The origin of Christianity in Indian subcontinent has been a subject of controversy among historians owing to the near absence of reliable documentary evidence³

The bulk of the Christians  of the first four centuries of Christian era consists of :

(a)An influential and noble  group of people and families ( there is a school of thought that believe that St. Thomas converted  Brahmins to Christanity) in the  Kerala society converted by  St.Thomas apostle in the first century A.D. who call themselves St Thomas Christians

(b)Jewish merchants who settled in Kerala who converted to Christianity .

(c) Cananite Christians who migrated from Cana( West Asia) to Kerala in the  the 4^th century A.D.

(d) Syrian /Persian Christians who migrated from Syria/Persia to Kollam in the 9^th century A.D.

 

It has to be stated in this context that that the second  category mentioned above {(b)  Jewish merchants who settled in Kerala who converted to Christianity } at some point in history started to identified  as part of the  the first category { (a) An influential and noble  group of people and families ...}  as a result of which the history , identity and heritage of the second category have been  lost.

 Advocate T.K.Velu Pillai who authored the Travancore State Manual writes about the the arrival and apostasy of St. Thomas and the St.  Thomas Christians  in the following way:

“ The Apostle himself is said to have founded the seven Churches  on this coast namely those at :

1.Palayoor near Chavakad

2.Maliankara near Cranganore

3.Kottakal near North Paravur

4.Kokkamangalam near Pallipuram

5.Quilon or Kollam

6.Niranom near Thiruvalla

7.Nilakal near Chayal ⁴

                                             

Rao Bahadur L.K.Ananthakrishna Iyer in his book Anthropology of Syrian Christians says that, “After the death of the Apostle the Church fell  into evil ways and some of the clergy either afraid of persecution or influenced by persuasion and advice returned to Hinduism .Sivite sage Manikkavachkar laboured among the Syrians of Kurakenikollam and led away many of the faithful.These were henceforth called Manigramakar.They are scarcely distinguished from the Nayars. Their descendents are found in Kollam ,Kayamkulam and other places.⁵

 

V.N.Nagam Aiya in Travacore State Manual  states, “ From the middle of 4^th century to about thousand years the Chrisitians of Malabar were in a state of spiritual distress and indiscriminately applied to the Eastern patriarchs who were either Nestorian or Jacobite to send a spiritual leaders….So  at the request of the Syrian Christians of Malabar both Nestorians and Jacobite  seem to have come to Malabar…”⁶

 

(b) Jewish merchants  in Kerala who converted to Christianity .

It is believed that one of the earliest converts to Christianity were the Jews who settled in kerala for trade . The Jews from west Asia who settled in Kerala for trade  are considered to be the earliest converts to Christianity as they were greatly impressed by  the proximity in language and culture with the  disciple of Christ and other  the west Asian Church fathers or leaders who came in later stages in history.

 

 ( c )Later migrations from West Asia can be seen in this context.

TK.Vellupillai in Travancore State Manual (p.665)  states about the migration of Christians from Cana under the leadership of Thomas of Cana as follows, “ kanaya Thoma or Thomas kana ,a merchant is said to have visited Malabar in 345A.D. bringing  with him several priests, students , a Bishop , women and children from bagdad, Ninevah, and Jerusalem.According to traditional account he built  a church at mahadevar pattanam .”⁷

(d)“In 822AD another set of migrants under Mar Sapor and Mar Peroz , the Nestoran Persians settled in the neighbourhood of Quilon ,they made a deep impression on the rulers of the land .These two immigrants says Dr. Milnae Rae from the historical grounds… are probably the  last  from the mother church in high Asia to South India”.

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