued by other europeans such as detch ,english and french.these other later europeans learned about kerala from the writings of portughese.they too absorbed the prejudice that nairs were all soldiers or the kerala soldiers were all nairs.this passed unchecked so mcuh that in almost all the writings the word nair was used to denote the army of kerala.when the english education was introduced in kerala in the second decade of 19th century ,this same misconcept was later taught to the kerala children in schools and thus the misconcept and prejudices were taught to the actual people itself.and above all even today many learned persons and even historians thinks that nairs are the only soldiers of kerala.But in reality many nairs were not soldiers or have nothing to do with warfare.
it have been shown earlier that the army commander of marthanda varma was anantha pathmanabhan who was a channan or nadar and not a nair.he was also the commander of the personal body guard battalion of the king.it consists of 36 warriors selected by the king personnaly.they were all channars.in many victorious battles conducted by marthanda varma the commander was ramayyan who was not a nair.his caste is not known clearly.he was born in tamilnadu and came into the serice of the travancore king at a very young age.for many years he was considered as a bhrahmin,but some have pointed out that he belonged to the maravar community of tamilnadu.what it is clear is that he is not a nair .kanakku ,pillai,chempaka raman etc were given as titles to the courters or to those who were in service or to those who have done service to the king. it was not given on community basis nor to a particular caste.it cant be competetant persons are to be taken to service and it cannot be found from a particular caste,not always from upper caste .
in kerala the largest about one third population is ezhavars another caste.many ezhavars were in military service in olden days.not only they were soilders but also were commanders and officers in the armies.varnapalli family was the army chiefs and ministers of kayamkulam kingdom, so was ambanattu panikkar in service of ambalapuzha kingdom,ambantttu family of kollam was another ezhava family in service of kollam or desinganadu principality.Akathayyadi panicker was the cheif army commander of elaidatthu soroopam or kottarakkara kingdom.(Ref: Pathonmpatham noottandile keralam by Bhaskaranunni),Renakeerthy and dharmakeerthi chekavars - Commandor of Marthandavarma. (Ref: Travancore state manual.).ezhavars were largely in the service of cochin kingdom ,sankthan thampuran specialy appointed a ezhava military betallion in the guard of vadakkum nathan temple , commanded by a ezhava officer.in malabar area ezhavar were largely addressed by the name thiyyar and chekavar.chevam means military service in malayalam.those who were soldiers were known as chekavar.as thiyyars were so much in military service that ,it became another caste name of ezhavars.the word chaver pada or suicidal squad was actually derived from the word chekavar.whether it actually existed a question still not answered.
plz dont deviate from the topic...
India is suffering from hate phobia unleashed by Magi Brahmins of Bengal and Kerala started by Kashmiri Brahmin Nehru. First of all let us analyze the behavioral approach of North Indians and South Indians. North Indians up to upper reaches of River Godavari show a uniform approach. They were never imperaialistic. The Guptas inscriptions indicate a Dharma Yudh conducted by Samudra Gupta in Deccan not coonected with annexation. On the other hand from Satavahanas to Krishnadevaraya All SouthbIndian kings were arrogant and imperialistic. Let us look at Ramayana. Lord Rama after the death of Ravana stopped Hanuman from attacking Rakshasas. He thundered our fight was with only Ravana and Rakshadsas were his attendants. The same voiced was echoed by Sits which is unpralled in the history of mankind: stopping Hanuman saying WHO HAD NOT COMMITTED MISTAKES. Kerolthpathi is a forgery of Kerala country and in Tamilnadu version GaudiyavBrahmins had been replaced by Scholia Brahmins. When NorthbIndian kings themselves were not interested in annexation where is the question of bringing Aryan Brahmins in Tamilnadu. What happened to Telugu Kannada Marathi Brahmins in Tamilnadu. After the holocaust of Malik Kafur Tamil Brahmins completely disappeared but other Brahmins came to Tamilnadu. Why is that their population had dwindled. On the other hand Tamil Brahmins population in Palakkad had not shrinked. The imaginary invasion of Nambuthiris is shying away from incapacity of Kerala for contribution to Indian history. The Kadamba kings though called themselves as Brahmins were not actually Brahmins. The Buddhism indirectly encouraged conversion of all and sundry to Brahmins with Gothra name. Jainism did not recognize Brahmins and there were only three classes. On the other hand Buddhism had fascination for Gothras. The result is that all the administrative wing converted as Brahmins and the Kayasthas of whole of India including Karuneegar of Tamilnadu(SRI RAMALINGA SWAMIHAL belonged to this clan) claimed that they were Brahmins. The entire kings from Sungas to Chalukyas who were of Naga origin sported Gothras called themselves as Brahmins and highly dichotomical practising Jainism and Buddhism but conducting sacrifices thulabharam etc. Look into the feudatories of Tamil Cholas everybody will be having Gothras. The early Tamils resented the proliferation of false Brahmins and called them false Brahmins KAL PIRAMANAR@ KALABRAS. This eventually gave way to two great divisions Dakshina and Vama the Left and Right hands Thenkalai and Vadakalai Prakrit and Tamil. The original represented Thenkalai Dakshina and Right hand and Tamil. But subsequently this changed as vice versa. Let Kerala wake up from deep slumber shed unnecessary prejudice against Brahmins in general and Nambuthiris in particular though they had erred. Don't demonise North Indian kings but it is Cholas Chalukyas Rashtrakutas and Vijayanagar kings who had ravaged central and eastern India. It is even now the Aryo phobic Tamil Non Brahmins who unabashedly join with Tamil Brahmins who impose their cultural superiority wherever they go. I am yet to see Punjabi Uttarkhandi Kashi or Kanyakubja Brahmins exhibiting their cultural dominance
if you have access you could take a read of this (paywall): http://www.lrb.co.uk/v34/n21/charles-nicholl/the-other-thomas
Interesting indeed but very weak in its logic. Yes, the links to brahminical origins as the author explains is illogical but at the same time, to say that it is doubtful if St Thomas came to Kerala ignores all historical records and scholarship on the subject in favor of literary grandstanding.
The coming of 'Thomas of Cana', a merchant from Syria, around 400 AD and of his lending the Syriac rites and liturgy to the believers of the man from Nazareth (Nazaranies) whom he came across in Cannanore on his arrival is substantiated. So also the fact (not mentioned by the author) that those Christians of Kerala of the 4th Century AD were called Jacobites because Thomas of Cana came from the diocese of Bishop Jacob Abradi of Antioch.
What most Catholics of Rome of the St-Peter/Byzantine tradition find hard to stomach is the very high probability of Christianity having taken substantial roots in Kerala, India much much before the tussle between Byzantium (Constantinople now Istanbul) and Rome could be resolved and the Vatican be conceived
At the end of it, belief in Jesus Christ is a matter of faith and religion of any hue had better not confuse the believer
The Syrian Christians of present day Kerala are the progeny of merchants from Asia Minor, Arabia and Persia (covering present day Syria, Armenia,Turkey,Iran, Iraq,Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia Oman etc., which countries can collectively be called West Asia), in miscegenation with the lower caste women(of proto-australoid stock)of ancient and medieval Kerala. In those days maritime trading involved long voyages and the West Asian mariners stranded in far flung trading out posts in Kerala could only seek the locally available women to satiate their sexual needs. As is well known, even in present days, sailors all over the world, seek out women (mostly prostitutes) for sexual services, which ever harbour they sail into. In ancient days when the turn around time from ports took months and years, they sought out concubines and keeps from among the poor clothe less local folks for pleasure. The degrees of fornication that resulted must have given rise to a mostly bastardized hybrid population with swarthy to fair complexions as against the black colour of their mothers (a la mulattoes, mestizos or Eurasians who were sired by European colonists in different parts of the world during later periods in history) (A modern day parallel as victims of such unbridled fornication in Kerala are the hapless tribal lasses of Attapady and Wayanad carrying around fair skinned father less babies born to them of mostly Syrian Christian plainsmen who exploit their dumb innocence). Over the years these lighter skinned people born to single mothers must have congregated in the trading centres and port towns of ancient Kerla (like Kodungallur, Niranom, Kollam etc.) along with their half-caste brethren born out of genuine wed-lock between the West Asian mariner-merchants and local women. They must have then inter-bread among themselves and with other locals to give rise to a generally light skinned people who more or less resembled Namboothiri Brahmins (who are also a people of mixed blood of various ancient Indian groups with Avestan-Iranian roots) and hence were accorded higher status in the society of the day. Collectively, this hybrid race came to be known in Kerala as 'Mappilas' (meaning sons-in-law) since they descended from grooms coming from outside.They must have carried on the spice trade of their West Asian fathers and must have followed the socio-religious customs of the local upper classes until other West Asians (either Christian merchants or Religious men ) who visited Kerala shores for trade converted them to Persian (Nestorian)Christianity.
Later as the Portuguese arrived and started converting all willing people irrespective of caste to Latin Christianity in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Goa, the Brahmin ones among them demanded grant of higher status and privileges ( especially in Goa and Mangalore the Goud Saraswat Brahmin converts to Roman Catholicism demanded special privileges of the Portuguese vis a vis the lower caste Kudumbis converts etc. and the Portuguese and the Roman heirachy gladly granted them such privileges at the cost of the lower castes. To this day such Brahman converts of Goa are known as 'Bammon Catholics' and they are more or less endogamous even now).
This was noticed by the hybrid Syrian Christian (read Nestorian) converts to Catholicism in Kerala and demanded the same of the Portuguese to retain their social clout with the upper classes since they were bunched with the lower castes in being part of the Latinised catholic church. The Portuguese acceded to this for political and the Roman ecclesiastical though the Nestorian converts to Catholicism had nothing to show other than empty claims and a relatively fair skin as proof of their Brahminhood.
Thus, a sham claim to Brahmin roots and Brahmin conversion,springing from a mixture of gross ignorance and socio-political exigencies of the day became a laughable fiction that go in the name of Kerala Christian history.
When will the people in Indian sub continent awake from stupid history phobia?Walking, talking everything from mytochandria and gene? Of the so many stupid history of India is GAUD SARASWATH BRAHMINS. The term Gaud appears during Harshvardhana period. In ancient India (even now calling celebrities by village name is prevalent in Tamilnadu)people were identified by topography/places like pahadi, malainadan, by places gaur/vengi etc., Thus it originally denoted a town in ancient Bengal afterwards identified as rain, mountain,cow etc. The Goddess Gowri is equivalent of Malaimagal/Mariamman (Mountain/Rain in Tamil). However the term Gaud Brahmins appears only during the period of Senas in eleventh century AD. Even here the king Ranasura of Dhandabhukthi( defeated by RAJENDRA Chola) brought five Brahmins from Ayodhya(Cholas settled large number of Brahmins from Radha in Bengal/Ayodhya/Purvadesam/and even Kashmir in Tamilnadu). The question is how can five Brahmins progenitate lakhs of Brahmins within two hundred years who spread over Konkan/Goa/Maharashtra/Gujarat/South Canara/Kerala? Why did not Brahmins settled in Tamilnadu called themselves as Gaud but up to fifteenth century were called ILADA(SAINT ARUNAGIRINATHA BELONGED TO THIS CLAN)?The west coast historians should look beyond Kerala to Goa. In ancient India there was a custom of identifying themselves with preceptors.Goa was the stronghold of Shri Gaudapadha disciple of Shri Shankara Bhagavatpada. Their disciples took the name of Gauda from their Acharya.It is paining to see in Kerala everything is linked to Namboothiris finally ending in Aryans entering Northwest India.Similarly is the case with Kadambas.Normally Brahmins are identified with Palasha Dhanda(there are numerous verses in Sangam literature identifying Brahmins with Palasha.)However Kadambas identified themselves with kadamba tree and had ManavaHarita Gothram(which was also of Chalukyas). This is a Buddhist practice well sustained throughout South.The sojourn from Achchitara is a reference to Acharya Simhanandhi of Gangas who were matrimonially connected with Kadambas. Thus these references of Gaud Brahmins will not stand before scrutiny which is only customary. Let us not identify ourselves with what purported to have happened thousand years ago.. Let us maintain our dignity of family/caste/community for our personal needs and need not take it back to thousand years. Whether we like it or not we have taken birth in a family/community and need not unnecessarily create a grouse against it or others. This is what purananooru says "Pain or happiness is not due to others".
The whole history of India is a myth which is a money spinning racket without useful productivity. The origins and concept of mytochandria and genes is simply self duping. Till a better system is evolved one's birth low or high is chance and at no point of time India had not opposed discarding one's birth and choosing his own way of life. That is why only in India one can find communities with caste or without caste, caste without community like soothsayers, snake/monkey charmers and so many people who don't correctly fit into caste/community system. What is the use of tracing Brahmin roots in Kerala? If India dislikes Hinduism/Brahminism let it scrap Hindu law. Heavens will not fall if Hinduism/Brahmins disappear. A true Hindu/Brahmin will gladly accept it as will of Ultimate Power. The whole political spectrum/intellegentia is spending entire energy in identifying ethnicity of each segment and perils of country vis a vis Brahminism/Hinduism since they don't have productivity. If one feels purity of his ethnic identity let him confine it to community/personal obligation but not for social analysis. One's own ancestry is purely personal and should not be for public discussion. If Hinduism/Brahminism is considered as root cause of all misery the best course is scrapping Hindu law just like scrapping of Marumakkatthayam in Kerala.
There is some doubtful nomenclature regarding the king who met St.Thomas,,he may be king Gondhaphor of west india or may be kandappa raja of ancient chera dynasty who ruled fromAD 45 to some period.
The review given some usefull idea regards the origin of chatta and mundu.but sir,which of the syrian methods are able to compare with low caste.do u heard about pulakuli.for brahmins the no. of days for pulakuli was 10.for kshatriyas it was 12 days and for nairs it was 15 days and thn for nazranis it was only 11days.this is a major evidence of nasranis royalty.sir,pls go through tharissapalli cheppedu,kanayi thomman cheppedus etc.these are the shaasanas given by travancore raja to nazranis.and this shaasanas allowed ancient christian families to keep their upper cast standards.moreover present era is a live evidence of wealth,royalty,gentleness of roman malabar and malankara catholics,jacobites and orthodox nazranis.recent past time also above mentioned christians were followed untouchability towards lower caste.this was not ethical to Lord Christ but also a clear evidence of their high caste status..so please re think about ur knowledge.thank you very much...
St. Thomas visited Kerala and introduced Christianity .After St. Thomas other missionaries from Persia came to Kerala and converted many people.. The early converts in Kerala belonging to different grades in society on the basis of occupation were commonly called Christians But the name Christian was changed to Nasrani when the Arabs (Moplahs) came to Kerala. Muslims used the word Nasrani in a contemptuous and derogatory manner. Christians and Jews were hated by Muslims in the Middle East and so they used the word 'Nasrani' in a derogatory and spiteful manner, as the Greeks called others 'barbarians.' Muslims quote the Koran to call Christians and Jews as 'Nasranis.'
This is the basis of the verse. " Jews say: 'Uzair is the son of God' and the Christians say: 'The Messiah, son of God'. Such is their saying with their mouths; they imitate the infidels saying earlier. Allah has cursed them, how are they to turn? "(Surat al-Tawbah: 30) By this interpretation, Muslims regard Christians and Jews infidels and collectively call them ‘Nasrani.’
Even today all Christians are contemptuously called Nasranis in the Middle East by the Arabs. In Kerala also, after the Arabs gave the derogatory name 'Nasranis' to Christians, Brahmins and Nairs also used that word in a derogatory and insulting manner till the arrival of colonial powers. Vrahnins and Nairs made Christians work as coolies, agricultural labourers in their farmlands and compulsory service called ‘oozhiyam.’ The true economic and social condition of the Christians who were ridiculously called Nasranis was recorded by a missionary when European powers were slowly establishing their authority; Abbe J.A. Dubois, a missionary in Mysore, in his letter dated August 7, 1815, writes: “The Jesuits, on their first arrival in India, hearing of them, in one way or other converted the greatest part to the Catholic faith. Their liturgy is to this day in the Syrian language, and in the performance of their religious ceremonies they use this ancient dead tongue. There remains still among them large congregations, consisting of 70 or 80,000 Christians, of whom two-thirds are Catholics, and a third Nestorians. They are all designated under the contemptuous name of Nazarany, and held by the pagans in still greater contempt than the Christians of this part of the country. The Nairs chiefly keep them at a greatest distance, and they form a separate caste.”
(Contd. from previous post)
When the Portuguese and the British educated these hapless Christians and appointed them as soldiers, businessmen and planters, Christians ascended to top position in the fields of education, business, plantations, and commerce making Brahmins and Nairs inferiors. The Portuguese were in Kerala for 150 years and during this period there was widespread inter racial marriage between Portuguese and local Hindus. Albuquerque officially encouraged such marriages to increase Christian population. Later the offspring of such marriages married local Christians which eventually led to change in skin color and personality. Gradually the contemptuous name Nasrani was given up and the words, ‘Christians’ and ‘Syrian Christians’ became common usage. But in Arab countries Christians are even today called in a vulgar form, ‘Nasranis.” In a recent riot in Cairo when Muslim fanatics attacked Christians, the Huffington Post dated August 17, 2013 reported the following incident
“Naguib’s home supplies store on a main commercial street in the provincial capital, also called Minya, was torched this week and the flames consumed everything inside.
"A neighbor called me and said the store was on fire. When I arrived, three extremists with knifes approached me menacingly when they realized I was the owner," recounted Naguib. His father and brother pleaded with the men to spare him. Luckily, he said, someone shouted that a Christian boy was filming the proceedings using his cell phone, so the crowd rushed toward the boy shouting "Nusrani, Nusrani," the Quranic word for Christians which has become a derogatory way of referring to them in today's Egypt.”
There is complete misconception about St.Thomas/Mylapore. The The Indologists wantonly mislead the terms PURAM/PURI in Sanskrit. Mylapore was never recorded as such. It was MylaiAllikeni. It was sung as such only by Tirumangai Mannan. If Mylai would have been big port Town it should have been named as Mylaipattinam.(c/f:Masulipattinam, Vishakapattinam, Krishhnapattinam, Kalingapattinam ,Nagapattinam, Keelakkaraipattinam, Kulasekarapattinam, Kaveripoompattinam. Normally there was no specific word for port towns in Sanskrit and were called as such: Brigukachcha/Tamralipti etc., Hence there is no possibility of mixing Tamil word Mylai and Sanskrit word Puram. Further there is marked difference between Puram and Nagaram. While Puram is related to and connected with villages Nagaram is autonomous mercantile towns but participated in the affairs of nearby towns. The Tamilnadu did not have the concept of villages till the time of Vijayanagar kings.There is also reference to Mayurapattinam and Buddhamangalam mentioned by Buddhadhatta in Cholaratta identified as Mayavaram and nearby village Buddhamangalam. Mayavaram is an inland town 25 km away from sea-The much famed Tranquebar. Similarly his mention about Uragapuram as URAIYUR is also not correct since translation of Uragapuri to Uraiyur has no connection at all.The whole confusion is identifying Cholaratta as the present districts in Tamilnadu is far from correct. The mercantile towns in Tamilnadu is well defined. Inland town is Nagaram while port Town is Pattinam. Uraiyur was only part of classification of Uyyakondavalanadu/Kurram while Kodumbalur is a Nagaram. If the Cholaratta was identified as Renadu the mystery will be solved. The area between the Cauvery in Mysore to Bellary was the original Chodas. The Peripleus/Pliny/Cosmos/Yuan Chwang everybody identified Chuliyas nearer to Palar/Vellore. Further the legends connecting Uraiyur i.e., sandstorm the cock attacking elephant are similar to sandstorm of Talakkad and story of pigeon defeating elephant. Thus Uraiyur/Mylapore should be traced in coastal Karnataka and not in Chennai. Further Marcopolo identified Thoma Cana near Palaverkadu which is fifty km away from Chennai. There is no legend connecting peacock and Palaverkadu. Thus Thoma Cana identified by Marco Polo and St.Thomas are two different persons.Any legend should have some semblance. But Mylapore did not have any king at that time and the king purported to have assassinated should be identified. The present Kapaleeswarar shrine is two hundred years old only. You cannot have two stories simultaneously either dismiss St.Thomas connection to Mylapore or dismiss St.Thirugnanasambandar. Spare Mylapore which is MylaiAllikeni only. Don't mix Tamil Mylai and Sanskrit Puram.
The legend of St.Thomas should not be linked to Tamilnadu. It is really puzzling and sad that Indologists are more interested in degrading Sanskrit than analyzing Tamil words for settlements. The legacy of St.Thomas linked to Tamilnadu is due to Mylapore a combination of two words Mylai-Tamil and Puram in Sanskrit. The terms Puram in Sanskrit and Ur/Kudi/Pakkam/Nagaram in Tamil are not similar. The settlements in Gupta period is the most well defined in the whole of Sanskrit literature from Gramam to Rashtram. However though Tamils absorbed it yet there is vast difference. The concept of Grama catering to the needs of Towns is completely absent in Tamil. The Ur/Kudi/Pakkam are independent self sustained city states varying in size. However Nagaram/Pattinam are purely inland and port mercantile towns. Here comes the problem of Mylapore. Mylapore was always identified as MylaiAllikeni. It was not a port town since it was not called as Mylaipattinam. On the other hand Tiruvottriyur was a nagaram and it was known as Adhipuri and it was special to Cholas and Vijalaya's father was known as Otrriyuran. The famous port towns of east coast were Vishakapattinam/Kalingapattinam/Krishnapattinam/Palaverkadupattinam/Sadurangapattinam/Nagapattinam/Devanampattinam/Tirumalarayanpattinam/Jagadapattinam/Kottaipattinam/Adhirampattinam/Devipattinam/Keelakaraipattinam/Kulasekharapattinam/Korkaipattinam. Thus the name Mylapore evolved only two hundred years ago.Further as per Marco Polo the burial place of Thoma Cana was identified by him near Palaverkadu fifty km away from Chennai. The account given in Sanskrit/Prakrit literature is even now not easily identifiable. For example Buddhadhatta the famous Buddhist scholar says he belonged to Mayurapattinam/Buddhamangalam in Cholaratta whose capital was Uragapura. Mayurapattinam was identified as Mayavaram and nearby village which is not correct. Here also there has been misinterpretation of Sanskrit name Mayavaram-as Mayurapuram and then goes for Mayurapattinam. The name of Mayavaram in Tamil is Mayiladuthurai. There are other places in Tamilnadu with Thurai which means area connected with River. Further Mayavaram is thirty km away from sea from the much famed Tranquebar. During the early Pallava period there is mention about Cholamandalam a bigger area but only Cholavishaya. Thus Cholaratta may relate to Renadu Cholas since in all ancient literature from Periplus to Yuan Chwang Chulia was identified near Palar/Vellore. During Sangam period Cholas held areas from Mysore to Bellary. Further Kalidasa in Raghuvamsam had indicated Uragapuram as Capital of Pandiyas. The translation of Uragapuram and Uraiyur has no semblance. Thus due to the unreliability of Sanskrit/Prakrit sources in so far as Tamilnadu is concerned and clear identification of Mylaiallikeni in Tamil literature the legend of St.Thomas should not be traced in East Coast but to Myladi in Kerala. The legacy of St.Thomas and Saint Thirugnanasambandar cannot coexist since the present Kapaleeswarar Temple is not even three hundred years old. Let St.Thomas need not be unnecessarily be burdened with Mylapore.
If we look back, history will tell us that St. Thomas visited Kerala from Mylapore after making several conversions in Persia. The claim that St. Thomas visited Palayur and ordained four families as clergies from the Brahmin families of Pakalomattom (Pakalomattam) , Kalli ,Sankarapuri ,Kalikavu is a laughable figment of imagination because there were no Nambudiris in Kerala in 1st century A.D. The earliest notice of the existence of Christianity in Ceylon is that of Cosmos Indoplustes, an Egyptian merchant, and afterwards a monk, who published his ‘Christian Topography’. He says that Persian priests and merchants in Ceylon were mere sojourners and they did not marry the local people. That was the case in Kerala too. After a long interval after St. Thomas’ martyrdom, Persian missionaries came to Kerala occasionally and there was no mass migration of Persians or Assyrians to Kerala. So it becomes crystal clear that Christians converted by the Persians in Kerala were local residents. In those days religious orthodoxy and caste consciousness, upper castes such as Nambudiris or Nairs could not be converted. But lower caste people who were in contact with the Persian missionaries such as fishermen (mukkuvas) barbers, dhobis, day labourers (parayas), coconut climbers in their compound (Ezhavas) and such others were made Christians.
The Portuguese occupation of Kreala for 150 years elevated all outcaste converts’ toa superior status. Even the Kochi Raja was made a subordinate vassal. Christians, irrespective of caste or status (Parayas, Pulayas etc.,) were appointed in the army and this made even Nambudiris and nairs to be afraid of them and respect Christian army officers. Christians were appointed in Portuguese factories as accountants, messengers, planters in estates, cooks (famous Portuguese cuisine in Christian homes today, instead of kappa and fish), widespread intermarriage with low caste converts producing a new community with white colour and good physical features), brokers (tharakans) etc., It was this elevated status given by the Portuguese that has made Syrian Christians claim Nambudiri, Jew and now Assyrian descent, although all were from lower castes. “Rev. C.Y. Thomas in his book on Madhya Kerala Diocese points out: “Despite persistent persecutions, slave schools were opened in several places and the movement spread, gathering momentum with each new step. It is recorded that nine years after the first baptisms the Bishop of Madras visited the Mass Movement area and confirmed over a thousand outcaste Christians.”
Who are the present descendants of Ezhava, washerman, outcastes and slave converts? Hundreds of year’s existence has wiped out their untouchable past and now they flaunt the common community name of Syrian Christians, with the fake claim their ancestors were Nambudiris and Jews.
Nambudri Brahmins are not Aryans, how can Aryans know the language and culture of another country.Syrian Christians are converted Brahmins, they are aware of the culture. They behave like Brahmins. Aryans will find it difficult to live with them ,of course it can take place.
The claim of Syrian Christians that they are the descendants of Brahmins converted by St.thomas is completely baseless. These false and manipulated stories are being circulated to appropriate Brahmin status for Christian converts. There were no Nambudiris in 1st century AD and their arrival in 8th century begins with the introduction of Sanskrit in Kerala dispensing with Vattezhuthu which was in use till then. .
Their claim of Jewish descent is also fallacious, for the very presence of Thomas of Cana is doubted by Church historians. Like the fake Brahmin claim, Jewish claim has been propagated even by some Church establishments. Only the Believers Church has denounced such false claims in its Bulletin. The copper plate granting Thomas of cana certain privileges was also a false propaganda. Historians believe that it was to claim that Christians enjoyed superior caste privileges, a story was circulated about the granting of this plate with a long list of privileges , although there was no such plate. The dream of the Bishop is another invented story because no such dream is mentioned in the archives or tradition of Assyrian church in Edessa,Chaldea or Damascus Research scholars highly doubt the arrival of Thomas of cana. In those days, how could he bring women on ships? Who was the authority in the Eastern church to depute Bishops to Kerala? Why no Assyrian or Chaldean Bishop was seen when the portuguese came to Kerala?.Buchanan tried his best to trace the alleged copper plate given to Thomas of cana,, but failed, although other copper plates given to the Jews were found. Later some fake plates called chepped were artificially produced without any authentic source regarding their origin.
These fake claims linking the poor converts to Brahmins and Jews began in the 18th century after the Poruguese, during their 150 year-old rule, elevated this labour class to the status of army, police officers, traders, political agents, brokers, butlers and messengers. Mixed marriages between Portuguese and Hindu women( who were converted to christianity )gave them white colour and good features to remove the untouchable past. The Portuguese also made them wealthy by giving estates for cultivation and made them cultured by educationg them. This new status made them produce false family histories like Niranam granthavali, folksongs like margamkali and fables claiming Brahmin and Jewish pedigree.
Now they are giving up Nambudiri pedigree because Kerala historians, especally Elangulam Kunjan Pillai, have pointed out there were no Nambudiris when St.Thomas came to India. So they have switched over to Jewish and now Assyrian pedigree.This is the current trend amng some haughty Christians. . Thomas of cana was not a Jew and he is a fictitious figure. There was no Assyrian exodus to Kerala. When rhe Portuguese came to Kerala they could not see a single Persian or Assyrian priest. Churches were managed by local persons who had poor knowledge of Christianity and they were following distorted Nestorianism.
New York Times gives the following news:
DNA Evidence Can Be Fabricated, Scientists Show
By ANDREW POLLACK
Published: August 17, 2009
Scientists in Israel have demonstrated that it is possible to fabricate DNA evidence, undermining the credibility of what has been considered the gold standard of proof in criminal cases.The scientists fabricated blood and saliva samples containing DNA from a person other than the donor of the blood and saliva. They also showed that if they had access to a DNA profile in a database, they could construct a sample of DNA to match that profile without obtaining any tissue from that person.
Why should India be suffering from racial and colour bias accepting blond hair bluish eyes and white skin? The Indian puranas hail only black colour and red eyes. The so called Aryan Gods are all black including Indra Agni Manmatha. Lord Vishnu is praised as Senkanmaal i.e., having red and lotus eyes. If Kerala people are still feeling superior over fair skin the best option is conversion of Middle East men as Namboodris and Nairs since there had been conversion of Greeks Persians Sakas Huns such as Demetrius Kanishka Nahapana Mihirikula etc., in Seventeenth century AD Robert Nobili CALLED himself as Iyer having tuft and Kacham followed by GU POPE AND VEDANAYAGAM SASTHRIYAR. Kerala is having strange phobia and any non connection of Kerala with St.Thomas will land itself in the lap of Tamil which they abhor and always make them to maintain their separate identity with the cock and bull story of Keralothpathi and insinuation against Namboodris.
Well! DNA might not be fool proof. The real question is what part of history is fool proof!! Wherever Christ was preached it was always in the order of 'First the jew, then the gentile'. If Christianity did reach Kerala early the jews would have been the target, then the gentiles afterwards. We can debate these things for ages without touching the truth in any real sense since none of us are entirely unbiased. Syrian christians are a complete mix. DNA tests for many Syrian Christians show more than 56% South West Asian but then again this will not be exclusive to Syrian Christians as we are all mixed up at some point or the other. Personally being born into this community I find both extreme claims appalling. The claim for Brahmin descent n jewish pure blood is utter nonsense since it's a mish mash of genes. On the other hand I see this increasing trend among fanatic hindus to somehow take a lot of effort to prove our descent from slaves and untouchables. First of all these divisions are imaginary the result of ignorance and greed. Secondly why so much of negative interest in the syrian christian past? when it has nothing to do with ur past or roots? A good dose of science should wipe out half of the ridiculous superstition in India. Every culture has had it's share of divisions - priestly classes, royalty etc etc and these divisions are not exclusive to India.
One thing to remember is this. Earliest Christians were jews. In fact there was no such thing as a Christian. The term came later in Antioch. The Jews remained Jews n the gentile converts were called 'followers of the way' a symbol of fish being their early symbol. Eastern Christianity had it's origins with Persian jews. The point I would like to make is this. As far as a jew or anyone of a jewish descent (since there would have been mixing from early on in Christian history) is concerned, a pagan (gentile)caste system would not have been such a big deal at least in the beginning. All they would have seen in the beginning from a very strict monotheistic jewish point of view would have been polytheists having rulers, priests, workers etc just like what they were used to seeing in their native lands. The whole of the Old Testament is filled with the separateness of a jew from a gentile and gentile class divisions were never supposed to be something to be desired. At least that kind of desire to integrate, take foreign wives etc were frowned upon and strongly discouraged in the Old Testament. EVEN when they were taken as slaves to these gentile nations there were those who stuck by the law and maintained their separateness. Of course Christianity brought in mixing and probably it's the Indian caste conscious part of a Syrian Christian that even touches the caste debate. Whatever the reasons maybe it's high time Syrian Christians realised that the caste system does not fit in any shape of form into a Judeo - Christian world view. The whole notion is appalling in itself but above all it's something practised by a Polytheistic pagan world which denies the basic intrinsic worth of a human being simply for being made in the image of God which is central to Judaism and Christianity. To claim a part of that heritage would have been abominable to our ancestors if they had any sort of Eastern origins at least in the early stages when the Jewish influence was more than the gentile influence among the early church. And if the origins were not eastern it's still important to remember that through Christ a gentile (wild olive branch) is grafted onto the main Olive branch (Abrahamic covenant). So whether one occupied the lowest of the low or the highest place in a pagan class division prior to that grafting, is of least importance or value as far as a Judeo- Christian point of view is concerned. Sadly most people don't get it. The whole point is 'The Son sets you free from ALL old entanglements to soar the skies and reach whatever purpose one is made for'
Diya, thank you for your thoughtful and interesting comments.
There cannot be fanatic Hindus since Hindus live in the present era and not bothered by past or future. Only convent educated secularists done the robe of fanaticism always making research on mytochondria, DNA blond hair blue eyes? Unless History is thrown into dustbin nobody can live peacefully.
Guys these discussions are like discussions about moon where if any people live in moon they will have far better idea. Being a Syrian christian my self , our history says we came from brahmin families and there are documentary proof for the same...The questions u ask today on its authenticity is as good as my great grand children making controversies on your existance
The problem with Kerala historians is that they want to extrapolate Keralothpathi and Vasco DA Gama to five thousand years and completely ignore Tamil. Out of 108 Vaishnava Shrines 12 are in Malainadu. Still no Kerala historian had ever bothered to look into it and hanging over Adhi Sankara driving Buddhists and bringing Aryan Namboothiris. I wonder which Aryan king brought Adhi Sankara/His forefathers into Kerala. Adhi Sankara's connection with Kalady another favorite cock and bull story of Kerala historians not substantiated by evidences just like secularization of OONAM and bringing MAHABALI from Himalayas to Kerala. Keralites indirectly proud themselves with Aryan Brahmin ancestry rather than identify with Tamil for which they use everything from St.Thomas to Adhi Sankara driving Buddhists from Kerala
Thanks for that excellent summation of the history of kerala christians. The people have to decide whether they want to be the first Christians in India, or descendants of Namboodiris. They cannot have it both ways.
I personally find caste claims to be obnoxious, and in fact against the christian ethos, be they in Kerala or elsewhere.
god bless
John Dayal
New delhi
john.dayal@gmail.com
In Kerala history there is absolutely no evidence of Nambudhiris or Jews becoming Christians. But Syrian Christians quote some customs and marriage rituals of Brahmins to claim Brahmin ancestry. The claim of Syrian Christians that tying of thali is a proof that they are descendants of Nambudhiris is not correct because untouchables such as Parayas, Pulayas, mukkuvas, vannans and others tie thali. Paul Roche gives this account of Paraya Catholic marriage: “The priest, though of higher caste, does not treat the Paraiya couple as untouchables. He blesses the couple and says Mass for them. The symbol of the wedding union is the thali. The thali is a gold medal on a yellow thin string. It is yellow because it is dyed with turmeric (Manjal). During Mass the priest blesses the thali and hands it over to the bridegroom who ties it around the neck of the bride. The priest also blesses two flower garlands and hands one each to the bridegroom and the bride who garland each other.”
Quite surprisingly, Syrian Christians also claim that Church built on the model of a Hindu temple is another proof for their Nambudhiri ancestry. But Paraya and Pulaya temples are also like Nair temples. Lamp, especially oil lamp, Kuthvilakku. Is lighted on all impotant occasions of Parays, and this practice is also prevalent in some Syrian houses. What separates Syrian Christians from Nambudhiri Brahmin and links them to lower castes is their lifestyle and food habits. Syrian Christian settlements were seen on the coastal area and thick jungles. But Nambudhiri settlements were inside villages, near temples and tanks.Syrian Christians like Parayas eat beef and pork. But Nambudhiris are vegetarians. Nambudhiris wear a sacred thread (poonool) which is conspicuously absent in Syrian Chrisdtians. Nairs followed matrinelial system but Syrian Christians like Parayas follow patrilineal system and their surnames are generally inherited from the father and property passes to the sons. To camouflage this, people like Gigi Thomson claim, “"We are supposed to have been part of the Hindu nobility before St Thomas converted us, so many consider themselves a cut above the rest.” Gigi Thomson lives in a fantasy world thinking St.Thomas converted Nambudhiris to claim ‘nobility status’ without realizing the historical fact that there were no Nambudhiris when St Thomas came in the Ist century A.D. There is also no reference to the conversion of Chera kings. Nairs were also not converted, for Kerala history has recorded that Nairs used Syrian Christians to do free labour (oozhiyam) in their farmlands. So it is quite transparent that only lower castes who alone were available for conversion, were singled out for conversion. Those lower caste converts got superior status in society because during the 150 year rule of the Portuguese, the Portuguese elevated them by appointing them as soldiers, police. Brokers, accountants in their factories, planters of estates, merchants and traders, priests, teachers and trustworthy messengers and thereby elevated their economic status. The British opened schools and colleges for the lower caste converts and made them culturally superior to Nambudhiris and Nairs. Albuquerque policy of interracial marriage by which the Portuguese married Hindu women produced a race white in colour with good physical features.The Portuguese and the British elevated the Syrian community financially wealthy and educationally cultured far superior to Nambudhiris and Nairsof today.
The above explanation still does not account for the high quality of life enjoyed by Syrian Christians. It is difficult to understand why Hindus like Rajiv cannot understand that there are more than a dozen christian communties in Kerala apart from Syrian christians. And when did parayas in such large numbers became fair complexioned ? We talk about and target only Syrian christians and not other communities because they are the most successful, prosperous and good looking community among christians. Even in major places like Ernakulum and Trivandrum almost all major residential locations are occupied by these families. In any case, non-Brahmin upper caste hindus in keral a would like to imagine that all christians are low caste since they do not want to be their socal inferiors, its only natural. (Brahmins, in general , are not much bothered about all these.)
Syrian christian are unique in the sense that even today syriac sholkas are part of the church litany in all malayali syrian churches all over the world. Syriac comes from Middle east and not from British or the Portuguese.( In fact, Syrian christains have nothing to do with the Portuguese. Although, thanks to th e portuguese, we have certain sections of catholics and a anglo-indian community based in Cochin.) They have done well in almost all field. The list is too long to elucidate here . Kerala was always an extremely casteist place and no one can convert one’s religion and then start building, owning, and running thousands of educational , financial and business institutions in the state, all over the country, as well as abroad. It requires energy and importantly mental courage and confidence both of which have genetic components. Syrian Christian domination and influence in some field are too huge for them to be dismissed as “ lower castes ancestry” given historical and sociological factors. Plus, this community have rejected reservations and does not avail of any reservations from government in either jobs or educational placements in government institutions. In fact, the great K.P.S. Menon who was originally from kottayam, in his autobiography has spoken glowingly about his Syrian Christian educators and has described them as “Caste Christians.” The mistake Syrian Christians make is claiming to be to be namboothiri descendants when they are actually and probably outsiders who enjoyed patronage, and later mingled with local population. In fact Syrian Christians do not look like namboothiris.
Trying to establish that Syrian Christians are of low caste origin is similar to some north Indians saying that all south indians are tribals , or that all Malayalam films are soft porn, or that all keralites in the gulf are manual laborers and slaves. All this comes from wishful thinking and popular ignorance sust
@anonymous.
I have given the answer.
"The Portuguese and the British elevated the Syrian community financially wealthy and educationally cultured far superior to Nambudhiris and Nairs of today".
The South Indian History lost all its relevance after collapse of Cholas and destruction by Malik Kafur. But Jaffna continued to be hub of maritime activity till Dutch captured in seventeenth century There were large scale immigration into Kerala from Srilanka also and during thirettenth century AD there were immigration from Persia/Central Asia into the entire west coast following SUFISM a part of which voluntarily converted themselves into HINDUISM. That is why only from thirteenth century AD we find extensive social reformers in Maharashtra before which hardly there were social reformers in the entire India. Ramanuja can never be considered as social reformer on par with Basaveswara or Gyaneshwar/Gyandeva. Hence the Followers of Sufism from Gujarat to Venad mingled with local priestly class and became Namboothiris and after Portuguese invasion they became Christians. Further it was only after fourteenth century after Mohammedan invasion we find rigours of Manu Law which compares with HAMMURABHI CODE. The fact that Nair's adoption of matrilineal system peculiar to Kerala is only an aberration. If that be the case even King Rajaraja could claim for Kerala since his step mother was Kerala princess and Pandya kings had always matrimonial alliances with Kerala. Why did not Pandiyas/Cholas ever lay claim over Kerala? The antagonist attitude towards Western Brahmins by Muslims rather than Himalayan/(including Eastern)/Southern Brahmins by Muslims is that there had been suspicion among Middle east clergy of Abrahamic Religions had swerved from righteous path and become Pagans deriving from the facts that Satavahanas/Sakas/Bactrians/Maggis when landed in the west coast had become localised. Hence the question who converted whom is absolutely stupid
Going through all the opinions about
the origin of St. Thomas Christians
in Kerala,some facts to be noted having at least some historical evidence are: 1. There were ample trade across the arabian sea coasts during ancient era
between middle east and coastal Kerala even BC.2.There had been immigrants from across east Asia,
syria,Persia,Afghan regions through north India towards south
whether or not as part of Aryan
migration.3. Brahmins or the like
claiming vedic lineage and Aryan
tradition were of originally from
east asia and farther from siberia
4.Indo-euoropian languages especially latin and sanskrit have many thing in common 5.Christianity spread in ancient
Kerala in the first century AD itself whether through St. Thomas or not doesnt matter.6.The first
converts to christianity in Kerala
could be only from among the noble
castes of that time ie.most likely
of those inhabitants from east asia who had aryan origin.7.In the subsequent centuries Jews and other middle east people migrated
to Kerala like Knai Thoma also
joined the early christian brotherhood in Kerala.8. Intermarriages among these two prominent groups also were not discouraged.9. Hindu was not a religion and it was the culture of the people in ancient times they worshiped several gods like their ancient counter parts in Greek and
Roman had mutiple gods. 10. It may be concluded that the prominent
syrian christians of today are of
aryan origin with likely mix with
jews.whether they have any connection with Nambudiris or St. Thomas is immaterial.Many traditional syrian christian families are upper caste and noble only though there had been intermarriages in the last 5-6 centuries.
It is amusing to find Kerala Historians never want to have an iota of link with Tamilnadu. The problem with Kerala historians is that they want to extrapolate VASCO DA GAMA maps with Greek mariners. A clear indication of Reference to middle east merchants is available only from COSMOS INDICOPLEUS IN FOURTHCENTURY AD where reference to Ceylon and Malabar are made. The only reference to Tamilnadu by Varahamihira is Mahadevapattinam which is the much celebrated PATTINAM wrongly identified as MUZIRIUS. The ancient Greek maps point out Srilanka as facing Kerala and South India is not shown as triangular but flat with small triangle at edge. Thus it may be concluded that ancient mariners did not know about territory between Nellore to Tondi and they first landed at Jaffna/Triconomalee/Kudiraimalai in West and afterwards reached Kerala. This is supported by the fact of intense connection between Kollam and Jaffna which made Rajaraja to capture for maritime supremacy in both east and west. Thus St.Thomas connection/Aryan connection with Kerala is the most stupid one. Syrian Christians are Syrian Christians and Namboodiris are Namboodiris only. Tracking down Kerala History to First century AD by extrapolating social set up of seventeenth century AD delinking Tamil connection is intellectual dishonesty
White color cannot limk Syrian Christians to Jews, Assyrians or Nambudhiris. Untouchable Ezhavas are not only white in color but also occupy high social and economic status today in Kerala. Thiyya girls are noted for their beauty and white complexion. Syrian Christians are distorting history by spreading the false news that there was a mass migration of Assyrians at the time of persecution.It is on this false plank they claim semitic connection. But Church history has recorded that the Assyrians at the time of persecution fled to Mesopotomia, Iraq, Turkey and Persia, but not to India.Even the foreign migration and invasion of Sakhyas, Bacterians, Huns which took place from 5th century B.C. onwards are recorded in Indian History, but not the Assyrian migration. This was a cunning inventin of Syrians to claim Semitic blood. If we believe this fake story, we have to call the pious CMS missionaries who converted untouchables such as Ezhavas, parays, slaves, pulayas, dhobies, mukkuvas etc., They have carefully recorded the total nmber of untouchable conversions in their diaries. Kottayam, Mallappally, Mundakkayam, Pallom, Alappuzha, Chengannur, Mavelikara, Thiruvalla, Kodukulanji were CMS MIssionary stations and they were also centres of untouchable castes. Now they are all syrian Christian centres.
White colo because of Albuqurque's policy of mixed marriages with the Portuguese. Economic, cultural andeducational status was due to the personal care and patronage of Syrians by the Portuguese and the English.
I see that you lack knowledge on few valuable information.
In Kerala, historically there are three categories of Christians.
1. Marthoma nazranis - converts by St. Thomas (or some of his disciples) in I century AD.
2. New Converts - by foreign missionaries, Portuguese and Anglican, during AD1500 - 1947. This includes Latin Catholics, CSI etc.
3. Immigrant Christians – This comprises the Jews and kanaya communities that had migrated from Syria in third and fourth centuries.
The malankara (marthoma) nazaranis is hence the original native Christians. Portuguese, Dutch, Anglican and several others came for them as a part of their missionary works. Many followed them but few still remain independent. At least we must salute and acknowledge them, rather than giving all praises for colonization forces.
Malankara Syrian Christians also belonged to the local cate system.While the first actual record of Kerala appears in the inscriptions of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka (269-232 B.C.), archeologists have found evidence of an earlier civilization. They have unearthed small chambers that were cut into rocks, with covered capstone entrances and vaulted roofs, that are dated some time between 1000 and 300 B.C. This may have been the Dravidians, an ancient people from the Mediterranean that were one of the earlier inhabitants of Kerala. Racial and ethnic history of Kerala shows many races such as Negrito, Proto-Australoids, and the Mediteranean. Mediterraneans form the main element of present Dravidian population of Kerala. Malankara Syrian Christians were not imported from Syria. They were all locals. Can the Christians converted by london Missionary Socity claim that they are not local caste but limked to London? In the same manner some Persian missionaries converted some locals but they did not marry local lower caste women. As in the history of conversion by Persian missionaries in Sri Lanka and china, those missionaries did not marry the locals and they did not settle permanently in Kerala. When the Portuguese came to Kerala, they could not see a single persian missionary. Another distortion of Kerla history by some Syrians is that there was a mass migration of Assyrians at the time of persecution in the Middle east. But Church history is quite explicit that the Assyrians fled to Iraq, turkey (Antioch), Lebanon and Persia but not to India. At Coonen Cross Oath there were 200,000 Christians. By any stretch of imagination, there could not be more than 35 Jewish families and 100 Namboothiri families in and around Mattencherry. So the crowd at the Coonen Cross consisted of lower castes. Early eye witness account by Portuguese and British missionaries was the Nasrani Christians were treate contemptuously ny higher castes and their social and economic status was in a pathetic condition. So Malankara also belongs to local society, most of them from the lowest strata of society.
@Jo Aby
The true economic and social condition of the Christians who were ridiculously called Nasranis by higher castes was recorded by a missionary when European powers were slowly establishing their authority; Abbe J.A. Dubois, a missionary in Mysore, in his letter dated August 7, 1815, writes: “The Jesuits, on their first arrival in India, hearing of them, in one way or other converted the greatest part to the Catholic faith. Their liturgy is to this day in the Syrian language, and in the performance of their religious ceremonies they use this ancient dead tongue. There remains still among them large congregations, consisting of 70 or 80,000 Christians, of whom two-thirds are Catholics, and a third Nestorians. They are all designated under the contemptuous name of Nazarany, and held by the pagans in still greater contempt than the Christians of this part of the country. The Nairs chiefly keep them at a greatest distance, and they form a separate caste.”
According to W. J. Richards, a C.M.S. Missionary in Travancore, in the beginning of 19th century the religious and social conditions of the Syrian Christians were pathetic. The people were steeped in ignorance and superstitions. The Jacobite Syrian Church was also at this time at a very low spiritual level. This is clear in the words of the Syrian Metropolitan, when he had an interview with Dr. Buchanan in which he says, "you have come to visit a declining church ( W. J. Richards, "The Reforming Syrians of Travancore and Cochin," CMI, March 1895, P. 183).
in Arab countries Christians are even today called in a vulgar form, ‘Nasranis.” In a recent riot in Cairo when Muslim fanatics attacked Christians, the Huffington Post dated August 17, 2013 reported the following incident
“Naguib’s home supplies store on a main commercial street in the provincial capital, also called Minya, was torched this week and the flames consumed everything inside.
"A neighbor called me and said the store was on fire. When I arrived, three extremists with knifes approached me menacingly when they realized I was the owner," recounted Naguib. His father and brother pleaded with the men to spare him. Luckily, he said, someone shouted that a Christian boy was filming the proceedings using his cell phone, so the crowd rushed toward the boy shouting "Nusrani, Nusrani," the Quranic word for Christians which has become a derogatory way of referring to them in today's Egypt.”
If you have got relatives in Egypt or Syria, they will tell you the ridiculous name for Christians as 'Nasranis.'
The Portuguese and the Dutch called non-Catholic Christians as Syrians because Syriac was used for liturgy. Can the Latin Catholics all themselves Romans because Latin is used in liturgy. You can't quote color for superior caste. Ezhavas, Thiyyas, although backward and untouchable, are white in color. The color of the Mar Thoma Metropolitan shows conversion from lower castes in olden times.
intresting to read
The first Christians in kerala was the group migrated from mesopotomia under the leader ship of syrian merchant thomas of cana during the persecution of Christians under Shapoer 2 in 4th century
In 341, the Zoroastrian Shapur II ordered the massacre of all Christians in the Persian Sassanid Empire. During the persecution, about 1,150 Assyrian Christians were martyred under Shapur II. When there was persecution in Persia, Christians fled to Iraq, Syria and Lebanon and they did not come to Kerala which was very distant and was having a different culture. Thomas of Cana was nt at all involved in Shapur II's persecution, for he was an Armenian merchant. Moreover, the Bishop in Persia at the time of Shapur's persecution was Yohanan bar Maryam of Arabela, and he is totally unaware of Thomas of Cana and the emigration of Christians from Persia. This Thomas of Cana story was invented in the 18th century by some family history writers like Niranam Granthavalito claaim Jewish or Assyrian descent to lower caste converts elevated in status by the Portuguese.
I happened to come upon a post on the matter. It gives a few reasons why it is true St. Thomas came to Kerala. It was written in 1950 in Malayalam. The link is to an English translation that I wrote.
http://amithshaju.blogspot.com/2013/07/stthomas-and-church-of-kerala.html
Hope it is helpful.
good article..with good comments..
It was the Buddhists and Jains that welcomed the early Christians. When Brahminism grew, the same Buddhists and Jains were badly downtrodden when they refused to accept Hinduism. Buddha's teachings are the main reason tolerance existed that made early Indians welcome Christianity. Real Hindu caste system would have never tolerated Christianity, it is only because of the Buddhists. Later as a loving and compassionate and equal religion like Buddhism was eradicated out, and the caste system re-esablished, many of the Buddhists and Jains were stripped and ill-treated by upper caste Hindus. The Syrian Christians did nothing for them. Nor does anywhere the syrian Christians thank the Buddhists or Jains or Buddhism and Jainism for welcoming them. They continue to sing praises of Hindu brahmins and Hindu gods. Syrian Christians have caused a lot of offense to the Buddhist community.
4717I wonder Kerala is having its own history delinked from ANDHRA/KARNATAKA/TAMILNADU. Even Asoka did not send anybody to preach Buddhism in Kerala. The reference to KODA/PADA/KETHALAPUTA has been converted as Chola/Pandiya/Keralaputra. Only Asoka knows wom he is referring. Buddha restricted Banavasi and Mahishamandalam for spread of Buddhism.Inso far as Jainism is concerned it spread even before Vijaya landed at Srilanka. Buddhism gained in KRISHNA/GODAVARI REGION and was encouraged by all Andhra kings from SATAVAHANAS to Vishnukundins.From Andhra region it enetered Kanchipuram and in fifth century AD only Buddhism entered Cauvery basin. Buddha Dhatta's reference to Mayurapattinam and Uragapuri has been taken as referring to present Mayiladuthurai and Uraiyur which is far from correct since Pattinam refers to coastal town and Mayiladuthurai is away from Poompukar at 25 km. Hence the reference to heart of Tamilnadu is itself questionable. But from Vikkiannan's reign in sixth century AD to Cholas reign upto thirteenth century AD Cauvery Basin was an intellectual center of Buddhism and even Mahavamsa hails the knowledge of Buddhist scholars of Cauvery Basin. But hardly there was not a single Buddhist/Jain scholar from Kerala. The present Kerala comprising of Kolathiris/Samuthiris and Travancore/Cochin evolved dafter fourteenth century AD. The history of Kerala is haze and upto Bhaskara Ravivarmans period it was always interlined with CHOLA/PANDIYA. Nobody can forget STHANU RAVI who was one of the pillars of CHOLA EMPERORS.If there was Buddhist expulsion why should there be large MALAYALEE BRAHMIN settlement in MAZHANADU in Trichy District referred as early as by St.Thirugnanasambandhar? Vellan Kumaran the general of Rajaditya who established MUTT OF CHATURANANA PUNDITHA AT TIRUVOTTRIYUR was the spiritual preceptor of CHOLAS UPTO KULOTHUNGA III. Paluvetttaraiyars belonged to Chera clan. Kerala history should move away from Namboothiri centric with driving of Buddhists/Jains.
I wonder where do the Kerala historians get such information!It is a historical fact that Buddhism never reached Kerala. Buddha sent emissaries to Vanavasi and Mahishamandalam in Karnataka. The North Indians knew nothing about region beyond Vijayawada up to Tondi Adsokan references to KODA/PADA/KETHALAPUTA has wrongly been interpreted as Chola/Pandiya/Keralaputhra.Jainism had spread to Ceylon even at that time of Vijaya. Buddhism spread to Krishna Godavari region in third century BC and encouraged by all Deccan rulers. Buddhism entered Cauvery Basin from fifth century AD but even at that time of Cholas it flourished as seen from Mahavamsa's felicitations to Buddhist scholars hailing from Chola country in spite of enmity. Why did no Kerala historians never mention about Kerala's contribution to Chola empire-- large scale Maayalle Brahmin settlement in Mazhapadi in Trichy referred even by Thirugnanasambandar Vellan Kumaran general ofv Rajaditya who established ORDER OF CHATURANA PUNDITHA-- THE SPIRITUAL GURUS OF CHOLAS up to Kulothunga III STHANU RAVI AND PALUVETTARSIYARS? The Kerala historians should move away from anti Namboothirism.
At the end of the day a sense of 'hierarchy' cannot be wished away as long as Homo Sapiens (humans) walk erect with the 'head' being more elevated than the 'heart', on the physical plane. Secondly, a bias towards direction; 'left' versus 'right' cannot be wished away as long as there are two hemispheres in the human brain, with heart being controlled by the right hemisphere and the female psyche (OS) sex being more right hemispheric than the left .
At the same time , if we are to call ourselves Christians, whether Syrian Christians or Paki Christians what should matter (as MINNOWED argues) is that we believe in the egalitarianism of Jesus Christ and where we came from; Namboodaries or mongoloids or subcontinental gentiles should not matter. That is the essence of the gospel, which is common to all faiths, where one is to love one's neighbor as oneself! Alleged geneticists, who claim to have cracked the genetic code but for the God particle (Higgs Boson, the soul), would disagree though the jury is still out on the issue of 'Nature' versus 'Nature' and therein lies the rub.
My take is that this issue will not be resolved to the satisfaction of rationalists, with faith being allegedly irrational, because: -
Humankind is fast evolving to overlook the color of one's skin
Humankind is fast evolving to overlook the color of one's money
but with the left hemisphere being separated from the right
humankind is far from evolving to overlook the color of one's soul
and
there is no rational explanation, as yet, as to where the soul comes from, though different belief systems do try to answer where the soul goes to (heaven, purgatory, hell or to the recycling bin)
There is no confusion when one understands the DNA representing SURYA and the intellect representing CHANDRA. There will be always a mismatch between Form and attributes of HUMANS. Only in fully developed souls the body will match attributes. Every aform has defined attributes and if the body and attributes do not match the soul will struggle to have synergy. This is what Aurobindo explains by CHAITANYA. This is where the people of Indian sub continent differ from all others. A Kashmiri Pundit is more closely associated with Jews or other Middle East DNA yet temperamentally he is not as violent as Middle East. He never reacts even against adversaries. This is explained by mismatch between DNA and attributes. Hence it is futile to adopt principle of Jesus to inject THE HOLY SPIRIT by baptism. Even if Holy Spirt enters in the body of people of sub continent it will be subject to CHAITANYA of Indian sub continent bodily/by dress he will be a Christian but by behaviour and attributes he will still revert back to original status. ALL DNAs will fail in India. All Aryan/Sumerian/Australoid/even Mangaloid and Negroid will have to become INDIAN. There is no other go. People should desist from researching on DNA but concentrate on SELF REALISATION which will alone open doors of JESUS/ALLAH/BUDDHA/JINA/BRAHMAN--THE ULTIMATE REALITY. People particularly in KERALA should stop worrying about DNA.
the latin catholic community have several churches constructed before ad 1650.can u explain the reason.
awkar
Anil, the Portuguese have been in Kerala and the rest of the Malabar coast since 1500.
Take a look at these links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cochin_(1504)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4th_Portuguese_India_Armada_(Gama,_1502)
While discussing Syrian Christian history, four important historical facts are to be borne in mind.
1.Whether it was St. Thomas or later by Persian missionaries (who came occasionally) they could convert only lower castes, for in Kerala's caste code and ritual no higher caste such as Namboodiris or Nairs would volunteer to become a Christian.
2. Vasco da Gama came to Kerala in May 1498. The Synod of Diamper took place on 20 June 1599. The Coonen Cross incident occurred in January 1653.So from the date of arrival of Vasco da Gama to the date of Coonen Cross oath in 1653, Christians in Kerala were Latin Catholics and they remained in Catholic church for 155 years. Although Syriac liturgy originally introduced by Persian missionaries was also allowed in some churches, they all remained in the Catholic church.
3. During this 155 year period, lower castes were given freedom by the Portuguese to occupy any position according to their skill and qualification.During this 155 year period, the Portuguese encouraged marriages between the White Portuguese (soldiers, clerks,businessmen,agents, adminstrators etc.,) and this inter-racial widespread marriages gave white color to lower castes.Later there were marriages between white colored lower castes and other lower caste converts. So there was a vast population of white colored Christians. The long period 155 years produced several generations of white colored Christians. To hide this historical genesis, false propaganda that the Syrians are descendants of Namboodiri converts or there was a mass migration of Assyrians. There was no Assyrian colony in Kerala. It is all lies to claim superior status. how can they desroy historical facts?
I forgot to add the fourth point in yesterday's post. I was under the impression that the Oath of the Coonen Cross took place immediately after the Synod of Diamper. But by going through Kerala history, I discovered that the Coonen Cross oath occurred 54 years after the Synod. Till then all Christians in Kerala were under the Latin Catholic church. Only in some churches, Syriac liturgy was used by local unordained church workers because there was a scarcity of ordained priests coming from Rome.But even those churches were Catholic, not Jacobite or Marthoma. The Portguese priests were slowly training and teaching local priests how to conduct worship service, abandoning heretical Nestorian doctrines. Archbishop Menzies removed all heretical ideas from Kerala churches. The Coonen Cross revolt broke out because the Archdeacon wanted to have complete control over the finances and properties of the Church.But the Archbishop wanted to maintain records like other churches. This was not liked by the Archdeacon. As we see quarrels today over property and finances in Jacobite church, the same thing happened which made the Archdeacon to defy the Archbishop so that he can have financial and property control.This s the story behind the Coonen Cross. Moreover, the Portuguese power was declining with the arrival of the Dutch.This political factor encouraged the Archdeacon and his supporters to defy the Catholic Church.
During the 155 year rule of the Portuguese, all Christians who were given the status of lower castes by Nairs and Brahmins, were elevated to a superior status by the Portuguese. They were the rulers, and even the Kochi Raja was their servant.Christians were appointed soldiers and police officers. Christians could arrest and punish higher caste Brahmins and Nairs. That was how Christians attained a superior status in society.With the springboard given by the Portuguese, Syrian Christians became educated, wealthy and powerful.Today they are the most affluent, aristocratic and cultured people because they are the descendants of the Portuguese reared and carved Christians, who pulled out their ancestors from caste oppression, poverty and distress.
Mr. Pattom Radhakrishnan, Why you are mixing the Great caste Ezhava/Thiyya with the parayas and pulayas. Dont you know Ezhavas/Thiyyas are highly civilized, highly cultured, highly educated , highly placed race in kerala in the past and now. When The Namboothiris came to Kerala Ezhavas were not willing to accept them as their masters and stood rebelliously where as the so called Nairs accepted their supermacy and become Namboothiri servents and as a result got admitted in the Namboothiri made classification "SAVARNA" as SHUDRA. They collectively managed to grasp all the wealth and status owed by Ezhaves and put them in the category "AVARNAS" . So Ezhavas/Thiyyas are the true high cast and high class people of Kerala. Most of the Christians and Muslims dont know this truth . They are all fed with false informations on this via Cinemas, TV Serials, Untrue History written by biazed personalities. So stop saying Ezhavas/ Thiyyas as untouchables and never ever say their name along with the scheduled casts / tribes categories. Also stop placing Nairs on the upper end because their real history is not that fair.
Please come out of all thoughts of caste race and religion,be a better man,follow what you want but please dont teach all these foolishness to the coming generations, let them breath fresh air....Dear friends, please go and see the oldest hindu temple in india , we will get ti around in 413 AD the current hinduism is differnt from vedic hinduism,the hinduism for time being whatever purpose had created caste system,Why you people are worrying and establising that we got higher caste ancestors....who is this higher caste actualy?who said brhamins are higher caste?they themselves,So if i am telling I am the most Intelligent personin the world you all believe that too????Raise up....Stop all these...The syrian christians if they are gained something its through their hardwork ....We allare supposed to be harworking and to be excel in our work and let others know us.
@Rajan Rajiv and @Pattom Radhakrishnan said...I hope ur telling the most high class people in kerala are Nampoothiris and nairs..How come that???Nampoothiri a brhamin,Nair ( the meaning of Nair is serving Nampoothiri like a Dog )still they were clever to give them the title and carrying it to generations very honorly...In bible there is verse which means..First take out the bigger log in your own eyes and then you will be able to see the little spot in anothers eyes...Just think why this syrian christians worried about caste status????Who created this????I am not against any religion or caste....but its better time to think for future than for history,COZ what we are matters a lot than who we were....
@Rajan Rajiv said...For your knowledge you are bringing up with the history of something like only latin catholic churches were there its not like that portugese ...made the syrian christians to accept their bishops and follow their traditions....thats how it was when it becomes unbearable the coonen kurisu sathyam came out...One more thing...Please go and ask a boy or a girl who is studing in 8th,9th and 10th stds ..in pala,Kanjirapally,Changanaseeri diocese....they have all these your great findings to learn...with better vicinity
Please come out of the shell of apologetic about caste. Indian society is dynamic one and the present social srt up cannot go beyond Aurangazeb. Any theological system can sustain only by qualified theological persons like ABRAHAMIC RELIGION. The peculiar problem in India is that Head can only think and rest of body can act only. Thus in India those who study don't possess skill to apply.For example even among Brahmins one seldom find good PUROHIT with sound knowledge in theology or good theologists becoming a good PUROHIT .Hence casteism is mere humbug and rules of caste are not written by Brahmins but by dominant community which also changeth with time. If anybody does not accept this basic fact then during his entire life he should be brooming over caste losing his mental peace.
@anonymous says: " when it becomes unbearable the coonen kurisu sathyam came out." That was how the Archdeacon who was under the Catholic Church began to defy the Church to have full control of the finances and property.He wanted to have an independent church. He was fortunate to have the support of the large fishermen community and with that crowd he organized the Coonen Cross oath. Only 32 congregations accepted Archdeacon Thomas propaganda that the heretic Nestorian Bishop Atahallah was burnt in Goa.But research by scholars shows that Atahallah was sent to Lisbon and from there to Rome. Illiterate and ignorant Christians in the interior regions such as Kottayam and Kothamangalam did not know what happened in Kochi, (in the absence of media, papers and absence of communication facility by bus or train) believed the propaganda of Thomas and his supporters and those churches also became independent. Rebel Christian population swelled because of the ignorance of village Christians. Later the Carmelite Fathers explained to the people what had actually happened. Father Sebastiani who came from Rome explained to the people the treacherous and heretical behavior of Archdeacon Thomas. Within weeks, 84 churches that followed Archdeacon Thomas returned to the Roman Catholic Church, most of them from the coastal area. Syriac liturgy was allowed and that was how Syrian Catholic Church was born.Now this Church is very strong and powerful and many thousands are its members.
@anonymous says that 8th standard student in Pala knows the history. But they are taught false, distorted history by saying that Syrians were Namboodiri descendants (they do not know that there was no Namboodiri when St.Thomas came) that they are the offspring of Assyrians (they do not know there was no Assyrian colony when the Portuguese came). 'Anonymous' who is a syrian Christian should know that oozhiyam service by Syrian Christians, like all lower castes, was abolished only in the Maharani's rule when thee Resident Munro brought pressure on her.
Dear Anonymous, don't try say things unknown by you are foolishness. Do you know how the meadia is highcasting certain categories and this programing had been here for from long time. So some truths need to be announced. I know the cast system is of no importance and the categorization of human beings are according to their karma. But a large group of fools are trying to re-establish it. See how Mr. Pattom Radhakrishnan is trying to indirectly induce some untrue things. Who has given him the licence to call a prestigious group as UNTOUCHABLES. Just think who all are the real UNTOUCHABLES.
Reply to Prof. M N Ninan. Namboothiris enjoyed the priest status and their is no need for them to embrace Christianity. Christianity had nothing to attract Namboothiris. Also following the religion Christianity with namboothiri custom is very strange and unbelievable. Plz understand that Namboothiri ancestor theory won't give any one any speciality as their is no speciality for Namboothiris themselves. So give up the false notions. Do you know Bhargavaraman came to kerala and converted required numbers of people to Namboothiri (called as Bhrahmin), most of them were fisherman people.
@Tejaswininimburia The kerala historians never had anti Nampoothirism,Even they treated then and now also with good respect...becoz in forest we will see some endangering species..Nampoothiri caste is also like that..an Endangering species,If we see any malayali gatherings inside kerala or outside kerala how seldom we find a nampoothiri..Its not becoz somebody came and killed all of their generations,Its becoz of the cruelty they had done to their mothers ,sisters and their wives,You can go thru so much of novels,describing their pathetic situation of their ladies that time.."parinayam"one malayalam film depicts it.,so many examples..They are just making their wives to be in home and running after the houses of nair ladies,"see the subcaste like Menon,Warrier...so many i dont know..much but ...all these are interbreeding between nampoothiri male and nair female....they are only responsible for their current situation...I too love and respect them despite of the fact that of their castiest nature...coz its very rare we see them...and felt very bad sometimes when i visited some illams in school days...they lost their glory ...And about buddhism...much history i dont know but just see...the fact..If christianity and Islam reached in kerala at the very early stages through sea route,How come buddhism dont reach kerala????from Bihar?????sure it can reach...May be much people dont followed it..but please see Adi shankaracharyas thoughts have good influence of budhism...who had born and grown up in kalady ...current angamaly...in kerala....
I observed a secret from another blog...I think the Realhistory and Pattom Radhakrshnan are the same person...budhi eppozhum ....
It is for KERALA historians to delink from INDIA particularly Tamilnadu and Karnataka and can have their own history extrapolating FOURTEENTH CENTURY AD KERALOTHPATHI to FIRST CENTURY BC and base their history on St.Thomas. It is puzzling to note that they could not even digest the fact that there is no chance of BUDDHISM reaching KERALA since Buddhism itself spread to TAMILNADU only after Fourth Century AD and Jainism was never prevalent in KERALA even though it flourished in Tamilnadu/Kerala upto the period of Islamic invasion. The prsent social structure i Kerala is hardly six hundred years old a fact hard to digest. KERALA SUSTAINS ITS HISTORY SOLELY ON ADI SANKARA DRIVING BUDDHISTS/ST.THOMA CANA AND KERALOTHPATHI.
Sariya tankalude budhi wppozhum angu tazheya ... moolacdharathil.
@Real history Sorry if you got irritated...I would have avoided that.
Let me tell the reality dear brothers.
5 tier caste system in hinduism (Bhramin, Kshethriya, Vysya , Shudra, Chandala)is actually based on ones karma and not by birth. One who attains Bhrahma Jnanam (The real knowledge of almighty) is a "Bhrahmanan" (The one with SATWIK nature) and he usually will be engaged in deeds which helps human beings associated with GOD. Some people will have more RAJO GUNA and will be interested in martial activities and administrative roles who are then termed as KSHTRIYAS. Their are people who are well versed in trades, business etc who are all categorized as VYSYAS. People who are engaged in production activities like agriculture, skilled works, utilization of natural resourses for the sake of humans, artisans, fishing ans many many repectable duties which hepls the society to sustain are termed as Shudras. Some people are much with Tamo Guna and are engaged in anti social , evil and corruptive activities who will fall into CHANDALA class.
Dont ever think that a BHRAMIN father will have all his children in Bhramin class. As each individual will be having the right to select his class according to his KARMA.
The most dangerous and should be avoided thing happened to man kind is the deviation from the real pattern ie. Karma based classification TO Birth wise classiofication. More clearly, all children born to a bhrahmin is brought up as Bhrahmin irrespective to their karma.
SO PLZ DO REMEMBER ANY ONE COULD DETERMINE HIS/HER CATEGORY BY LOOKING ON TO THEIR KARMA.
SO WHAT IS THE RELEVANCE OF SAYING THAT I AM A BHRAMIN... KSHATRIYAN ... ETC.
It is a hard fact that can't be digested by Indian Historians --LEFT/RIGHT/CENTER is that Indian History starts only from INVASION OF DARIUS I AND MAKING PUNJAB TWENTYFOURTH PROVINCE. At that tiem there was only JAINISM throughout Indian Sub continent upto Srilanka. initially JAINISM recognised three VARNAS KSHATRIYAS/VAISHYAS/SUDRAS and afterwards Sramanas were converted as Brahmanas. That is why in the entire Western India from Karnataka to Punjab Varna is not a phobia unlike in Eastern India comprising Tamilnadu to West Bengal it is a taboo. During thirteenth century AD there was migration of BRAHMINS into Western India coming into contact with SUFISM and the result was upheaval against CASTE. Before thirteenth century AD BHAKTHI MOVEMENT was completley NIL and the BHAKTHI MOVEMENT IN TAMILNADU was never ANTI BRAHMIN/ANTI CASTE but individual self realisation. The entire MANU LAW emanated only in South Western India during KADAMBA-CHALUKYA period but it was neither theological nor social butregulatory in nature fixing hierarchy of different groups. Unforunately during ISLAMIC RULE it was given the status of theology. THE MANU LAW was nothing more than CENTRAL GOVERNMENT (CLASSIFICATION/COMPILATION/APPEAL SERVICE REGULATION RULES and the VARNA system ws only a BAR CODE to fit into the Legal Code. Those who want to understand the complexities of INDIAN SOCIETY they should definitely read IMPERIAL GAZETTERS OF BENGAL/BOMBAY/MADRAS PRESIDENCIES ON CASTE CENSUS 1820-1870 where Britishers were puzzled to see the social groups are highly hetrogenous not fitting into caste heirarchy but dynamic one ever changing according to contemporary times. This has further been elaborated in the famous case of RAJAH OF KOLHAPUR vs SUNDARAM AIYAR AND SONS where the evolution of HINDU LAW BY BRITISHERS had been lucidated. At the time of dawning of British Empire British were puzzled to note that even among Brahmins there were not more than hardly 10% who were well versed in DHARMASASTRAS and THEOLOGY. Hence it is high time that HISTORIANS should reorient social studies rather than relying and blaming five thousand years Brahmin hegemony
You are right man,,,I accept it...I love all the people who are bold enough..to do their duties well than wasting time and pampering themselves in the basis of caste...and it irritates me when some people tell that Syrian Christians get all this current position due to the help of Portuguese or British rule...they are not seeing the hard work and sacrifice of generations the troubles and traumas faced by these poor people...if they gained and got good position its due to their hard work...their mental boldness to fight against the adverse situation..not only the males in the community..even the females......they equally worked along with men....
Majority of Syrian christians in kerala are converts from upper class ezhavas, The founder of 'Kerala Kaumudi', Mr CV Kunjiraman has mentioned thats his cousin got converted to syrian catholic, and also please refer 'A social history of India' by SN Sadasivan, he says 451,197 ezhavs got converted to syrian christians in the late 1800's
so it should be conclusive that majority of the christians in kerala have an ezhava lineage
Some one here just mentioned that the majority of the the Syrian Christians are converts from upper class Ezhavas. Well, there's not a single evidence for this. The Syrian Christians have existed in Kerala at least from the 5th century onwards (as per the account of Cosmas Indicoplasteus, a Nestorian traveller). They are known to have originated from the intermarriages between Persian immigrants and local Keralites in the 1st Millennium. The community, in the 15nth and 16nth centuries, also engaged in intermarriages with the Portuguese. Thus the Syrian Christians have mixed origins, derived from Dravidian, Persian and Portuguese. This would explain the reason for mixed physical features among the Nasranis, such as both Fair and dark complexion, sharp and blunt features etc. The more aristocratic Syrian Christian families with a rich heritage, are basically those families with a greater degree of Non Indian admixture, particularly the Portuguese.
About S.N Sadasivan's book, it is a thoroughly faulty figure (the number of christian converts in the 19nth century). Sadasivan is known for being a heavily biased author with a poor sense of objectivity, and an Ezhava Chauvinist. The Ezhavas who became Christians in the 19nth century under the missionary works of the British were made to Join the anglican Church. They have always remained distinct from the mainstream Syrian Christians who have a history and tradition to boast about.
Hey Vinod, great article. But about St. Thomas not coming to Kerala? I thought there was enough evidence, anecdotal and otherwise to confirm it. Also the 4 "Brahmin" families - Pakalomattom et al still exist. And they were from the priestly class, may not be Namboodiris but still they seem to be a cut above the hoi polloi, perhaps Anthanar Brahmins. And perhaps Thomas did not have access to the "poorest of the poor" or they may have not been inclined toward spiritual discernment. But on the other hand, I can see the Brahmins eager for discourse. Just curious, but are you a Holocaust denier too? "Yakob", a Keralite from USA.
At last someone has accepted that St.Thomas has not converted NAMBOOTHIRI BRAHMINS but only ANTHANAR BRAHMINS!HE MAY EXPLAIN WHO WERE THOSE ANTHANAR BRAHMINS! ARE THEY ARYAN INTRUDERS?WHETHER KERALOTHPATHI MENTIONS ANTHANAR BRAHMINS?
Hi Tejas, as farfetched as this may sound, the Anthanars could very well be part of the lost tribes of Israel. Abraham Benhur’s book ‘The Jewish Background of Indian People’ explains in great detail. Here's a link: http://www.abrahambenhur.com/jewish_indian.html
I wonder why INDOLOGISTS AND HISTORIANS TRACING INDIANS FROM AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST/CACAUSIAN PLAINS MISS one important factor. When di Brahmins adopt FIRE as origin of birth and ending of life. The most important aspect of South Indian Brahmin (From Kanyakumari to Kalyan and I am omitting the controversy on PANCHA DRAVIDA/PANCHA GAUDA)is that a Brahmin takes birth from Fire and hene his body should be consummated to fire only even after his death. The Rig Vedic Brahmins claim that they need not do AUPASANA since fire is in their palms--what is known as PANI HOMAM. The death rituals of a Brahmin point to the fact that body is offered as YAGYA PASU TO MAHADEVA in the case of Non Vaishnavites and to RUDRA in the case of VAISHNAVAITES. Even after obtaining SAIVITE AND VAISHNAVAITE DEEKSHA A SOUTH INDIAN BRAHMIN AFTER HIS DEATH IS NEITHER A SAIVAITE NOR A VAISHNAVITE AND DIRECTLY MERGING WITH LORD SHIVA OR LORD VISHNU but his body should be consumated to FIRE ONLY. This cannot be considered as ARYAN CUSTOM PARTICULARLY OF IRANIANS since Iranians never want the five Bhootas-FIRE WATER ETC., to be polluted and that is why they don't bury or burn the dead. Though the Buddhists and Jain burn after death it is not mandatory. the question is from where did the Brahmins adopt this practice or is it a native practice. Throughout India the relics of SIX ENTURY BC point towards an interesting aspect missed or wantonly omitted by historians--building chambers for burying the urn in circular or rectangular chambers. The urns may be burnt or buried bones. Further the karma performed by a South Indian Brahmin installing STONE AND OFFERING WATER DAILY WITH TWO IDENTIFICATIONS HOUSE GATE AND WATER SOURCE GATE is already described in PURANANOORU VIDE DR. R.NAGASWAMY'S ARTICLES. Then I don't understand why people are still hanging to immigration theory. The performance of death rituals of a South Indian Brahmin can only be compared to the practice of TRIBALS --keeping pollution for a specific number of days and offering to the souls. I still find no theory on DEATH CEREMONIES of SOUTH INDIAN BRAHMINS which negates all immigration theories or did the IMMIGRANTS CONVERTED THEMSELVES TO THE ALREADY EXISTING TRIBAL BRAHMINS AND FINETUNED THE PRACTICES?
Ah well, as the Bard once said, there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy. Sigh.
In an effort to revive the dying embers of this flame, the concept of FIRE has many mythical aspects. In fact, Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods, may have been the first populist socialist humanitarian. He didn't cave in to the authoritarian culture and didn't take any crap from the elitists. And it isn't too much of a stretch of imagination to compare a wanton and cruel Zeus to Yahweh, the god of the Syrian Christians. Power to "we the people".
Now first thing is basically who are Jews. Judea, Israel & Samaria all 3 combine biblical Israel, United Monarchy as per story existed during Kings Saul, David and Solomon.
Now Archaeology says that Israel become populated and become to call nation only in BCE 930, And as Assyrians threw them out reached Judea in 722BCE only. This means that entire Biblical story figures Abraham, Moses, David and Solomon are fictions.
As per Samarian Torah Abraham went to Mt.Gerizim in Samaria for sacrifice and the local small Deity of Israel also named Mt.Gerizim is his dwelling place; Dead Sea Scrolls confirms that Samarian Torah is correct.
Old Testament Torah says Future place and later Jerusalem - zion myths came.
Entire Old testament is fabricated in Ist century BCE.
No Messiah, No Prophets - all are myths
The Mythic Past: Biblical Archaeology And The Myth Of Israel -Prof: Thomas L. Thompson
http://www.amazon.com/The-Mythic-Past-Biblical-Archaeology/dp/0465006493
This may probably be correct since MIDDLE EAST SHOULD have been forerunner of modern civilisation and people would have left MIDDLE EAST for various reasons and for INDIA HISTORY is a sheer nonsense creating disharmony among various communities. Whatever be the history it is only academic and INDIANS should move away from HISTORY
IN India except in Kerala Where 55 lakh upper caste Christians have no record for caste, all other 125 crore Indians has been already given caste identity ,. all back ward caste Christians in Kerala including Nadar has been identified by caste.along with their church membership Latin catholic is not only a church but also a notified caste and the only christian notified caste in India.it was was notified by the merger of five similar castes.only knanaya church will get suryani as caste, we are only following Syrian liturgy borrowed from the knanaya church in the 18 th century AD by Marthoma v in a belief to overcome the Portuguese back drive to Latina the Malankara church but in vain as the Portuguese split the knanaya church itself introducing the syro Malabar rite 250 years ago, a century after the coonan cross oath of 1653 AD in a backdrop of conflict between Nampoothiri Christians & then Royalty.
if any knanaya church member marry any of our members,they expel them from suriyani Knanaya Sabha .
The GOVERNMENT should act to unite dozens of upper Christian communities like the did for Hindus & Muslims of kerala and for oBC Communities with the Devasom & wakaf boards and not expose them to insane minds.
5 assembly seats in erstwhile kollam district before the formation of pathanamthitta District ( Neduvathoor, pandalam, (vazhoor), Kaloopara & pathnamthitta) where upper caste Christians were single largest community has been vanished in 2011 census and relocated to Malapuram district. .. we should not allow this to happen in the next census and give mandatory Nair caste certificate to all upper caste non catholic Christians who swear by the coon cross oath every year as 85% of them are NAIRS while give an option of Nair or RC to upper caste Roman cathoilics. there Should be only three caste available for upper caste Christians Nair ,Knanaya & RC from July 1 ,2015
People who bother about caste should definitely read CENSUS IN INDIA IN IMPERIAL GAZETTER during the period 1820-1900 AD. Early Britishers found that CASTE AS UNDERSTOOD IN WESTERN WORLD had no application in INDIA and found it hard to fix the various communities in CASTEFOLD. Throughout INDIA during the period of census upto 1900 AD various communities vied with one another to climb the social ladder. There was uniform pattern of all communities either to trace their origin from FIVEFOLD KSHATRIYAS--SURYA/SOMA/AGNI/NAGA/BRAHMA vamsa Kshatriyas while other communities wanted to have the status of VAISHYAS. No community till the stupid JUSTICE PARTY wanted communal reservation clamoured for SHUDRA tag. Anybody who sincerely believe in the evolution of caste should read the famous decision of SUNDARAM IYER AND OTHERS vs RAJA OF KOLHAPUR concerning the estate of TANJORE MARATTA PRINCIPALITY. The clamour for BACKWARD CLASSES initially picked up only in MADRAS PRESIDENCY DUE TO DUO OF MAXMULER-CALDWELL THEORY OF ARYO DRAVIDINISM. Whoever were considered as ARYANS were SAVARNA and should be denied social benefits and whoever were DRAVIDIANS should be given impetus due to alleged suppression for FIVE THOUSAND YEARS. This theory even now rules INDIA. GO TO ANY GUJJAR/JAT WEB where they will explain how they were suppressed by ARYAN BRAHMINS and eligible for RESERVATION! Indian COMMUNITY WEB SITES have the dubious distinction of INTELLECTUAL DISHONESTY/DICHOTOMY/SELF DECEPTION/SELF EULOGY that every will claim status of KSHATRIYAS of FIVEFOLD CATEGORIES but were suppressed by ARYAN BRAHMINS!HA!!HA!! The INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT LEADERS RIGHT FROM GANDHIJI TO AMBEDKAR were the main culprits for encouraging CASTE SYNDROME unnecessarily attached to COMMUNITY. In India there were no castes but only communities who fixed hierarchy on the basis of MANU LAW through BRAHMINS acting as interloculators. India is the only country degrading PRIESTLY CLASS AND NO PART OF INDIA WANTS QUALIFIED BRAHMINS TRAINED IN THEOLOGY BUT ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE LIMITED TO ASTROLOGY/BIRTH AND DEATH RITUALS. With regard to marriage BRAHMINS ARE CALLED TO INDICATE THE STATUS rather than trust or conviction. Further the leaders allowed the people to name the communities from SURNAMES. For example PATIL/PATEL/REDDY/NAIDU/NAIK/NAYACKER/THEVAR/GOUDA/GOUNDAR/CHETTY/SAIT/CHETTIYAR are all SURNAMES but the GOVERNMENT had converted all these as COMMUNITIES. In Kerala PILLAI/NAIR/MENON/PANIKKAR/NAMBI are only surnames. Hence research on CASTE will lead to nowhere and let it be considered only for ROTI AND BETI and not for secular purposes. When RAJIV ASSASSINATION is itself has been forgotten which has happened twenty five years ago what is the use of digging unknown and controversial past? Let us throw all THE HISTORY BOOKS TO THE DUSTBIN. INSTEAD let he children of this country be converted as SKILLED TECHNICIANS/GOOD DOCTORS/ADVOCATES/BUREAUCRATS/MERCHANTS/TRADERS and need not seek the support of tag--FORWARD COMMUNITY/OBC/SC/ST.
Christians are the biggest liars. They will go to any extent to preach their relligion. Next they will say that Jerusalem was in India, JEws were sons of the Indian soil and so on. Shameless fellows
Tejaswininimburia ....There are people who dont have economic support irrespective of the current caste ladder....Ignoring the poor and downtroden will never lead a Nation to Overall growth..
According to your theory..
KAiyookkullavan karyakkaran..
Those who have ability let them only come up...
Any one Can u please justify this....
A Great nation for future has to start up by giving exclusive oppurtunity to every one...specialy those who are down....
A school needs 100% achievement...means theweek students needs some special care..
Same rule for the nation.....
I understand from the MALAYALAM PROVERB MALAYALAM preceeds DARWINISM--SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST. The only way to uplift downtrodden is to give them training in any VOCATIONAL TRADE instead of RESEARCH ON ETHNICITY. Industrial Revolution in Great Britain began from the WRETCHED TRAINING centers of the CHURCH. Unless every village becomes a training center imparting VOCATIONAL TRADE WITH ENTERPRISING SKILL TO MAKE EVERYBODY AN ENTREPRENEURTHERE IS NO HOPE.
Dear Friends
My family came to a place called Eraviperoor which is in Tiruvalla (Pathanamthitta dist) around 350 years before. Our family name is called Karippumannil. We have a history from 4th gen onwards. We do not have anything from 1 to 3. We were almost the first one to come to Eraviperoor and started cultivation. All of them were Christians. We have around 12 branches. We are digging down to get 1 - 3 generation history.
But My great great grand parents shifted to Tamil Nadu (Kanyakumari) stayed there for long time. Then cam back. I heard from my great grand father how they worshiped God long back. We almost at that time had same way how brahmins were worshiping. At that time He told me that We were 100% vegetarians.
Years Passed culture changed we became Marthomites. Some of them again shifted to Thrissur Peechi side. 2 Generation back we used to go toa temple near Kaviyoor.
Christians in Kerala who have distinct Portugese (Iberian) features such as curly hair and light skin --- who are they? The Portuguese settlers married malayalees of what social strata? Where do these fit in now? What caste will they be considered? Do/can they marry Syrian Christians? Are they proud or ashamed of their Portuguese ancestry? What portugese customs do they follow (I know wine-drinking.) Why do Keralites have names that sound like pet names? Such as Mini, Sabu, Shiju, Saju? And sometimes names as Shine, Shiney, Brighty?
I am curious about Kerala Christians who have mediterranean features (Portuguese) like curly hair and light skin.They look like Mexican or Puerto Rican mestizos. Who were the portugese settlers (from what social ranks), what kind of Indians did they marry -- I mean what social strata and castes? How did the marry with language and cultural barriers? The children of these marriages, where did they fit in Indian class/caste? Are they proud/ashamed of their foreign blood? Do practice any of the Portugese customs? I know wine-drinking. Do/can they marry Syrian christians? Sometimes I see European antique looking furniture in their houses. What is the story behind that? Obviously the furniture is not from 1600s. Then it must be made later but in the same style. Why do Keralites have names that sound like pet names: Shiju, Shaju, Saju, Sabu, Mini, etc.? Some of the names are Shine, Shiney, I even saw Brightey. Why?
I am a keen observer of Kerala and have travelled widely there. I used to be quite perplexed surprised to see some malayali Christians with blue/ grey eyes and very fair skin. The standard answer was of course that they were converts from nambudiris, but somehow it did not seem very logical because the nambudiris themselves did not have blue/ grey eyes. Now you post explains it..its the Jewish ancestry.
There are a couple of more reasons why the malayali christians could not be converts from nambudiris (by St Thomas)
A. Did they even exist in Kerala a that time ? This point has already been covered by you.
B. Assuming that nambudiris existed in AD 50 in Kerala, and further assuming that St Thomas did indeed land up there, would they have converted ? After all christianity was not yet an established religion, Thomas was not a high -ranking diplomat backed by a civil or miilitary powe: he had no "goodies" or threat to offer the Nambudiris who were already the highest of the high in kerala. So very unlikey. As history tells us, it is only the disdvantaged who break away to join a new religion.
History tells Syrian Christians in Kerala(st.Thomas Nazranics) generated by 90-92% jewish and Levi ancestors the DNA. Proves. St Thomas arrived in Kerala 52 AD on this time. BC 300 onwards Kerala is wast wide of hebrew population they came Kerala for spices trade & business.Thomas preached local Jewish sects & along with Hindu Brahmins,Nairs & low caste Hindu people. Also he rappidly mixed people name one name Nazaranic he is father of Indian Syrian Christians also with father Christianity india. He established 7 and half church's in Kerala migrated preached gospel to local Dravidian people named Tamil nadu he died near by mylapore in chennai. But Kerala st Thomas Christian expanded different division because different occasions of time.
Intresting
I need to refute your claim first dont take it as an attack on your faith there is total difference between christianity and hinduism you are talking about assyrian church first stop this donkey etymology the real name of assyria is asshur and by the way assyria was called asuristan a province in sassanid dynasty the name assur is actually the name of assyrian deity which was also chief god they become christian during early church father time although you may suggest otherwise there is still proof of aryan migration buddhism is a sect of hinduism so i dont want to talk hinduism is derivative of tribal gods and indus valley gods dravidians are far more older than you are so please accept and hinduism only accept dharmic faith not christian who are abrahamic they actually came from persia you could look at other hindu posts
You hindus have no other works but to demonize muslims what you are talking about those sasoon jews they are the one who has committed corruption within caliphate and after wholesome money went to india and by the way before accusing muslim of persecution wikipedia-jewish golden age israel wolfenstein-jews in muslim lands and norman weinstein-jews in arab lands
Most of these achayans are hard workers in the past. I have not seen any Namboothiri working hard in the farmland nor they are smart in business. When it comes to good looks most Namboothiris are average looking, ranging from most dark to medium complexion with blunt features. Only a few Nasranis look very good some 25%.Others look average nothing so great. Don't be fooled by actors and actresses playing Christians in Malayalam films. They are mostly Iyer&Nairs. (Most of them are superb looking)
These nasranis look nothing like Syrians. Most of these cunning fellows have a typical South Indian dalit face cut. Yet claim Syrian ancestry. Funny thing is that Mappilas (some 45% ) look very much like Arabs. Yet they are proud of being Malayali or Kerala Muslims.
SYRIANS, ONE LOST VILLAVAR TRIBE
Syrian Christian's are migrants from Persia from the capital city Seleucia Ctesiphon.They have Syrian, Persian, Kurdish, Aramic and Arabic roots. They might have some Tamil Villavar roots too.
VILLARVATTOM KINGDOM
Around 1102 AD the Tamil Later Chera kingdom ruled by Villavars came to an end. Chera capital was shifted from Kodungaloor to Kollam. An offshoot of Chera dynasty continued to rule the area between Udayanapuram near Vaikkom to Chendamangalam , Vaipeen, Paravur and coastal Ernakulam east of Vembanad kayal. Chendamangalam was the capital.
Villarvattom kingdom was also called Udaya Swaroopam. Villarvattam king was converted to Christianity around 1300s. Many Tamil Panickers and other Villavar people have joined lending them house names suggestive of Dravidian origin.The Portuguese mixture in the sixteenth century converted them into a Mestizo community. But their house names are still medival Villavar titles.
Villadath (வில்லாடத்து) Place of Villavar
Pynadath (பயி(ல்)நாடத்து) Training Lords
Maveli (மாவேலி) Villavar title variant of Mahabali
Padayattil (படயாட்டில்) House which controlled army
Pariyadan (பரியாடன்) Horse rider Cavalry
Panayathara (பனயத்தற) Land of Panayan-Pandiyan
Mavely (மாவேலி) Villavar title
Kooveli (கூவேலி) Koopaka Land
Painadathu (பயி(ல்)நாடத்து) Training Lord
Padamadan (படமாடன்) Army House Incharge
Kolattu (கோலாட்டு) Controlled by the king
Pullan (புல்லன்) Pandyan henchmen
Kovattu (கோவாட்டு) Controlled by King
Panicker(பணிக்கர்) Villavar subgroup
Panelikudy (பாணேலிக்குடி)
Panickaveetil (பணிக்கவீட்டில்) Panicker, army trainers house.Villavar subgroup
Vichattel (விச்சாற்றேல்) Archery house
Muvattu (மூவாட்டு) Three controlled
Menacherry (மேநாசேரி) Menadu Chera colony
Korattukudy(கோராட்டுகுடி) Royal stay controlled house
Kolattukudy(கோலாட்டுகுடி) House controlled by king
Cheradayi (சேரதாயி) Of Chera and Ay
Mavattathil (மாவாட்டத்தில்) Great swordmanship house
Myppan (மைப்பான்)
Manavalan (மணவாளன்) Bridegroom
Kattiyakkaran (கட்டியக்காரன்) Herald, Announcer
Vallooran (வள்ளூரான்) Villavar subgroup
Kannel (கண்ணேல்) Centre house
Manadan(மாநாடன்) Manadu=Pandyan Country
Mazhuvanchery (மழுவாஞ்சேரி) Mazhuvar a Villavar subgroup
Panaparambil (பாணப்பறம்பில்)
Panikulam (பாணிக்குளம்)
Panayathara(பனயத்தற) Panayan, alternate name for Pandiyan
Padayadan (படயாடன்) Commander of army
Inchody (இஞ்சோடி) Ginger transporter
Edapulavan (எடப்புலவன்) Bard
Vezhaparambil (வேழப்பறம்பில்) Elephant field house
Chettiyadan (செட்டியாடன்) Trader controller
Thandappilly (தண்டாப்பிள்ளி) Tax collecting house
Ambattu (அம்பாட்டு) Archer
Vellattukudy (வெள்ளாட்டுகுடி) Controller of Vellalas
Karimathy (கரிமத்தி) Elephant centre
Mavely (மாவேலி) Villavar title
Manickathan (மாணிக்கத்தான்) Dealer of precious stones
Veliath (வெளியத்து) Of Veliar tribe
Kaliyadan (கலியாடன்) Commander of Kallar army
Koyikkara (கோயிக்கர) Temple side
Kallopilly (கள்ளோப்பிள்ளி) The house of Kalla Chantar
Avuppadan (ஆவுபாடன்) Cow field owner
Paravatty (பறவாட்டி) Drummer
Panthalani (പന്തലാനി)(பந்தலானி) From Panthalani Kollam
Ezharathu (ഈഴാരാത്ത്)(ஈழாராத்து) House of Srilankan
Mannattu (மாந்நாட்டு) Of Pandiyan kingdom
Peruvanchikudy (பெருவஞ்சிக்குடி) Of Chera Kodungaloor
Ambadan (அம்பாடன்) Archer
Kalliath (கள்ளியத்து) House of Kalla
Hundreds of other Syrian house names in Medival Tamil are there.
MALAYALAM-TAMIL or MALAYANMA
The Native language of Kerala until 1830 was Malayalam-Tamil otherwise called Western Dialect of Tamil.
In the 19th century the Tulu-Nepalese dynasties of Kerala. The ruling clans of Samantha, Nambuthiris and Nairs used because of their northern origins at Ahichatra, used a heavily Nepalese language mixed Malayalam, which they wrote with Tulu script (Thigalari Script).
When Colonel Munro became the Diwan of Travancore in 1815, the British started promoting the Nepali/Thigalari language at the expense of Malayanma.
In 1815, The Church Mission Society, Kottayam started teaching the Syrian Christian priests with Nepali/Sanskrit/Thigalari Language otherwise called Grantha Malayalam.
In 1819 British missionary Benjamin Bailey went to Mangalore to study Tulu Alphabet. At the Basel Mission Mangalore he made first new Malayalam types, actually a modified form of Tulu/Thigalari Script.
TULU GRANTHA MALAYALAM
In 1829 the first Granthamalayalam Bible written by a converted Nair called Chandu Menon (Joseph Fenn) from Ottappalam and his two sons Govindan Kutty Menon (Bailey Fenn) and Padmanabha menon (Baker Fenn). Others Involved were Vaidyanatha Ayer, Iver Fety a Jew. Thus the first Malayalam bible was written by Nair+Aiyer+Jew.
German priests like Hermann Gundert wrote grammar and even published a News paper called Raja Samacharam. The Granthamalayalam became the official Malayalam and were taught in schools since from 1835.
The native Dravidian form of Malayalam, Malayalam-Tamil was banned. All the books written in Malayanma were never translated and lost for ever. The modern Malayalam contains more than 3000 Nepalese words. British perhaps used this language change to suppress the local Dravidian population.
WESTERN TAMIL
The western Tamil can be seen on all the old inscriptions. Below are the inscriptions at Kottayam Valia Pally. Archaelogists K.V Subramanya Aiyar and Ramanatha Aiyar had documented them meticulously.
TRAVANCORE ARCHEOLOGICAL SERIES VOLUME IV
PART 2, 1924
K.V. SUBRAHMANYA AIYAR
Superindent of Archaeology
A S. RAMANATHA AYYAR
Printed by Superindent, Govt Press, 1924.
Page 166 to 170.
No.46.—STONE INSCRIPTIONS IN THE VALIYAPALLI CHURCH AT KOTTAYAM.
Orthodox Syrian Christian Church (With Knanya past)
Church Kollam 725 (1550 AD)
Cross Kollam 754 (1579 AD)
Reign of King Vira Kerala Adityavarman
GRAVE HEADSTONE INSCRIPTIONS
________________________________________________________
Period: 1592 AD
1. கொல்லம் ௭௱௬௰௭ 767 மத
2. தனுமாதம் ௧௰ ௳ மாளி
3. க்கல் யிச்ச மாத்துயென்
4. மாத்து நல்லவழி செஇது
On the 19th day of the Month of Dhanus in Kollam 767, Mattuyen Mattu died.
________________________________________________________
Period: 1633 AD
1. கொல்லம் ௮௱௮ (808) மா
2. ண்டு சிங்ஙமாதம்
3. ௪௳(3 ம் நாள்) .......ன் சாண்டி
4. நல்லவழி பொயி
On the fourth day of the month of Simha of the Kollam year 808 Chandi died.
________________________________________________________
Period: 1716 AD
1. ௮௱௯௰௧(891) மாண்டு
2. தனுவ் மாதம்
3. ௨௰௪௳(24 ம் நாள்) இள
4. ச்சார் நல்ல
5. வழிக்க பொயி
On the 24th day of the month of Dhanus in the Kollam year 891 Elachar died.
________________________________________________________
Period: 1674 AD
1. கொல்லம் ௮௱௪௰
2. ௯(849) மாண்டு சிங்ங
3. மாதம் .............அ
4. ச்சா மாபிள ந
5. ல்ல வழிக்க6. பொயி
On the ............day of the month of the Simha in the Kollam year 849 Achcha mappila died.
________________________________________________________
Period: 1674 AD
1. ௮௱௪௰௯(849) ம
2. த மகரமா
3. தம் ௬௳(6 ம் நாள்)
4. அவுதெப்
5. ப நல்ல
6. வழி பொயி
On the 6th day of the month of Makara in the year 849 Avuseppu died.
________________________________________________________
Period: 1655 AD
1. கொல்லம் ௮௱௩௰(830)
2. மாண்ட தனு ௴
3. ௫௳(5 ம் நாள்) இடெகாடு
4. மாத்து நல்ல
5. வழி எட கூடி
On the 5th day of the month of Dhanus in the Kollam year 830 Edakkadu Mattu died.
________________________________________________________
VALIAPALLY
________________________________________________________
Period : 1710 AD
1. கொல்லம் ௮௱
2. ௮௰௫(885) மாண்ட க
3. ர்க்கட மாதம் ௰
4. ௳(10 ம் நாள்) கொச்சு மறி
5. யம் நல்ல வழி
6. எட கூடி
On the 10th day of the month of Karkatakam in the Kollam year 885, kochu Mariyam died.
________________________________________________________
1. கொல்லம் ................
2. ௨௰௫(25) மா ...........
3. தெல மா ....................
4. ௮௳(8 ம் நாள்) கூந...
5. செரி மறி ...................
6. ம்ம நல்ல ...................
Fragment of a Tombstone
________________________________________________________
Period: 1701 AD
1. கொல்லம் ௮௱
2. ௭௰௬(876) மாண்ட
3. துலாமாதம்
4. ௰௮௳(18 ம் நாள்) புன்னூது
5. மாப்பெள நல்ல
6. வழிக்க எட கூடி
On the 18th day of the month of Tula in the Kollam year 876 Punnudu Mappila died.
________________________________________________________
1. கொல்லம் ௯ ....
2. மாண்ட தனு ....
3. மாதம் அ ..........
Fragment of a tombstone
________________________________________________________
Period: 1717 AD
1. கொல்லம் ௮
2. ௱௯௰௨(892) மாண்
3. டு மகரம் ௰௯(19)
4. மாத்தெ
5. ஆவுதெப்பது
In the Kollam year 892 Makaram month 19th day Matte Avudeppu died
________________________________________________________
Period: 1589 AD
1. கொல்லம் ௭௱
2. ௬௰௪(764) மாண்ட
3. சிங்ஙமாத
4. ம் ௭௳(7ம் நாள்) பொ
5. த்தென் இப்ப
6. ச்சன் நல்ல
7. வழிக்க பொ
8. யி மிசியா
On the 7th day of the month of Simha in the Kollam year 764, Ippachan died. Messiah
________________________________________________________
Period: 1650 AD
1. கொல்லம் ௮
2. ௱௨௰௫(825) மாண்
3. ட கர்க்கடக
4. ௴ ௨௰௳(20 ம் நாள்) கண்
5. டக்கெல சா
6. .......நல்லவழி
On the 20th day of the month of Karkataka in the Kollam year 825, Kandakkal Sa........ died.
________________________________________________________
Period : 1645 AD
1. கொல்லம் ௮௱௨௰(820)
2. மாண்ட விருச்சிய
3. ஞாயிற்று ..............
4. க்கட்டலை யய்ய மா
5. பிள மகள் மறியம்
6. நல்லவழி
On ...... of the month of Vrischika in the Kollam year 820, Mariyam daughter of Ayya Mappila died.
________________________________________________________
Period : 1642 AD
1. கொல்லம் ௮௱௰
2. ௭(817) மாண்ட கன்னிஞா
3. யற்று ௪௳(4 ம் நாள்) நா
4. ல் .................... சி அயி
5. ................நல்லவழி
6. க்க பொயி
On the 4th day of the month Kanni in the Kollam year 817, ..................died.
________________________________________________________
Period : 1674 AD
1. கொல்லம் ௮௱௪௰௯(849)
2. மாண்ட தனு ......... ௨௰
3. ௯௳(29 ம் நாள்).........ச்
4. சி நல்லவழிக்க
5. பொயி
The date is Kollam 849, Dhanus 29, the persons name is damaged
________________________________________________________
Period : 1637 AD
1. கொல்லம் ௮௱௰
2. ௨(812) மாண்ட விரிச்சி
3. க மாதம் ௪௳(4 ம் நாள்)
4. ..........ள்ளிவ..............த
5. .....................................
6. நல்ல வழிக்க
On the 4th day of the month of Vrischika in the Kollam year 812, ........... died.
________________________________________________________
Period : 1674 AD
1. கொல்லம் ௮௱௪௰
2. ௯(849) மாண்ட சிங்ங
3. மாதம் ௮௳(8 ம் நாள்) அ
4. ச்ச மாபிள ந
5. ல்ல வழிக்க
6. பொயி
On the 8th day of the month of Simha in the Kollam year 849, Achha Mappila died.
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Conclusion:
1. Except month Names no Sanskrit used
2. Tamil Numerals were used
3. Period between 1550 AD to 1717 AD.
4. Kollam era used (Kollam Era+825=Modern Era)
5. Syrian Christians were using Western Tamil not Syriac or Karzoni.
.
NEPALESE IN MALAYALAM
Until 19th century the vernacular language of indigenous Dravidian people of Kerala was Malayanma which was devoid of Nepalese words but had few Sanskrit words. Philipose Rambans Bible was the last Malayanma book printed in 1811 AD.
After 1815 British missionaries changed policy and started promoting the Grantha Malayalam, a Nepalese mixed malayalam exclusively used by Nambuthiris and some Nairs, then used by less than 5% of the population.
Church Mission Society Kottayam and the British Missionary Benjamin Bailey and German missionary Herman Gundert were instrumental in the promotion of Nepalese colloquial words as Sanskrit. More than 3000 Nepalese words were added to Malayalam, a Dravidian language.
The place origin of these words is Ahichatra, capital of ancient from where Kadamba king Mayura Varma brought Aryan Brahmins and Naga warriors to Karnataka and settled them in Tulunad in 345 AD. Banapperumal a Tulu prince from Alupas Kingdom invaded Kerala in 1120 AD with a 350000 strong Nair army.
After the invasion of Malik Kafur in 1311 AD all the Tamil Kingdoms cane to an end. The Matriarchal kingdoms which followed after 1340 AD had this Tulu-Nepalese heritage.
In the 19th century Malayanma was deliberately mixed with these Nepalese words. The resultant language was popularised as Puthu Malayalam.
Nepalese words in Malayalam
🇳🇵 Abbreviated संक्षिप्त Saṅkṣipta സംക്ഷിപ്തമായി
🇳🇵 Abduction अपहरण Apaharaṇa അപഹരണം
🇳🇵 Aborigine आदिवासी Ādivāsī ആദിവാസി
🇳🇵 Acceptance स्वीकृति Svīkr̥ti സ്വീകാരം
🇳🇵 Accidental आकस्मिक Ākasmika ആകസ്മികമായ
🇳🇵 Accumulation संचय San̄caya സഞ്ചയം
🇳🇵 Acknowledgement स्वीकार Svīkāra സ്വീകാരം
🇳🇵 Actor अभिनेता Abhinētā അഭിനേതാവ്
🇳🇵 Actress अभिनेत्री Abhinētrī അഭിനേത്രി
🇳🇵 Addressing सम्बोधन Sambōdhana സംബോധനചെയ്യല്
🇳🇵 Adequacy पर्याप्तता Paryāptatā പര്യാപ്തത
🇳🇵 Adjective विशेषण Viśēṣaṇa വിശേഷണം
🇳🇵 Admission प्रवेश Pravēśa പ്രവേശനം
🇳🇵 Adore पूजा गर्नु Pūjā garnu പൂജിക്കുക
🇳🇵 Adulteressव्यभिचारिणी Vyabhicāriṇī വ്യഭിചാരിണി
🇳🇵 Adultery व्यभिचार Vyabhicāra വ്യഭിചാരം
🇳🇵 Advent आगमन Āgamana ആഗമനം
🇳🇵 Adventure साहसिक Sāhasika സാഹസിക
🇳🇵 Adversary विरोधी Virōdhī വിരോധി
🇳🇵 Adverse प्रतिकूल Pratikūla പ്രതികൂലമായ
NEPALESE IN MALAYALAM
🇳🇵 Adverse प्रतिकूल Pratikūla പ്രതികൂലമായ
🇳🇵 Advertisement विज्ञापन Vijñāpana വിജ്ഞാപനം
🇳🇵 Affection ममता Mamatā മമത
🇳🇵 Affection स्नेह Snēha സ്നേഹം
🇳🇵 Affliction पीडा Pīḍā പീഡ
🇳🇵 Aggression आक्रामकता Ākrāmakatā ആക്രമണം
🇳🇵 Agriculture कृषि Kr̥ṣi കൃഷി
🇳🇵 Aid सहायता Sahāyatā സഹായം
🇳🇵 Allegation आरोप Ārōpa ആരോപണം
🇳🇵 Allow अनुमति Anumati അനുമതി
🇳🇵 Almanac पंचांग Pan̄cāṅga പഞ്ചാംഗം
🇳🇵 Alms भिक्षा Bhikṣā ഭിക്ഷ
🇳🇵 Amazing आश्चर्यजनक Āścaryajanaka ആശ്ചര്യജനകമായ
🇳🇵 Ambrosia अमृत Amr̥ta അമൃതം
🇳🇵 Anarchy अराजकता Arājakatā അരാജകത്വം
🇳🇵 Ancient पुरानो Purānō പുരാണമായ
🇳🇵 Anniversary वार्षिकोत्सव Vārṣikōtsava വാര്ഷികോത്സവം
🇳🇵 Annual वार्षिक Vārṣika വാര്ഷികമായ
🇳🇵 Anointing अभिषेक गर्दै Abhiṣēka gardai അഭിഷേകംചെയ്യല്
🇳🇵 Answer उत्तर Uttara ഉത്തരം
🇳🇵 Antagonist विरोधी Virōdhī വിരോധി
🇳🇵 Anxiety चिन्ता Cintā ചിന്താകുലത
🇳🇵 Apology माफ Māpha माफी Māphī മാപ്പു
🇳🇵 Appointed नियुक्त Niyukta നിയുക്തമായ
🇳🇵 Appointment नियुक्ति Niyukti നിയുക്തമായ
🇳🇵 Apprehension आशंका Āśaṅkā ആശങ്ക
🇳🇵 Archer धनुर्धारी Dhanurdhārī ധനുര്ധാരി
🇳🇵 Argument तर्क Tarka തര്ക്കം
🇳🇵 Armour कवच Kavaca കവചം
🇳🇵 Arrangement व्यवस्था Vyavasthā വ്യവസ്ഥ
🇳🇵 Arrival आगमन Āgamana ആഗമനം
🇳🇵 Arrogance अहंकार Ahaṅkāra അഹങ്കാരം
🇳🇵 Arrogant अहंकारी Ahaṅkārī അഹങ്കാരിയായ
🇳🇵 Art कला Kalā കല
VILLARVATTOM KINGDOM
Villarvattom Kingdom was a subgroup and offshoot of imperial Chera dynasty of Kerala.The ancient Chera subgroups were Irumporai, Udhiyan, Veliar, Puraiyar etc. After the fall of Later Chera Dynasty in Kodungaloor following a Tulu invader called Banapperumal who attacked Kerala with a 350000 strong Nair army in 1120 AD, Chera Capital was shifted from Kodungaloor to Kollam.
At Cochin however a Chera clan called Villarvattom kingdom remained and was ruling until mid 15th century. Villarvattom kingdom was alternatively called Udhaya Swaroopam indicating it's origins at Udhiyan subgroup of Villavars.
CHENDANANGALAM
Villarvattom kingdom ruled places Cembil, Chendanangalam, Paravur, Elangunnapuzha--Vypeen, Kumbalam, Coastal ernakulam, Udhayamperoor, Udayanapuram near Vaikkom.All these areas in the laterdays became Christian strongholds. Villarvattom kingdom might have had 600 Sq. km area under its control in its heydays prior to 1450 AD.
Villarvattom kingdom had its capital at Chendanangalam Kottayil Kovilakam until the establishment of Matriarchal kingdoms in Kerala after the invasion of Malik Kafur in 1311 AD. Laterdays it's capital was at Udhayamperoor.
EMPEROR OF INDIA
The Villarvattom King sent a letter to Pope seeking help from European Powers.Pope referred the letter to Portuguese King. In 1439 AD Pop09e Eugene IV wrote an Apostolic Charter in Latin appointing Villarvattom king as the Emperor of India. Pope send envoys to Kerala with this letter who never reached Kerala. Villarvattom king was a legend among Europeans that a powerful Christian King called Prestor John(Presbyter John) ruled India.
But the help came quite late. Portuguese reached Keralas coast nearly 150 yrs later at 1498. Europeans called the Villarvattom King Beliarte.
Villarvattom kingdom faced attack from Samuthiris in mid fourteenth century as the Capital Chendanangalam was vulnerable to attack by sea.
MALIK KAFURS ATTACK
In 1311 after the attack of Malik Kafur all the Tamil dynasties came to an end.
Four Matriarchal Tulu-Nepalese kingdoms were installed when Madurai Sultanate came to power in 1335 AD. A Nambudiri dynasty which claimed to descent from Tulu invader Banapperumals sister who had been married to a Nambudiri, called Nambiadris were installed at rulers of Kochi Kingdom. Nairs and Nambudiris were migrants from
from Ahichchhatra capital of ancient Nepal to Tulunad, Coastal Karnataka.
DECLINE OF VILLARVATTOM KINGDOM AT CHENDANANGALAM
Some Panickers from Villarvattam kingdom joined the Nairs and accepted the overlordship of Perumbadappu Swaroopam. A Panicker family was awarded the Chendanangalam area, and in the laterdays they were known as Paliyathu Achan. This dethroning of Villarvattom king is mentioned in Kokila Sandesam written by Kodungaloor Kunjukuttan Thampuran.
Paliyam dynasty ruled as kings until 1585 AD. Last king was Ramavarma and his son Paliyathu Komi Achan became the Prime minister of Cochin.
By 1450s Cochin Kings completely captured all the land of Villarvattom except some areas near Udayamperoor. The Villarvattom chieftains were deprived of their royal status.
Syrian Christians claim that the last Villarvattom king Yakubs daughter Kirubavathy alias Mariyam was married to a Cochin prince called Ramavarma who had been converted to Christianity as Ittymani. Ittymani was arrested and thrown inside prison where he died. It is quite unlikely ad Kochi kings practiced Kootiruppu only in that era not a fixed marriage neither the conversion was possible.Some accounts mention that on Paliyath Achans mediation the last princess Kirubavathy alias Mariyam became a concubine of Cochin King and was converted to Hinduism.
VILLARVATTOM KINGDOM
PORTUGUESE PERIOD
When Portuguese arrived in 1498 AD, Vasco Da Gama was presented with the sceptre and sword of Villarvattom king by Syrian Christians.They requested that a fort may be built at Udayamperoor their stronghold so that whole of Kerala can be brought under their control. Portuguese who expected a powerful Indian Christian king chose to ignore the request.
The Villarvattom chieftains sought the assistance of Vasco Da Gama to assistance to regain their lost estates from the Cochin kingdom. Vasco Da Gama realised Villarvattom kings were nothing but petty feudal lords. Portuguese did nothing for the Villarvattom kings to regain territory.
Chendanangalam Catholic Seminary and Vypeekotta Seminary where the third printing press after Goa and Cochin were started at the land owned by the Villarvattom dynasty.
In 1599 Arch Bishop Menezes wanted the Cochin king to convert to Christianity. But the Cochin king eluded him and offered Senior Villarvattom Chieftain to be raised to Thamban or Thamburan status so that Menezes could evangelise and convert him to Christianity. This again indicates Villarvattom kings were Hindus or not officially Christians. Joseph Simonius Assemanus in his Bibliotheca Orientalis mentions that since the last king became issue less Beliarte's kingdom passed from the Christians to Heathen kings of Diamper. So in the same Villarvattam Royal family Christians ruled from Chendanangalam while their Hindu cousins ruled from Udayamperoor. But Menezes who met the senior member of the Villarvattom family says that they were deeply religeous Christians though they were not Catholics. Possibly some of the Udayamperoor Villarvattom family were Nestorians while the others were Hindus.
The Villarvattom King of Udayamperoor was baptised at the Chendanangalam Seminary by Bishop Menezes as Villarvattom Thoma Rajavu. Probably he was the first Roman Catholic from the family.
DUTCH PERIOD
When Dutch came in 1653 once again the Villarvattom family now Catholics became dormant. The last king in Udayamperoor lineage was Raja Thoma who died in 1701 who was buried at Udayamperoor Pazhe Palli, Old Church built by his ancestors.
Some Villarvattom chieftains existed until the 18th century.
In 1713 according to Granthavari Villarvattom attacked and looted Adoor village. They destroyed the temple harassed the Brahmins and seized the boat of the temple.They removed Nedunganattu Nambidis achans from power at Perumundamukku. Probably they had Dutch support. After this they disappeared from history.
PALAYUR COPPER PLATE
Kollam 781
1606 AD
Script: VATTEZHUTHU
Language : Malayalam-Tamil
Engraved on both sides of a single plate 8.5×1.7 inches belonging to Syro-Roman Church of Palaiyur.
Deed written in 1606 AD. A certain Iravi Narayanan resident of Kuttancherry had received a loan of 1055 Panam from the Vicar of Palayur Church and the functionaries of the Church. The document recordsconveyance of a landed property situated in Ilangulum in Irinnappuran-desam, called Vadakemuri Land and the adjoining land with forty Nazhi seed sowing capacity to Palur Church Vicar Paru Kulankara Itty Achanar against the 1055 Panam and interest. In this way Palur Church Vikari Paru Kulankara Itty Achanar and Functionaries made this deed written. Nambuthiri of Kothanallur was a witness. Document was written by Madakkavu Sattappa Menon. (TAS 3 Page 81)
First Side.
1. கொல்லம் ௭௱௮௰௧(781) -மத கும்ப ஞாயற்றில் எழுதிய வெம்
2. பாட்டம் நெற் பலிச ஓலகரணமாவத பாலூற் பள்ளிலெ விகாரியும் புரொ
3. த்திக்காரரும் கூட கைய்யால் ஆயிரத்த அன்ம் பத்த அஞ்
4. சு புது பணம் கொண்டான் கூத்தம்செரி இரெவிநாராணென்
5. கொண்டான் கொண்டன பரிசாவத இக்கொண்ட புது ௧(1) பணம் ௲௫௰
6. ௫ (1055) னும் காரியம் தன்ற்றெ இரிங்ஙப்புரம் தெசத்த இளங்
7. குளத்த வடிக்கெமுறி பறம்பும் அதின அடுத்த கண்டங் ங
8. ள் நால்ப்பதினாழி வித்தினு கண்டவும் கூட நில பா
9. ட்டமுள்ப்பட ஆயிரத்த அன்ம்பத்த அஞ்சு பணத்தின
Second Side.
10. நெற்பலிச கிழிடுமாற எழுதிக் கொடுத்தான் இரெவி நாராணென்.
11. இம்மார்க்கமெ இச்சொன்ன இளங்குளத்தெ வடக்கெமுறிப் பறம்
12. பும் அதிடுத்த கண்டம் நானாழி வித்தின்னு கண்டவும் கூடி ஆ
13. யரத்த ௲௫௰௫(1055) த்தின்ன நெற்பலிச கிழியுமாற எழு
14. திச்சு கொண்டாற் பாலூற் பள்ளியில் விகாரி பரூக்குளங்ஙரெ
15. இட்டி அச்செனாரும் புரொத்திக்காரரும் கூடி இப்படிக்க
16. இதட்டுயும்(இத அறியும்) தாழ்க்கி கொதநல்லூர் நம்புதிரி மா
17. டக்காவில் சாத்தப்பமெனோன் கையழுத்த _________________________________________________________
MALAYALAM TRANSLITERATION
മലയാളം ലിപ്യന്തരണം
1. കൊല്ലം 781 - മത കുമ്പ ഞായറ്റിൽ എഴുതിയ വെം
2. പാട്ടം നെറ് പലിശ ഓലകരണമാവത പാലൂറ് പള്ളിലെ വികാരിയും പുരൊ
3. ത്തിക്കാരരും കൂട കൈയ്യാൽ ആയിരത്ത അൻമ്പത്ത അഞ്ച്
4. പുതു പണം കൊണ്ടാൻ കൂത്തംചെരിഇരവിനാരാണെൻ
5. കൊണ്ടാൻ കൊണ്ടന പരിശാവത ഇക്കൊണ്ട പുതു (1) പണം 105
6. 5 നും കാരിയം തന്റ്റെ ഇരിങ്ങപ്പുരം ദെശത്ത ഇളങ്
7. കുളത്ത വടിക്കെമുറി പറമ്പും അതിന അടുത്തകണ്ടങ്ങ
8. ൾ നാല്പ്പതിനാഴി വിത്തിനു കണ്ടവും കൂട നില പാ
9. ട്ടമുൾപ്പട ആയിരത്ത അന്മ്പത്ത അഞ്ച്പണത്തിനSecond Side.
10. നെറ്പലിശ കിഴിടുമാറ എഴുതിക്കൊടുത്താൻഇരവി നാരാണെൻ
11. ഇമ്മാർക്കമെ ഇച്ചൊന്ന ഇളങ്കുളത്തെ വടക്കെമുറിപ്പറമ്പും
12. അതിടുത്ത കണ്ടം നാനാഴി വിത്തിന്നു കണ്ടവും
കൂടി ആ
13. യരത്ത 1055 ത്തിന്ന നെറ്പലിശ കിഴിയുമാറ
എഴു
14. തിച്ചു കൊണ്ടാറ് പാലൂറ് പള്ളിയിൽ വികാരി പരൂക്കുളങ്ങരെ
15. ഇട്ടി അച്ചെനാരൂം പുരൊത്തിക്കാരരും കൂടി
ഇപ്പടിക്ക
16. ഇതട്ടുയും (ഇത അറിയും) താഴ്ക്കി കൊതനല്ലൂർ നമ്പുതിരി മാ
17. ടക്കാവിൽ ചാത്തപ്പമെനോൻ കൈയഴുത്ത.
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ACTS OF THOMAS
Only ancient literature describing the mission of St.Thomas was written by Jewish author Bardaishan Acts of Thomas in the second century AD.
JOURNEY OF ST.THOMAS
1. Andropolis Kherbeta, Egypt.
2. Babylon, Iraq
3. Maishan (Meson Mesene) Iran
4. Sarbug Sarbak Baloochistan Iran.
5. Warkan Baloochistan, Pakistan.
6. Taxila Pakistan
7. Kingdom of Misdeus ? Ghazni Afghanistan
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ANDROPOLIS
St. Thomas visited Andropolis (Kherbeta) in Egypt first. The merchant Abbanes accompanied him. When he visited Egypt the kings daughter was getting married. The King had announced that all his subjects were required to participate in the wedding banquet.
St.Thomas attended the wedding but not eating. They were recling at the floor in the Arab style. Unguent was given to the guests which St.Thomas smeared to his head.
SMITTEN BY CUP-BEARER
One of the cup bearers smote him and St.Thomas cursed him that his hand will be eaten by Dogs. One jewish maid had heard this.When the Cup- Bearer went out he was killed by a Lion. A dog brought a half eaten hand to the banquet site.
When the king heard about this he wanted the saint to bless his daughter. St. Thomas or Jesus in the form of his twin brother advised the newly married couple to abstain from consummation.
Next day the queen was shocked to see her daughter without Veil sitting with her husband. She considered it shameless. King angered by this called searched for St.Thomas but St.Thomas had already set sail for India.
PTOLEMY - CLEOPATRA
Egypt had been ruled by a Greek kingdom from 305 BC to 30 BC. But after the defeat of Cleopatra and Mark antony, Egypt was ruled by Roman empire. But the king St.Thomas met could be an Arab Sheikh.
JOURNEY THROUGH BABYLON AND PERSIA
St.Thomas travelled south of Babylon to Maishan, then to Sarbug in Iran, and from there to Warkan in Ballochistan to Taxila in Pakistan.
GONDOPHARES OF
IND0-PARTHIAN KINGDOM
According to Acts of Thomas St.Thomas visited next King Gondaphares (20 to 46 AD)(Gundaphorus) belonging to Indo-Parthian dynasty who ruled from Taxasila, in Pakistan.
PALACE FOR GONDOPHORUS
St.Thomas, a trained carpenter and Architect was assigned to build a palace for King Gondophorus which he started in the Macedonian month Dios (October) and promised to complete it by Xanthikos (March). But St.Thomas spent the money for te welfare of poor. After six months when the king visited the site he found no palace. When the king enquired about the palace St.Thomas said the palace has been completed but not in this world. When the king was told that St.Thomas had built the palace in Heaven he realised that he had been cheated by St.Thomas.
IMPRISONMENT OF ST.THOMAS
St.Thomas alongwith Habban was imprisoned by King Gondaphares.
GAD
That night the kings long ailing brother Gad after making Gondophorus the guardian of his children died.Gad was taken by the Angels to heaven where he saw a beautiful palace. When Gad tried to enter the house the Angels stopped him saying that it had been kept ready for King Gondophares. Then the Angels sent him back to earth. Gad came to life and explained his brother the happenings.
BAPTISM OF GONDOPHARES
Gondophares released the Apostle from the prison. Perhaps Abbanes was also released. Gondaphares and Gad were baptized as Christians by St.Thomas.
YOUTH BITTEN BY SNAKE
St.Thomas brought to life an youngman back to life by commanding the snake which had bitten him to suck back the venom.
WOMAN SLAIN BY BOYFRIEND
St.Thomas brought back to life a woman slain by her boyfriend who was a follower of the Apostle.
KINGDOM OF MISDAEUS
INDO-GREEK KINGDOM
Then St.Thomas visited a Greek kingdom ruled by Misdeus or Mazdai (in Syriac).
INVITATION OF SIPHOR
St Thomas was invited to the country of Misdeus by a rich captain called Siphor whose wife and daughter were possessed by demons.
WILD ASSES
St.Thomas travelled from Taxila to the Kingdom of Misdaeus in a chariot drawn by wild asses. The wild asses also talked and obey ed commands of the apostle. St.Thomas performed many miracles before freeing Wife and daughter from the demons. St.Thomas was preaching to masses who gathered around him (Either in Greek or Araemic)
MYGDONIA
Hearing about this Mygdonia wife of Carisius a relative of came to see St.Thomas. Again St.Thomas advised celibacy to her. Mygdonias refusal to dine or sleep with Carisius prompted him to complain to King Misdaeus.
SCOURGING AND IMPRISONMENT
King Misdaeus ordered his soldiers to bring St.Thomas before him. Since St.Thomas was surrounded by great number of people the soldiers could not arrest him. Then Carisius himself came. Carisius pulled out the turban of one of his slaves and put the cloth around the neck of Apostle and dragged him to the King.King Misdeus ordered him to be scourged 125 times before casting him into the prison.
BAPTISM OF MYGDONIA AND NARCIA
Mygdonia went to prison with the intention of bribing the Jailers with ten Denarii but she met St.Thomas and a great light before him on the way. Jail doors had opened miraculously. St.Thomas came to her house anointed her with holy oil in the name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost Baptised and broke bread with her. Narcia the nurse of Mygdonia was also Baptised.
RETURN OF ST.THOMAS TO PRISON
St.Thomas returned to the Jail. The doors were still wide open and the guards and the prisoners were sleeping.
ST.THOMAS BROUGHT BEFORE MISDAEUS
Misdeus released St.Thomas asking him to persuade Mygdonia to return her old ways and to live with Carisius. St.Thomas went to Carisius house and asked Mygdonia to obey Carisius.
BAPTISM OF SIPHOR AND HIS FAMILY
Then St.Thomas went to Siphors house where he Baptised Siphor, his wife and daughter after anointing them with holy oil, in the name of Father, Son and holy Ghost. St.Thomas broke bread and gave it to them.
TERTIA WIFE OF MISDAEUS
King Misdaeus told about the misfortune of Carisius because of the sorcerer St.Thomas to his wife Tertia. Tertia was intrigued When Tertia went to the house of Charisius she found Mygdonia in humility with ashes and a sack cloth spread under her, repenting at the floor.Tertia then went to the house of Siphor where she met the Apostle who told about Jesus Christ. Tertia came home rejoicing. Misdaeus thought that she had been bewitched by the Sorcerer.
OUAZANES SON OF MISDAEUS
Ouazanes(Iuzanes, Juzanes, Vizan) ordered the soldiers to bring St.Thomas to the Court house.The prince was quite convinced by the preaching of St.Thomas and even wanted to find a way to free him. But the King Misdaeus came with his guards and took him under custody.
COURT OF MISDAEUS
The soldiers bound the hands of St.Thomas and brought him before Misdaeus.The king asked who he was and with what powers he was doing these things.St.Thomas answered that he was a man like him but he was doing things because of Jesus Christ.
HOT RED IRON PLATES
King Misdaeus asked the Apostle on a hot iron plate bare footed. Suddenly water sprang from Earth and covered the plates.
IMPRISONMENT AGAIN
King Misdaeus send the Apostle to prison again and contemplated ways to execute him St.Thomas was accompanied by Ouazanes on the right, Siphor on his left and the wife and daughter of Siphor to prison.St.Thomas then prayed, the Lords prayer. Mathew 6: 9-14
Tertia, Mygdonia and Narcia went to the prison and bribed the Jailer with 363 staters of Silver. When they reached near St.Thomas found Ouazanes, Siphor and his wife and daughter there. All the prisoners were sitting and hearing the word. Iuazanes requested St.Thomas to visit his sick wife Mnesara who was ailing for long.
St.Thomas asked Juzanes to go and prepare things.The prisoners had locked it but Juzanes found it open. Juzanes met his ailing wife Mnesara on the way who claimed that an invisible youth held her hand and was leading her. Then Judas, accompanied by Tertia, Mygdonia, Narcia, Siphor and his wife and daughter came to Ouazanes's house. Judas promised that Mnesara will be further guided by Jesus.
BAPTISM OF TERTIA MNESARA AND OUAZANES
Judas made the women undressed and wore a girdle and then anointed by Mygdonia. St.Thomas anointed Ouazanes and Baptised all of them in the name of Father, Son and the Holy Ghost. Apostle went back to the prison along with Tertia, Mygdonia and Narcia.
JAILERS COMPLAINING TO MISDAEUS
The Jailers went to Misdaes and complained that after admitting the Sorcerer they were unable to keep the doors of the prison closed and they could not prevent the Queen Tertia and Prince Ouazanes visiting St.Thomas.
MISDAEUS AT PRISON
King Misdaeus stripped St.Thomas and girdled him.King Misdaeus planned to execute St.Thomas but wanted to do it secretly as St.Thomas had many followers.
THE EXECUTION OF ST.THOMAS
Misdaeus took St.Thomas along with four soldiers and an officer outside the city. He handed over St.Thomas to them and asked them to the nearby mountain and pierce him with their spears.People accompanied them to the hill. Iuazanes persuaded the soldiers to allow him to pray.After the prayer St.Thomas asked the soldiers to proceed. Four soldiers came and pierced him with spears and he fell down and died.
ROYAL SEPULCHRE
St.Thomas was buried in the Royal sepulchre where they buried all the earlier kings.
CONTINUANCE OF FAITH
Tertia and Mygdonia were afflicted by their husbands but they remained firm in their faith.
PRESBYTER AND DEACON
Apostle St.Thomas before he went to the hill had made Siphor a Presbyter and Iuazanes as a Deacon.Many were added to their faith.
MISDAEUS SON POSSESSED BY DEVIL
After a long time one of the sons of Misdaes were possessed by Devil. King Misdaes by then had become a believer of St.Thomas. King Misdaes wanted to get a bone of St.Thomas to cure his son.But when he opened the Sepulchre there was no bones of St.Thomas.
ST.THOMAS BONES STOLEN
One of the brethren had secretly stolen the bones of St.Thomas and had taken them to Mesopotamia.
DUST FROM GRAVE
King Misdaes took some dust from the grave and hung it around the neck of his son thereby curing him. King Misdaeus bowed below the hands of Siphor the Presbyter who and the Brethern prayed for the King Misdeus. Multitudes of people joined the faith.
GREEK KINGDOMS IN AFGHANISTAN
Alexander established a Greek colony at the foothills of Hindukush mountains which he called Alexandria of Caucasus in 329 BC in the country of Paropamisadae. Alexander the Great conquered the Ghazni province in 329 BC, and called Alexandria in Opiana.
INDO-GREEK KINGDOM (185 BC - 35 AD)
Indo-Greek kingdom was established by Demetrius in 185 BC.
INDO-GREEK CAPITALS
Early capitals
Alexandria in the Caucasus (Bagram), and Alexandria of Opiana(Ghazni) were in Afghanistan.
Later capitals Taxila, Chiniotis, Sagala, Pushkalavati all were at Pakistan at the Indus area and adjoining areas of Punjab.
MENANDER
An Indo-Greek king called Menander( Menander I Soter) ruled over Indo-Greek kingdom between 165 BC to 155 BC with capital at Sagala (Sialkot) in Pakistan. Menander converted to Buddhism and was known by the name Milinda. Strato I son of Menander ruled between 130 BC to 110 BC. Last king of this dynasty was Strato II Soter who ruled between 25 BC to 10 AD at Punjab. In 10 AD Indo-Greek kingdom of Strato II Soter was supplanted by the Indo-Scythian(Saka) Northern Satraps. But another last Indo-Greek king Zoilos III Soter has ruled from Pakistan in 35 AD.
THE IDENTIFICATION OF MISDAEUS
A descendant of Zoilos III Soter(10 AD to 35 AD), might have survived at the Ghazni province of Afghanistan as King Misdeus. The kingdom of Misdaeus was
1. Desert
2. Mountainous
3. Had a place called Calamina
4. Greek kingdom
5. Currency was Denarri and Staters of silver
6. Close to Taxila
7. Wild Ass habitat
8. Months Dius and Xanthicos
Since Mygdonia wife of Carisius tells the Apostle that their country was a desert kingdom it could not have been Indus area.The last Indo-Greeks might have ruled from arid, hill desert like Ghazni province of Afghanistan.
Aravalli hills is a mountainous desert country but it was under Saka Satraps, the enemy territory.
Acts says that St.Thomas was executed at Calamina, a hill. Kalaminar near Jaghatu in the Ghazni province could be the place where St.Thomas was martyred. Greeks called this country Alexandria of Opiana. Wild asses are found at north eastern India and Pakistan. Denarii and Stater were Greek currency. Months Dius and Xanthicos were Greek currency.
In fact there are three places called Kalaminar in Afghanistan.
1. Kala-Minar Jaghatu, Ghazni, Afghanistan
2. Kalaminar, Chagcaran, Ghowr, Afghanistan
3. Koh-e-Kalaminar north east of Kabul
Misdeus might belong to the Soter dynasty established by Menander. Misdeus could be the son of King Zoilos III who ruled from Indus.
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PLACES MENTIONED IN ACTS OF THOMAS
ANDROPOLIS
Andropolis, Egypt, an Ancient city and former bishopric, now Kherbeta and a Latin Catholic titular see. Kherebta, Kom Hamada, El Beheira Governorate, Egypt.
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BABYLON
Hillah, Babil Governorate, Iraq, about 85 kilometres (53 mi) south of Baghdad. Iraq.
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MOSANI (MAISHAN) where is the resort of the merchants of the East, and reached the land of the Babylonians and the of Sarbug walls unto came (Acts of Thomas)
Meson (Mesene; Maishan) the great, that lieth on the shore of the sea (Acts of Thomas)
1. MAISHAN MESHAN PROVINCE of the Sasanian Empire. It consisted of the Parthian vassal kingdoms of Mesene and Characene and reached north along the Shatt al-Arab river and then the lower Tigris to Madhar and possibly further. Its inhabitants included Babylonians, Arabs, Iranians, and even some Indians and Malays
Capital : Vahman-Ardashir
Since it is situated in the seashore the most likely place mentioned in the acts.
OR
2. Maysan Governorate Maisan Iraq. Metropolitanate of Maishan or Maysan was an East Syriac metropolitan province of the Church of the East between the fifth and thirteenth centuries. The historical region of Maishan or Maysan is situated in southern Iraq. _______________________________________________
SARBUG
Sarbak a village in Sarbuk Rural District, Sarbuk District, Qasr-e Qand County, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran
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WARKAN
Warkan (Hyrcania?) had my parents sent thither by the hand of their treasurers, unto whom they committed it because of their faithfulness (Acts of Thomas)
1.WARKAN BALOCHISTAN
Warkan, is a Mountain that exists at Loralai, Balochistan in Pakistan.
OR
2. HYRCANIA IRAN (Varkâna)
Hyrcanian Forests IranVarkâna, the name of the satrapy located on the southern and southeastern shores of the Caspian, is thought to mean "wolf-land" (c.f. Avestan vəhrkō, Sanskrit vŗka and New Persian gorg). The Greeks knew it as Hyrkania (Ὑρκανία, while in Latin and consequently Western European languages, it's spelled "Hyrcania".
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TAXILA
Taxila (Takhkhasilā) Punjab, Pakistan is 32 km away to Islamabad. Taxila was the capital of Gondophares I who was founder of Indo-Parthian Kingdom who ruled between 19 AD to 46 AD. His kingdom encompassed Drangiana, Arachosia, and Gandhara.
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MYSTERY
St.Thomas is mentioned as the twin brother of Jesus. Didymos, Judas Thomas. But Acts never mention Joseph and Mary as St.Thomas's father.
Dear Vilmeenkodi, thank you for your comments. Why don't you also post details of the source(s) for your claims/statements?
The source is the Acts of Thomas itself. If you take a map and trace St.Thomas journey he first went to Andropolis in Egypt which used to be a major centre for Christianity under the Patriarchate of Alexandria.From there St.Thomas sails landing at Gaza or Israel. It is clearly given he travelled with Babylon in his left hand side, meaning he took a route closer to Persian gulf, Maishan, Iranian Baloochistan, Warkan in Pakistan and then to Takshashila.
(19th century Europeans thought that he took a route north of Babylon from Antioch, Hyrcania forest in the south of Caspian sea and then Maishan Sarbug and Taxila).
The events in the events might happen between 40 AD to 46 AD. When St.Thomas left Misdeus kingdom King Gondophorus (20 AD to 40 AD) was still ruling.
St.Thomas travelled in a wild Ass pulled Chariot which could not have travelled more than 500 km. Wild Ass habitat is Afghanistan, Pakistan Kutcher and Northern Rajastan. Wild asses not found in South India.
Zoilos III Soter's coins have been found at Sindh area, possible date 10 AD to 35 AD.
Since Saka Satraps were with capitals at Indus Minnagara and Barykachha,Sindh and Narmatha were under Saka Satraps A Greek king can only go back to Afghanistan to either Gazni (Alexandria of Opiana) or Ghori Province(Alexandria of Caucasus).
ARTHUNKAL VELUTHACHAN AND LORD AYYAPPAN
PANDYAN TERRITORIES
Though the country was ruled by Matriarchal Tulu rulers many Panickars from Alangad, Ambalapuzha and along the banks of Periar were still loyal to Pandyans of Pandalam. Pandyans existed in central Kerala in Pandalam, Mavelikkara and Kanjirappally area and were known as Keralasingha Valanadu in the Pandian records.
NAICKER ATTACK
Thirumala Naickar sent a Marava chiftain called Udayanan who was a robber with a Maravappada to Kerala sometime between 1623 to 1630 AD. Udayanan built a fort in Karimala near munnar. Udayanan started pillaging the nearby places. Udayanan kidnapped the Pandyan princess Mayadevi. She was rescued. But only after many years Udayanan was defeated and killed. The fear Naickars resulted in the unification of people of diverse origins against Udayanan.
RESCUE OF PANDYAN PRINCESS
Pandyan king with the help of Cheerappanchira Panickar rescued his sister but sent her to stay at Cheerappanchira.
One view was that Pandyan princess was married to Cheerappanchira Panickars nephew. And the son born to them was Ayyappan.
The Alangad Yogam which was also a Panicker Kalary also considered as Pithrustanam, Fathers place of Lord Ayyappa.
SYNCRETIC FAITH
But in that era when Ayyappan was quite young people started to believe that Ayyappan and St.Sebastian were brothers.
Sebastian was a Roman officer, a captain of the Praetorian Guards who embraced Christianity insulted Roman Emperor Diocletian (284 to 305 AD) by ridiculing him leading to his execution by shooting arrows on him.
St.Sebastian became a popular deity to all Catholics. In Arthunkal Church a statue of St.Sebastian sculptured in Milan, was installed in 1647 AD. In the Portuguese era Jesuit priests did not reject the local Hindu and Dravidian customs. Christian Churches also had Bronze flag poles on which flags were hoisted. In the St.Sebastian churches many wait for the appearance of two white hawks flying over the church during the annual festival even today.
AYYAPAN DEVOTEES
Many Ayyappan devotees visit Arthunkal Basilica as part of the pilgrimage each year. The reason said to be Lord Ayyappa used to be very friendly with St.Sebastian. Since they were so close they were considered to be brothers.
The Sabarimala pilgrims offer prayers at the Arthungal church. They remove the sacred chain Mala called Mudra worn around the neck of pilgrims. The pilgrims also take a ritual bath in one of the two ponds near the church.
ARTHUNKAL VELUTHACHAN AND LORD AYYAPPAN
RELIGEOUS HARMONY
The religeous and ethnic harmony established by Ayyappan enabled worship in Arthunkal Church as well as Vavar palli. Mala Arayar, Panickkars, Latin Catholics and Muslims all supported Ayyappan and were treated with respect.
The Pandyan dynasty probably ended by 1700 AD. Pandian land was taken over by Nambuthiris who pretend to be Pandyans and use a title Raja.
VAVAR PALLI
Erumeli Nainar Juma Masjid in Kerala’s Kottayam district is regularly visited by Lord Ayyappa pilgrims. This mosque is considered to be the mosque of Vavar. They dont enter the prayer hall of the Mosque but circumambulate the mosque and space provided for resting. The pilgrims are allowed to break coconut and pray here and put Kanika, offerings.
There is another place of worship in Sabarimala called Vavarnada where there is no statue of Vavar but a carved granite slab. A Muslim priest is there. Here also Ayappa devotees pray.
MALA ARAYAR
Mala Araiyar could be connected to Malaiyar tribe one of the three major Villavar tribes which supported Chera Dynasty. The Mala Arayar who had been the main supporters of Lord Ayyappan continued to be the priests and owners of the Lord Ayyappan temple until 1904 AD.
This is one of the reason for the survival of the syncretic faith and religeous tolerance to twentieth century.
Mala Arayars were evicted from their lands by the Pandalam kings in the 1800s. Mala Araiyars were evicted from Sabarimala and seventeen hills around Sabarimala.
Mala Arayars were forced to carry Cardamom from hills to plains without wages. In 1856 AD Mala Arayars attacked the government officials who forced them.
MALA ARAIYAR CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY
The harassment of Mala Arayars led to their religeous conversion to Christianity in the nineteenth century. About half of Mala Arayars converted to Christianity.
CMS Missionary Fr. Henry Baker worked among them between 1840 to 1862 AD. Fr.Henry Baker wrote a book called Hill Arrians of Travancore.
In 1879 there were about 2000 christian converts. British missionary Samuel Mateer who visited them in 1883 mentions that the Mala Araiyar resided in the western slopes of the highrange mountains. Their villages consist of houses scattered all over the steep hill slides in his book Native Life in Travancore.
DRAVIDIAN STYLE WORSHIP
Mala Arayar priests conducted Dravidiyan style worship until 1904 AD. Their main form of worship was abulation with honey and abulation with ghee. Until recently the "Thenabhishekam" worship of Mala Araiyars was allowed. Before decades the Thantris denied this form of worship.
In 1904 Travancore king appointed a family of priests from Andhrapradesh who settled down at Chengannoor. This family called Thazhamon family of Thantris have been having hereditary rights to be priests at Sabarimala since 1904 AD.
FIRE ACCIDENT
In 1950 a large fire accident damaged the Sabarimala temple. The idol itself was damaged
NEW AYYAPAN IDOL
P. T. Rajan alias Sir Ponnambala Thiaga Rajan who was the Chief minister of Madras presidency in 1936 and also the last Prsident of Justice party, gifted the present panchaloha idol of Lord Ayyappa to the Sabarimala temple that replaced the old damaged idol.
ARTHUNKAL VELUTHACHAN AND LORD AYYAPPAN
ARTHUNKAL CHURCH
St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal is situated at Arthunkal, Cherthala in Kerala at a seashore, facing Arabian sea. Arthunkal Church was built in the Portuguese period in the early sixteenth century. It was rebuilt in 1584 by an Italian Jesuit priest called Vicar Jacomo Fenicio. Devotees called him "Arthunkal Veluthachan".
Rev. Fr. Giacomo Fenicio (1558 AD - 1632 AD), was the first european missionary to study Hinduism to write articles and books about Hinduism in Latin. He was also interested in Hindu culture and Kalarippayattu which he learned from Cheerappanchira Panickers.
ARTHUNKAL VELUTHACHAN
When the Arthunkal Veluthachan was Vicar of the Arthunkal church the Latin Catholics of Cherthala also joined the war against Udayanan. Arthunkal Vezhuthachan is also famed to have been trained in the famed Cheerappanchira Kalari in Muhamma.
Arthunkal Veluthachan and his Latin Catholics were believed to be friends and supporters of Lord Ayyappan. But as the events happened in the Thirumala Naickers period between 1623 to 1659 AD, Arthunkal Veluthachan could have been quite elderly. Arthunkal Veluthachan expired in 1632 AD.
But legends say that Ayyappa Swamy accompanied by Arthungal Velutha in the presence of the chieftain of Alangad , Njalur Kartha, Kampilly Panikkar and Mullappilly Nair, addressed the Alangad warriors at the banks of Periar in Aluva.
Kampilly Panicker was the first person to chant 'Saranam Ayyappa" while ascending the hilly terrain at Erumely. He also was the first Velichappadu or Oracle. Kampilly is a place close to Alangadu, west of Paroorkavala in Aluva.
Lord Ayyappan was an adult during the life time of Arthungal Veluthachan who died in 1632 AD. So the war with Udayanan could have happened before 1632 AD.
ST.SEBASTIANS STATUE
When St.Sebastians statue was installed in 1747 AD many local devotees started calling the idol Veluthachan too.
PANDIAN EXILE
It is generally believed that during the rule Thirumala Naicker (1723 to 1759 AD) came to power he exiled all the Pandyan families from Madurai. Some settled at Kallidaikurichi and Ambasamudram in the Venad. There was a belief that the foreheads of the Pandyan princes were marked with Vermilion before their banishment.
But the Pandyan families settled down at Poonjar and Pandalam could have migrated earlier around 1600 AD. It is because Ayyappan born to Pandyan princess Mayadevi, was an adult during the life time of Arthungal Veluthachan (1632) Pandyan migration to Pandalam could have occurred around 1600 AD.
PANICKARS
The Panickars were martial art trainers who trained soldiers for war. Each Panickar maintained a small army with which they supported Chera and related Pandyan dynasties. Panickars were subgroups of Tamil Villavar people. But after the invasion of Malik Kafur in 1310 AD, and the defeat of Pandyan dynasty Tulu matriarchal kingdoms had been established in Kerala in 1335 AD.
After that Kerala was ruled by Samantha Kshatriyas, Tuluva Brahmin Nambudiris and Nairs. In this period many Panickers left Kerala. Some went to Srilanka. Some joined Ezhavas while others joined the Portuguese army and later to Syrian Christians. Laterdays Panickar title was also given to Nairs.
CHEERAPPANCHIRA PANICKAR
In Muhamma in Cherthala, the Cheerappanchira Kalari was situated. Cheerappanchira Panickars were Ezhavas. In this Cheerappanchira Kalari Jesuit priest Fr. Jacomo Fenicio, Arthunkal Veluthachan was trained in Kalaripayattu. Arthunkal Church was about ten kilometre away from Cherappanchira Kalari.
PORTUGUESE PERIOD(1498 AD to 1661 AD)
1623 AD
Lord Ayyappan was fighting against Thirumala Naicker(1623 to 1659 AD)sent Marava army led by Udayanan.
1630 AD
Arthungal Veluthachan accompanied Lord Ayyappan to Aluva where he addressed Alangad warriors at the banks of Periar. When Lord Ayyappan was staying at Perumbavoor he gave audience to Kodassery Karthavu.
1632 AD
Rev. Fr. Giacomo Fenicio (1558 to 1632) an Italian Jesuit priest from Padua who was also known as Arthunkal Veluthachan died.Lord Ayyappan was
1640 AD
The Marava army was defeated after 17 years with the help of Mala Arayar chieftains, Pandippada,Cheerappanchirachira Panickers, Ambalappuzha Panickar, Alangadu Panickars and Nair chieftains such as Kodassery Karthavu,Mullappilly Nair, Vavar army from Chandanapally, Erumeli and the Latin Catholics of Arthunkal who were under the Portuguese control.
1647 AD
In 1647 the the statue of St.Sebastian struck by arrows sculptured at Milan was installed at the St.Andrews church.
Lord Ayyappan was friendly with Sebastianose at Arthunkal church.
Lord Ayyappan was so close to St.Sebastian leading to the belief that Lord Ayyappan and St.Sebastian were brothers.
The events told in oral traditions is between 1623 AD to 1647 AD.
It is the same period when one enterprising priest called Parambil Thommi was scheming against the Portuguese.
BRAHMINS IN ANCIENT KERALA - THAMILAKAM
In the ancient times Dravidians performed pooja in temples. Aryan Brahmins supervised Vedic rites.
The Aryan Brrahmins were called in the Sangam age until 400 AD.
1. Anthanar (அந்தணர்)(അന്തണർ)
2. Parppanar (பார்ப்பனர்)(പാർപ്പനർ)
3. Parppar (பார்ப்பார்)(പാർപ്പാർ)
4. Vediar (வேதியர்)(വേദിയർ)
Brahmins between 500 AD to 800 AD
1. Okiar(ஓகியர்)(ഓഗിയർ)
2. Thavathor(தவத்தோர்)(തവത്തോർ)
3. Munivar (முனிவர்)(മുനിവർ)
4. Maraiyor (மறையோர்)(മറൈയോർ)
5. Thuravor (துறவோர்)(തുറവോർ)
6. Aravor (அறவோர்)(അറവോർ)
7. Neethar (நீத்தார்)(നീത്താർ)
8. Thabathar (தாபதர்)(താബദർ)
9. Arivar (அறிவர்)(അറിവർ)
10. Santor (சான்றோர்)(ചാന്റോർ)
11. Kaniyar (கணியர்)(കണിയർ)
12. Muthalalor(முத்தழலோர்)(മുത്തഴലോർ)
BRAHMINS DURING LATER CHERA PERIOD(800 AD to 1102 AD)
The truth is there is no mention of Nairs and Namboothiri in any medieval Tamil inscriptions, inscribed by the Cheran rulers. None of the books written during Later Chera era mention Nair or Namboothiris. The priests during Later Chera period (800 AD to 1120 AD)
were called
1. Pattar(பட்டர்)(പട്ടർ),
2. Pattarar(பட்டாரர்)(പട്ടാരർ),
3. Pattarakar (பட்டாரகர்)(പട്ടാരകർ),
4. Pattariyar(பட்டாரியார்)(പട്ടാരിയാർ)
5.Pazharar(பழாரர்)(പഴാരർ),
6. Chathirar(சாத்திரர்)(ചാത്തിരർ),
7. Nambi(நம்பி)(നമ്പി)
8. Uvachar(உவச்சர்)(ഉവച്ചർ)
9. Sadukkal(சாதுக்கள்)(ചാതുക്കൾ)
10. Santhi(சாந்தி)(ചാന്തി)
Never Nambuthiris are mentioned. Only Tamil Brahmins existed. Most of them were found in Chola and Pandyan countries also.Even during the Cherai period(1102 AD to 1315 AD) in Venad many of the temple offices evolved but Nambuthiris are not mentioned. There was mention of Embirandiris, Tuluva Brahmins were mentioned working as priests.
1. Melsanthi(மெல்சாந்தி)(മെൽശാന്തി)
2. Kizhsanthi Viruthi(கிழ் சாந்திவிருத்தி)(കിഴ്ശാന്തി)
3. Nambi Viruthi (நம்பிவிருத்தி)(നമ്പിവിരുത്തി
4. Thirumeni(திருமெனி)(തിരുമെനി)
5. Uvachar(உவச்சர்கள்)(ഉവച്ചർകൾ)
6. Thanthiri(தந்திரிகள்)(തന്തിരികൾ)
7. Variyam(வாரியம்)(വാരിയം)
TULU INVASION 1120 AD
A Tulu prince called Banapperumal (Banu Vikrama Kulasekharapperumal attacked Kerala with 350000 strong Nair army led by Padamala Nair. There was a mass migration of people from coastal Karnataka to Kannur. Tholan(Athulan) a Tuluva Brahmin wrote Mooshikavamsam in that period.
DELHI'S INVASION 1310 AD
After the Malik Kafurs in 1310 AD attack the earlier Tamil Brahmins of Kerala mysteriously disappeared.
After this period four Matriarchal Tulu kingdoms appeared in Kerala. Kolathiri, Samuthiri, Kochi kingdom and Venads Matriarchal kingdom under Attingal Rani. In this period Tuluva Brahmins designated themselves as Nambuthiris.
Nambuthiris claimed that Lord Parashurama gave them Kerala. But in earlier Tamil period Parashurama is mentioned as Panaikodiyon. (Palm flagged sage). But there is no mention of Parashurama creating Kerala or visiting Kerala.
Malik Kafur gave Kerala to Nambuthiris and Tulu dynasty of Kolathiris who descend from Udayavarman Kolathiri son of Banapperumal who went to Arabia in 1156 AD.
CHRISTIAN INTERACTION WITH NAMBUTHIRIS
Around 1450s the last princess of Villarvattom kingdom Kirubavathy alias Maria became a concubine of Kochi king.
Kochi kings were Nambiadris a Val Nambi, a Nambuthiri who has taken up Sword.
Nambuthiris unlike any other Brahmins of India visited the houses of Samantha Kshatriya as well as Sudra Nairs to keep Sambandam.
There is a possibility that some Nambuthiris kept Sambandam with Christian women in the fourteenth century. This might have contributed to the belief that Christians were Nambuthiris.
NESTORIANISM
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Alexander's invasion of middle east, Persia and India favoured the spread of Christianity to east. It also spread the Greek and Aramaic languages to the east.
ARAMAIC LANGUAGE
Jesus himself had conversed in Aramaic and not Hebrew. Hebrew remained the literary language of Jews. Syriac language was Neo-Aramaic language which was closely related to the Aramaic, spoken language of ancient Judea.
SELEUCID EMPIRE
Seleucia was built in 305 BC on the west bank of Tigris in Mesopotamia north of Babylon by Seleucus I Nicator. Seleucia was the capital between 305 BC–240 BC. Later under Sassanians (Persian) Seleucia-Ctesiphon became the centre of Church of the East (Nestorianism).
ANTIOCH
Seleucus I Nicator also built Antioch in Syria (now Antakya, Turkey) in 300 BC. Antioch was the capital between 240 BC–63 BC.
EDESSA
Edessa (Şanlıurfa, Turkey) was also built by Seleucus I Nicator in the upper Mesopotamia.
BABYLON
Babylon became a centre of Jews under Greeks. Babylonian Jews revolted against Parthian rule in 11 AD under Jewish brothers Anilai and Asinai who ruled Babylon between 18 AD to 33 AD. At the Seleucid Greek cities Seleucia, Antioch and Edessa both Greek and Syriac Christianity evolved. Both were culturally Greek. Ancient Greek cities Edessa (Selçuk), Chalcedon (Kurbağalıdere), Nicea (İznik) formed the cradle of Eastern Christianity.
BYZANTIUM
Syriac Christianity evolved under the umbrella of Eastern Roman Empire or The Byzantian empire infact which was actually Greek .Since Turkey, Syria and Iraq were under the Eastern Roman empire dominated by Greeks. Compared to Romans Byzantian Greeks were more tolerant to Christianity from the beginning.
All the eastern Christian customs including Syriac Christianity evolved from Greek Christianity and not from Arabs or Jews. Eastern Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, Nestorianism (Now Syro-Roman) all evolved in Nicaea, Edessa and Antioch. NICEAN CREED followed by most of the Christians was formulated here.
NESTORIANISM
In Kerala Christians practised Nestorianisn prior to the arrival of Poruguese in 1498 AD. Nestorianism or Church of the East was considered a heretic form of Christianity by the rest of the Christendom.
NESTORIUS
Nestorianism was based on the teachings of Nestorius Patriarch of Constantinople. Nestorius belonged to ANTOCHIAN SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY. Around 428 ad Nestorius started teaching that Jesus had two Natures one human and other Logos. Jesus had two hypostases and actually two different persons. This theory was called RADICAL DYOPHYSITISM which differed from the ORTHODOX DYOPHYSITISM practiced by the rest of the Christians ie Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox of Byzantium.
Nestorius argued that Jesus was only human and God is different from him. Nestorius refused to call Mary Mother of God (THEOTOKOS). Instead he called Mary Mother of Christ. This was considered blasphemous by most Christian's. Cyril the Patriarch of Alexandria led the opposition to Nestorius.
COUNCIL OF EPHESUS
In the ecumenical council convened at 431 AD by Byzantine Emperor THEODOSIUS, Nestorius was denounced as a heretic, deposed from his post as Bishop and exiled. The theology he created was called Nestorianism. The non-Ephesine followers of Nestorianism were forced to move out of Antioch in the Eastern Roman Empire to SELEUCIA CTESIPHON at the banks of Tigris river which was the capital of Sassanian Persian Empire around 486 AD. Seleucia Ctesiphon is now part of Iraq.
NESTORIANISM
SASSANIAN PERSECUTIONAt 341 AD
Shapur II who was a Zoroastrian by faith ordered the massacre of all Christians in the Persian Sassanid Empire. During his time about 1150 Assyrian Christians were martyred. It has been speculated that early Christian's migrated to Kerala in this period. But the Persian Bishop in that period Yohanan bar Maryam of Arabela, was totally unaware of migration of Thomas of Cana or any other migration.
THE CHURCH OF THE EAST
Yazdegerd I was the first Sassanian King to support Christianity. Yazdegerd l (399–421) convoked a council under Mar Isaac Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, in AD 410 in Seleucia-Ctesiphon the capital of the Persian Sassanid Empire. Convoked by King Yazdegerd I organized Christians of his empire into a single church, The Church of the East,, an Eastern rites church.
Seleucia-Ctesiphon, capital of the Sassanian empire, Nisibis, Basra, Erbil, Kirkuk in Iraq and Beth Lapat in western Iran became important centres of the Church of East. Church of East adopted Nestorianism as its Theology in 486 AD.
SYRIAC ORTHODOX
But soon another form of heresy arrived in 451 AD. This new sect was promoted by Jacob Baradaeus who became the Bishop of Edessa in 543 AD. Jacob Baradaeus who wore tattered, stitched clothes. Jacob's theology was Miaphysite a form of Monophysite theology in which human and Godly forms of Jesus were fused together.
Jesus was one person one Hypostases one Nature with two components God and Human. Present Jacobites and Orthodox follow the Monophysite or Miaphysite theology along with other Oriental Orthodox churches. Jacobite Theology was St.James, rites Western rites.
COMPARISON
Nestorianism
Theology : Radical Dyophysitism
Language : Syriac
Theology : St Mari St Adai(St Thomas line of disciples)
Rites: Eastern rites
Syriac orthodox (Jacobite)
Theology : Miaphysitism
Language : Syriac
Theology : St James
Rites : Western rites
Except Language nothing is common between Nestorianism and Orthodox churches.
(Actually Marthoma I had abandoned St.Thomas-Liturgy and had adopted St.James-Liturgy in 1675 AD. So modern Orthodox and Jacobites follow St.James not St.Thomas)
ANCIENT SCHISMS
COUNCIL OF EPHESUS 431 AD
In the Council of Ephesus Bishop Nestorius was denounced as heretic and exiled His followers mostly Syrians and Persians and Syrians migrated to Seleucia Ctesiphon the capital of Sassanian Persia which was situated 28 km south of Babylon. Nestorianism became a separate sect.
COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON 451 AD
Those who opposed the Chalcedonian Definition that repudiated the monophysite notion that Jesus had a single Nature were called non-Chalcedonians. The Oriental Orthodox who favoured the Miaphysite theology separated from Byzantine Greeks state religeon.
1)Byzantine Greeks formed EASTERN ORTHODOX (Greeks, Georgeans, Russians)
2) ORIENTAL ORTHODOX (Syrians, Egyptians, Ethiopians, Erithreans) Arabs and Africans formed the Oriental Orthodox sect.
a) Egyptians formed Coptic church
b) Syrians formed Syriac Orthodox(Jacobite)
c)Ethiopeans formed Ethiopian Orthodox
Thus the Byzantine Christianity once had followers from Persians, Syrians, Greeks, Egyptians and Ethiopeans were divided on ethnicity by 500 AD.
NESTORIANS
NESTORIUS IN TOLDOT YESHU
Toldot Yeshu was a Apocryphal book written in the 5th century AD. This book gives a brief description of the life of Nestorius.
The following is chapter 7 of the TOLDOT YESHU:
1. Now after a long time the kingdom of Persia arose.
2. And a certain one went forth from them and made a mock of them, even as the heretics had made a mock of the wise men.
3. And he said to them, Paul erred in his writing when he said to you, Be not circumcised: for Yeshua was circumcised.
4. Moreover Yeshua said, I am not come to diminish a single word of the law of Moses, not even one sign; but to fulfill all his words.
5. And this is your reproach which Paul laid upon you when he said, Be not circumcised.
6. And Nestorius said unto them, Circumcise yourselves, for Yeshu was circumcised.
7. Furthermore Nestorius said, Ye are idolaters that say, Yeshua is God, seeing that he was born of a woman. Only the Holy Spirit ministered through him as with the prophets.
8. And Nestorius began to debate with the Nazarenes: he persuaded their wives.
9. He said unto them, I will enact that no Nazarene shall have two wives.
10. And as Nestorius became detestable in their sight there arose a strife between them, in so much that a Nazarene would not pray to the abomination of Nestorius, neither a Nestorian to the abomination of the Nazarenes.
11. Thereafter Nestorius went to Babylonia, to a certain place the name of which is Chazaza, and all fled before him.
12. And the women concealed themselves, for Nestorius was a violent man.
13. The women said to him, What wilt thou of us?
14. He said unto them, I will only that ye receive of me the bread and wine offering.
15. Now it was a custom of the women of Chazaza to carry in their hands large keys.
16. He gave one of them the offering; and she cast it on the ground.
17. Then the women threw the keys, which were in their hands, and smote him so that he died.
18. And the strife continued between them for a long time.
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5.6 According to this book Nestorius promoted circumcision among his followers.
7. Nestorius despised idolatry. He argued that Jesus born of a woman was only human but a prophet guided by holyspirit.
9. Nestorius enforced Monogamy among Nazarenes
CIRCUMCISION
The early Nestorians practised Circumcision similar to Coptic and Ethiopean Christions. Until Portuguese arrival only Nestorianism existed in India. So among these Indian Nestorians also circumcision might have been an accepted practice from 500 AD to 1200 AD.
In the thirteenth century however Nestorians not only abandoned the practice of Circumcision, but opposed this practice outside muslim countries.
CHINA
Isa Kelemechi Nestorian official at the Yuan court of Kublai Khans Mongol empire was instrumental in promoting Anti-Muslim prohibitions such as Circumcision and Halal slaughtering.
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NESTORIANISM
PERSIAN NESTORIANS
Persian Nestorians were multiethnic people.They were a mixture of
1)GREEK
The first eastern Christian's were Byzantine Greeks and most of the early Bishops were Greeks as well.The names and positions such as Metropolitan and Episcopa are Greek terms.The Greeks residing in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Persia by mixing with the local population might have formed the Nestorian church as well. The names of the ancient Bishops were always in Greek and not in Persian, Syriac or Arabic.
2) ASSYRIANS
Assyrians an araemic people like Jews but often enemies and overlords of Jews. Assyrian kings used to bring Jews as slaves.Their language is derived from the Neo Araemic language.Assyrians were the Asura equivalents of Middle east. They were called Assuryanis and their ancient capital was Assur. Assuras occupied the Middle areas of Euphrates Tigris river basin while the Mittanian Aryans occupied northernmost areas of Euphrates Tigris river Basin, Northern Mesopotamia ( Al Jazeera). Southern Mesopotamia was occupied by ancient Sumerians and in the South eastern areas by Elamites believed to be relatives Dravidians.
3)ARAMAIC
Other Aramaic people were Semitic residents of present day Iraq. Some of them could have been related to Jews. Between 10 AD to 36 AD Babylon was ruled by two Jewish brothers called Anilai and Asinai who had revolted against Artabanus II of Parthia. But after 36 AD Jews were harassed by local Babylonians, Araemians and Greeks forcing them to emigrate to Seleucia Ctesiphon and Nisibis. But there is no records of Jewish conversion to Christianity
4) PERSIAN
Persians were the next major race to be converted to Nestorianism. Church of the East was officially formed in 410 AD, under Sassanian king Yazdegerd I, even before Nestorianism was made the official religeon in 486 AD. Persian Nestorians used Pahlavi Script to write. In Tharisapalli plates three signatories signed with Pahlavi letters ( Syriac is conspicuous by its absence)
5)ARABS
Arabs Nestorians occupied south of Bhagdad. Karbala was once a flourishing Christian city.
6)KURDS
Kurdish people around Mosul close to ancient Nineveh were Nestorians. Indian Jewellery of Nestorian Syrian Christian's might have inspiration from the Kurdish Jewellery.
The Patriarch of Mosul used to sent Bishops to head the Indian Church.After 1552 schism, in 1553 Mar Shimun VIII Yohannan Sulaqa the Nestorian Bishop was instrumental in the conversion of Nestorians to Roman Catholicism and eventually Chaldean Catholic Church was formed under Rome. But this conversion was only nominal as they still had strong conviction to Nestorianism.
Both Mar Joseph Sulaqa (1563), and Mar Abraham (1568) Bishops under the Chaldean Patriarchate of Babylon came from Mosul. Nestorianism survived among Kurdish people to present.
Many Kurdish Nestorians withdrew to hilly areas to escape their arab tormentors. During 1933 the Kurdish Contingent of Nestorians tried to cross borders and French on the other side, but French turned them back. The members Kurdish contingent were massacred by the Iraqi forces when they went back.
7)JEWS
Christian church was founded by Jews in the Mesopotamia.But in the Church of the East they played minimum role.
8)ARMENIANS
There are ome references to Armenian Nestorians. Southists believe Kanai Thomman was an Armenian trader.
NESTORIANISM
NESTORIAN HERESY
Nestorianism was considered a heretic form of Christianity. Nestorians were not allowed to stay in the rest of Christendom. Nestorians were not welcome in Europe Rome and Byzantium. Nestorians could migrate only to eastern countries. Strangely this heretic form of religeon which denied the divinity of Jesus and denied the Godmother status spread to India and China.
NESTORIAN ERRORS
The Christian's other than Nestorians criticised the portions of Nestorian Theology which portrayed Jesus only as a human and denying Mary Mother of God status. These portions in the Nestorian Theology were called Nestorian errors. Portuguese priests in India were offended by the Nestorian stance that Jesus was not God.
Portuguese under Archbishop Menezes in India strived hard to remove the books from Usage which contained the Nestorian Heresy ie Nestorian errors. If the errors were minimal Roman Catholic priests under Menezes corrected the bibles by hiding those lines with ink before allowing the Indian Church to use them in their Churches.
NESTORIAN HIERARCHY
Nestorian Patriarch was also called Catholicos was the head of the church. Patriarch always took the name Mar Shimon. Though Nestorians were converted by St.Thomas their Patriarchs preferred to call themselves as Simon (Peter), an apostle who occupied a higher ecclesiastical position than St.Thomas. Under the Patriarch Metropolians, Bishops, Priests (presbyter) and Deacons come.
NESTORIANISM
INDIAN NESTORIANS
Until Portuguese arrival Nestorianism was the only form of Christianity which existed in India.
COSMOS INDICOPLEUSTES
Cosmos Indicopleustus was a Greek Nestorian priest and a trader from Alexandria. Cosmos visited India and Srilanka around 516 AD. Cosmos said that there was a Persian Nestorian Bishop at Srilanka and a priest at Male where pepper grows, most likely Kerala. He also said about Nestorian Christians at Mangarouth (Mangalore) and Kalliyana (Kalyan near Bombay or Kalyanpur an ancient Pandyan capital near Mangalore).At Srilanka Nestorians completely disappeared. When Portuguese arrived they did not find any native Christians in Srilanka. Christian Topography is the work of Cosmos Indicopleustes written around
SRILANKAN NESTORIANS
The Srilankan Christians could have migrated to Kerala or Tamilnadu in the middle ages. In 632 AD Persia had been invaded by the Arabs and most of Persia came under Rashidun Caliphate. So the Srilankan Nestorians could not have gone back to Persia or Syria.
KOLLAM
First Tamil evidence for presence of Nestorians in Kerala is the Tharissappalli sasanam issued by Ay king of Kollam Aiyanadikal thiruvadikal to Persian trader Mar Sapir Eso in 849 AD. A palli either a Choultry for foreign traders or a Christian church was built by Mar Sapir Eso under the auspices of Kollam king. Palli in Tamil has many meanings including resting place a lodge, a Choultry, then a place of worship for jains, a school, Kitchen etc.
It is interesting to note that out of the 26 foreign signatories 13 were Muslims, 6 were Zorastrians, 4 were Jews and another 3 were Christians. The European scholars feigned that the could not decipher the names of the signatories written in Pahlavi, Kufic and Hebrew. If Tharisappally had been a church it could be the most secular church.
BALIJA TRADEGUILDS
The Kollam tradeguilds Anchuvannam and Manigramam were part of the larger trade guilds of Balijas. Balija (Valanjiar) were Banas of Kadamba kingdom who became traders in the middle ages and had built a vast trade network mainly in the southern India and also sea routes to China and Middle East.
NANADESHIKAL
Balija trade guilds included Nanadeshikal ie foreign traders. The foreign traders were allowed to build fortified lodges in which they lived. The foreigners were allowed to collect tax locally. Tharissapally plates and Ravi Korthan plates were Balija trade guild plates assuring them rights. Persian Nestoriaans were part of Nanadeshikal under the Balijas.
Tharissappalli plates mentioned the names of some Nestorian Christan traders. Out of the 26 foreign signatories, only three were Christans, and of the rest 13 were Muslims, 6 were Zorastrians and 4 were Jews only 3 were Christians. It is quite unlikely 26 foreigners of diverse religions united to build a Christian Church in 849 AD. British researchers and missionaries feigned their inability to interpret the names of the signatories.
NESTORIANS
SYRIAN TRADERS
The Syrian traders could actually be multiethnic but connected Nestorianism. Persian, Aramaic, Syrian, Kurdish, Arabs, Armenians etc. The Christian traders sailed from Basra to Kochi and Kollam, Kayalpattinam and Madras following trade winds.
TRADE WINDS
The Trade winds blow in the reverse direction only after six months which enabled them to go back to Mesopotamia. For six months the middle eastern sailors were forced to stay in India. In that time the Syrians often married from local Dravidian women. But after six months they will leave their wives and Children in India and go back to Basra. The Next year the same trader may come back and meet his family or may never come back.
These Syrian traders who married local Hindu Dravidian women were called Nasrani Mappillas Christian Son-in-Laws. The wives and children of the Syrian sailor will join the local Christian Colony and the Children will be raised Christians adopting middle eastern Christian names. But most of the Syrian children may not visit Iraq, Syria or Persia. They will also be known by the name Syrian Nasrani Mappilla.
SYRIAN COLONIES
Kodungaloor, Chendamangalam, Kochi, Kollam, Kayalpattinam and Madras could be the places which had Syrian colonies. Marco Polo found Persian graves at Kayalpattanam near Tuticorin.
HINDIYAH
When Karbala in Iraq was a flourishing Christian city possibly of Nestorians who traded with India a city called Al-Hindiya existed near it. Al-Hindiya means of Indians. Dutt clan of Mohyal Brahmins resided at Dair-al-Hindiya. Rahab Sidh Dutt leader of Mohyal or Hussaini Brahmins fought on the side of Imam Husayn ibn Ali at the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD. Until seventh century Indians used to stay near the Christian city of Karbala. After the destruction of Karbala in the 7th century Nestorians could have migrated to India. Mohyal Brahmins migrated to Punjab
Thus when Syrians colonised India there was an Indian colony at Hindiyah, Iraq.
MIAPHYSITE THEOLOGY
The Miaphysite theology now known as Jacobite and Orthodox churches had its origin in Alexandria Egypt.
CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA
Patriarch of Alexandria from 412 to 444 AD had attended theCouncil of Ephesus in 431, which led to the deposition of Nestorius as Patriarch of Constantinople. Cyril of Alexandria declared Jesus was God hence Mary was Theotokos, meaning God bearer in contrast to the Nestorian philosophy that Jesus was human and Mary was just mother of Jesus.
JACOBITE
1. Jesus was God
2. Mary was mother of God
Vs
NESTORIANISM
1. Jesus was human
2. Mary was the mother of Jesus.
ONE PERSON OUT OF TWO NATURES
According to Miaphysite theology the Human and Godly natures (physies) were rolled in to a single Person (Hypostasis) of God.
Cyril of Alexandria even compressed the Holy Trinity into one single Hypostasis of God. Thus Holy Trinity consisting of three hypostases Father, Son and Holy spirit but fused into a single Person of God.
ARAB CHRISTIAN KINGS
GHASSANIDS (220 AD to 638 AD)
Ghassinids were an Yemanite arab tribe who migrated to Levant, mixed with the Hellenised Christian community and adopted Christianity. Ghassinids were vassal state of Greek Byzantine kingdom. Syria, Jordan Eastern Iraq were ruled by this Yemenite Christians. This area was also the cradle of Nestorians and Orthodox people. But in that period the Syriac Christians were not influenced by Arab language or culture.
Ghassinids fought against Persian Sassanian Empire.Some became muslims after their fall in 638 AD. Others joined Melkites (Meaning Kings religeon) the official religeon of Byzantine Greeks later known as Greek Orthodox religeon. Rest of the Gassinides joined Syriac Christianity. Some of them could have sailed to Kerala. Antiochian Greek Christians may be descendents of Yemenite Ghassinids.
TANUKHIDS(196 AD to 1100 AD)
They were among the early Arab Christian's. The Tanukhids appeared in the southern Syria and northern Arabia. Tanukhed were also known as Saracens. Tanukhids established a kingdom in Aleppo near Antioch.Tanukhids were Christians devoted to Apostle Thomas and monasticism, who established many monasteries.
Queen Mavia (375 AD to 425 AD) ruled southern Syria who revolted against Romans when Arab request to send an Eastern Orfhodox priest was denied.Tanukhids were St.Thomas Christians. In the ancient times Some of these Arab Syriac St.Thomas Christians could have reached Kerala searching for pepper. Many Tanukhids were converted to Islam in the laterdays and were known as Saracens.
MIAPHYSITE
PATRONS OF NON-CHALCEDONIAN CHRISTIANITY (Oriental Orthodox Jacobite)
Two Byzantine emperors, Zeno (474-491) and more fervently Anastasius Dicorus (491-518), were followers of the Miaphysite tradition. But the next emperor Justin I (518-527) was a Chalcedonian supporter.
THEODORA (500 to 548 AD)
Theodora was an Eastern Roman empress by marriage to emperor Justinian. She became empress upon Justinian's accession in 527AD. Byzantine emperor Justinian I was Chalcedonian but the Empress Theodora was a Miaphysite. She gave refuge to Non Chalcedonion Bishops such as Severus and Anthimus. Theodora invited Jacob Bardeus and provided Political support for him. Both Theodora and Jacob Bardeus play an important role in the foundation of Jacobite Church.
JACOB BARADAEUS
Jacob Bardeus was the Bishop of Edessa the Bishop of Edessa from 543 to 578. Jacob Baradaeus was the founder of Syriac Orthodox church. It is also known by his name as Jacobite church.
TATTERED DRESS
Unlike the modern Jacobite and Orthodox priests who wear expensive dresses Jacob Baradaeus wore ragged cloths torn and stitched by himself. Bardaeus means stitched or repaired.
Kerala's Jacobite and Orthodox priests wear the most expensive costume when compared with the other Christian priests of India.
ARAB ORTHODOX RULERSAL-HARITH IBN JABALAH (528 to 569 AD)
Al-Harith ibn Jabalah was a Ghassanid Yemeni Arab Christian ruler and was a Miaphysite Orthodox believer.
AL-MUNDHIR III IBN AL-HARITH (569 AD to 581 AD)
Al-Mundhir III was the son of Gassinid ruler Al-Harith ibn Jabalah. He was a staunch Miaphysite - Orthodox follower. This led to conflict with his Byzantine Overlords 584, the Byzantines broke up the federation and exiled them to Sicily.
ORTHODOX VS NESTORIAN
Early Miaphysites were Greek and Arabs while Nestorians were Greek and Persians.
ORTHODOX
1. Greek
2 Arabs
NESTORIAN
1. Greek
2. Persian
Yemenite Christians, the Ghassinids and Queen Theodora played an important role in the establishment of Jacobite church firmly.
THREE SAINTS
1. CONSTANTINE
2. JUSTINIAN
3. THEODORA
Constantine the Great Justinian the Great and his wife Theodora are three most famous Royals revered as saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church the official church of Byzantine Empire. Theodora because of her belief in Miaphysitism she is revered as Saint in Oriental Orthodox churches including Jacobite Church.
"There are copious examples of bonafide Syriac and Persian intermarriage with Indians": Would you please give some examples from the earliest known till now.
I read that as Brahmin is high class, he would not have got converted, so it could be that St Thomas converted low class people & the present day Xians would not like to say that they came from low caste so they say that he converted Brahman. It may or may not be true.
Would you please give reasons for the statement?
Maammen Maapillai is a modern name of a famous factory owner. Is the name Maapillai only his personal name or is it from any event as marriage ? A man of the group says that it was given to the group as it gave BrideGroom to Travancore Maharajah family. Is it true?
BRAHMIN CONVERTS TO CHRISTIANITY
There were many Brahmin converts to Christianity after the arrival of European misdionaries.
John of Montecorvino was the first ever European missionary who visited Kollam and Mylapore in 1292 AD. In his letter written from khanbaliq mongol capital of China to Rome in 1305 AD called CATHAY AND THE WAY THITHER John of Montecorvino says that at Kollam (Columbam) a Brahmin voluntarily came and sought to get Baptism and was converted to Latin Christianity.
"Anecdote concerning a certain Indian who was baptised. At Columbum a majestic and venerable Brahman appears seeking baptism"
The Kochi kingdom was founded by a Nambiadri (Nambuthiri) dynasty who ruled from Perumbadappu near Vanneri in the Malappuram district in 1335 AD. King of Villarvattom kingdom which ruled between 1102 AD to 1450 AD from Chendamangalam and his subjects were converted to Nestorianism around 1339 AD.
Kozhikode Granthavari mentions Villarvattom country was a Vassal Christian outsider kingdom blood related to Kochi kings. This indicates the Christian Villarvattom princesses were subjected to Sambandham with Cochin kings who were Nambuthiris. The last Villarvattom princess Kirupavathi alias Mariam was converted to Hinduism after a brief ceremony and was made a concubine of Kochi king at 1450 AD.
Between 1335 AD to 1498 AD Nestorian Christian women might have been forced to have Sambandham with Nambuthiris. In 1498 when Portuguese arrived they met some St.Thomas Christians in Brahmin attire.
However St.Thomas converting Nambuthiris myth was created by Portuguese missionaries. During Portuguese period because of intermixture with Portuguese a Mestico/Mestizo Christians who were Catholics. From which Syrian Catholics (1663) and Orhodox(1665) emerged.
Nambuthiris were Tulu-Nepalese Brahmins from Ahichatram, the capital of Uttara Panchala (ancient Nepal) in 345 AD during the rule of Kadamba king Mayura Varma. Mayura Varma settled Nairs and Nambuthiris both migrants from Ahichatram at coastal Karnataka.
A Tulu invader called Banapperumal attacked Kerala in 1120 AD with Arab support with a 350000 strong Nair army and occupied Malabar(Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts).An Arab colony was established in the same period. Nambuthiris were Tuluva Brahmins who established their aurhority in Kerala only after the defeat of Tamil Villavar kingdoms ruling over Tamilnadu and Kerala by Malik Kafur in 1310 AD.
St.Thomas according to the Acts of Thomas visited the Indo-Parthian kingdom with capital at Takshashila ruled by King Gondopohores perhaps around 40 AD. Before the end of Gondophorus rule in 46 AD he went to the Indo-Greek kingdom ruled by King Misdeus perhaps ruling over Ghazni province in Afghanistan. St.Thomas was martyred at Calamina (Kala-minar Jaghatu Afghanistan) around 46 AD.
During St.Thomas era Nambuthiris were living at Ahichatram(Ramnagar) in the Indo-Nepalese border. So Nambuthiris and St.Thomas never met.
In 1547 Henrique Henriques a Portuguese Jewish convert to Christianity a Jesuit priest and disciple of Francis Xavier came to pearl fishery coast of Tuticorin and later to Kollam and Cochin. Henrique converted a Tamil Brahmin who was baptised as Pero Luis. Henrique Henriques assisted by Pero Luis printed the first ever book printed in India.
Henrique Henriques printed Thamburan Vanakkam in 1578 at Kollam and Christiani Vanakkam at Kochi in 1579 in Lingua Malabar Tamul or Malayalam-Tamil an old form of Malayalam.
BRAHMIN CONVERTS TO CHRISTIANITY
Lots of Konkani Brahmins were converted Roman Catholicism during Portuguese era. They belonged to GSB (Gauda Saraswatha Brahmins) or Daivadnya Brahmin sects. These Goan and Manglorean Brahmins were known as Bamonn. But they show unmistakable signs of intermixture with Portuguese as well.
Clarinda a Maratha Brahmin from the Royal court of Marathas of Thanjavur was converted to Christianity in and became a Christian missionary in 1774. Clarinda married a British soldier.
Neelakantan Subbaiyaralias Devadasan was a Brahmin from Thirunelveli converted in 1841 AD by Charles Mault a London Mission Missionary working at Travancore. Neelakantan Devadasan studied in the seminary and served as a Pastor until his death in 1874.
Most of the Brahmin converts later intermixed with either Portuguese, British or other Christians.
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MICHAEL
BRAHMIN CONVERTED BY FRIAR MARIGNOLLI
Around 1348 AD when Latin/Roman Catholic Friar John of Marignolli was residing at Kollam an elderly Brahmin approched him, prostrated and wanted to be baptised. His own son had been possibly a sailor, but taken by pirates as a prisoner and sold to a Genoese merchant had been Baptised.
LETTERS AND REPORTS OF MISSIONARY FRIARS FROM CATHAY AND INDIA : NOTICES OF MARIGNOLLI
One morning there came to me in front of the church a man of majestic stature and snowy white beard, naked from the loins upwards with only a mantle thrown about him, and a knotted cord [crossing his shoulder] like the stole of a deacon. He prostrated himself in reverence at full length upon the sand, knocking his head three times against the ground., Then he raised himself, and seizing my naked feet wanted to kiss them ; but when I forbade him he stood up. After a while he sat down on the ground and told us the whole story of his life through an interpreter.
This interpreter [strange to say] was his own son, who having been taken by pirates and sold to a certain Genoese merchant, had been baptized, and as it so chanced was then with us, and recognized his father by what he related. The old man had never eaten flesh, had never but once been in the way of begetting offspring, habitually fasted four months in the year, ate only a little rice boiled in water, with fruit and herbs, and that late in the evening, used to spend his nights in prayer, and before he entered his place of prayer washed his whole body, and put on a dress of spotless linen reserved for this only. He then would go in and worship the devil in his image, with the most single-minded devotion.
He was the priest of the whole of his island, which was situated in the remotest region of the Indies. Now God seeing his purity enlightened him first with wisdom from within ; and afterwards the demon was con- strained to address him through the idol's mouth, speaking thus: "Thou art not in the path of salvation ! God therefore enjoineth thee to proceed to Columbum, a distance of two years voyage by sea, and there shalt thou find the messenger of God who shall teach thee the way of salvation ! "" Now, therefore," said he to me, " here am I, come to thy feet and ready to obey thee in all things ; and what is more, it was thy face that I saw in my dreams, as now I recognize."
Then having prayed with tears, and strengthened him in his intent, we assigned his baptized son as his teacher and interpreter. And after three months' instruction I baptized him by the name of Michael, and blessed him, and sent him away, whilst he promised to preach to others the faith that he had acquired.
This story serves to exemplify that God (as St. Peter said of Cornelius the centurion) is no respecter of persons, but whosoever keepeth the law that is written in the heart (For the light of Thy countenance hath shone upon us, O Lord !) is accepted of Him, and is taught the way of salvation. But I did not fail to inquire whether this man, who had for two years been sailing about the unexplored seas and islands of the Indies, had seen or even heard anything of those monsters of which we have been speaking; but he knew nothing whatever about them.
MICHAEL
GIOVANNI DE' MARIGNOLLI
Giovanni de' Marignolli was a Franciscan monk. He was sent China as a Emissary and Missionary to the court of Great khan of Cathay, the Mongol Emperor of China, by Pope Benedict XII in 1339 AD. The Chinese was called Khanbaliq, modern Beijing.
COLUMBUM
On his return journey Giovanni de' Marignolli reached Columbum (old name of Kollam) in 1348 AD where he remained for 16 months. After that John of Marignolli visited St.Thomas Church at Chennai. Between 1292 AD to 1348 AD European Latin Catholic priests were visiring and residing at Kollam. About 3000 people had been converted to Latin/Roman Catholicism.
COLUMBUM DIOCESE
In 1328 AD Columbum Diocese was created by a Papal Bull by Pope Pope John XXII. Jordanus Catalani, a French Dominican Friar was appointed as the first Bishop of Kollam This was the first Roman Catholic Diocese in India.
PANDYAN AND CHERAI RULE
Between 1252 AD to 1299 AD Kerala was ruled by Pandyan dynasty was ruling Kerala were ruled by Pandyan dynasty. First European missionary John of Montecorvino visited Kollam and Chennai in 1291 AD.
Until 1333 Kollam was ruled by Tamil Cherai dynasty was ruling Kerala from Kollam as Capital. During the rule Ravivarma Kulasekharan(1299 AD to 1314 AD) and his son Veera Udayamarthanda Varma Veera Pandiyan (1314 to 1333 AD) large scale Christian conversions at Kollam occured.
TULU-NEPALESE RULE
After the invasion Malik Kafur in 1311 AD all the Tamil kingdoms came to an end. Tulu-Nepalese rule of Samantha, Nairs and Namputhiris started in 1333 AD. After the advent of Matriarchal Tulu Samantha rule in Kerala Pope stopped sending Roman Catholic missionaries to India until 1498 AD.
FATE OF DIOCESE OF COLUMBAM
When Giovanni de' Marignolli visited Kollam in 1348 AD, Veera Kerala Varma Thiruvadi was ruling Venad and Mabar Sultanate was ruling Tamilnad.
The fate of 3000 Roman Catholics of Kollam is unknown. Most likely they joined Syrian Christians. When Portuguese came in 1498 AD there was no Roman/Latin Catholics were found. Only Nestorians were there.
IRAVIKORTHAN CHEPPED
ഇരവികോർത്തൻ ചെപ്പേട്
The plate displayed Grantha Script as well as Western Tamil. Grantha script is substituted with Malayalam.
Malayalam Transliteration(ലിപ്യന്തരണം)
FIRST SIDE
01
ഹരി ശ്രീ മഹാ ഗണപതെ നമഹഭൂപാലനരപതി ശ്രീ വീര കെരള
02.
ശക്രവർത്തി ആദിയായി മുറമുറൈയെപലനൂറായിരത്താണ്ടു
03
ചെങ്കൊൽ നടത്തായി നിന്റശ്രീ വീര രാഘവ ശക്രവർത്തിക്ക്തിരു വിരാ
04
ജ്യം ചെല്ലാ യിനി ന്റമകരത്തുൾ വിയാഴം മീനഞായറു ഇരുപത്തൊന്റു
05
ചെന്റ ചനി രൊഹണി നാൾപെരുങ്കൊശിലകത്തിരുന്നരുള ഥകൊതൈയർപട്ടിണ
06.
ത്തു ഇരവി കൊർത തനനായചെരമാൻ ലൊകപ്പെരുഞ്ചെട്ടിക്കു മണിക്കിരാമ
07
പട്ടങ്കുടുത്തൊം വിളവാടെയും പവനത്താങ്കും വെൾ പെറു മകടുത്തു
08
വളെഞ്ചിയമും വളഞ്ചിയത്തിൽ തനിച്ചെട്ടും മുറച്ചൊല്ലും മുന്ന 09ടെയും പഞ്ചവാദ്യമും ശറഖും പകൽവിളക്കും പാവാടയുംഹൈന്തോളമും കൊറ്റ
10
കകുടയും വടുകപ്പറെയും ഇടുപടി തൊരണമും നാലു ചെരിക്കും തനി
SECOND PAGE
01.
ച്ചെട്ടും കുടുത്തൊം വാണിയരും പൈംകമ്മാളർ എല്ലം അടിമകൂടുത്തൊം
02.
നകരത്തുക്കു കർത്താവായ ഇരവി കൊർത്തനുക്ക് പറകൊണ്ടളന്തു നിറകൊണ്ടു
03.
തൂക്കി നൂൽകൊണ്ടു പാകി എണ്ണിന്റതിലും എടുക്കിന്റതിലും ഉവി
04
നൊടു ചക്കരയ്യൊടു കസ്തൂരിയ്യൊടു വിളക്കെണ്ണയ്യൊടു ഇടയിൽഉള്ളത എപ്പെർ
05.
പ്പട്ടിനും തരകും അതിനടുത്ത ചൂങ്കമും കൂട കൊടുങ്കലൂർ അഴിവി
06.
യൊടു കൊപുരത്തൊടു വിശെഷാൽ നാലു തളിയും തളിക്കടുത്ത കിരാമത്തൊടിട
07.
യിൽ നീർ മുതലായി ചെപ്പെടു എഴുതി കുടുത്തൊം ചെരമാൻ ലൊകപ്പെരുഞ്ചെ
08.
ട്ടിയാന ഇരവി കൊത്തനുക്കുഇവൻ മക്കൾ മക്കൾക്കെ വഴിവഴിയെ പെറാക ക്കുടു
09.
ത്തൊം ഇതറിയും പന്റിയൂർ കിരാമമും ചൊകിരക കിരാമമും അറിയക്കുടുത്തൊം വെ
10.
ണാടും ഓടു നാടും അറിയക്കൊടുത്തൊം ഏറാ നാടും വള്ളുവനാടും അറിയക്കുടുത്തൊം ചന്ദ്രാ
11.
ദിത്യ കളുള്ള നാളെക്കു കുടുത്തൊം ഇവർകളറിയ ചെപ്പെടെഴുതിയ ചെരമാൻ ലൊകപ്പെരുന്ത
12.
ട്ടാൻ നമ്പിചടെയൻ കൈയെഴുത്ത്
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