Editing Saint Thomas Christians (section)

==Ethnic divisions==
Internally the Saint Thomas Christian community is divided into two ethnic groups, the majority ''Vadakkumbhagar'' or Northist and the minority ''Tekkumbhagar'' or Southist. Saint Thomas Christian tradition traces the origin of these ethno-geographical epithets to the city of [[Kodungallur]], the historic capital of the medieval [[Chera dynasty]]. The early converts of Saint Thomas the Apostle and those who later joined the faith in India are believed to have initially resided on the northern side of the city of Kodungallur and for that reason became known as Vadakkumbhagar or Northist.{{sfnp|Vellian|1986|p=0-1}}{{sfnp|Malekandathil|2003|pp=19–20}}{{sfnp|Podipara|1971|p=2}}{{sfnp|Frykenberg|2010|p=113}}

In either the 4th or 8th century, the Syriac Christian merchant magnate [[Knai Thoma]] is noted to have arrived and settled in southern Kodungallur with a cohort of merchants and clergymen. Because they dwelled on the southern side, the descendants of Thoma's migration became known as Tekkumbhagar or Southist.{{sfnp|Vellian|1986|p=0-1}}{{sfnp|Malekandathil|2003|pp=19–20}}{{sfnp|Podipara|1971|p=2}}{{sfnp|Frykenberg|2010|p=113}} The Southist community is primarily known by the appellation ''K'nā'nāya'' (Syriac for Canaanite), an adjectival epithet of Knai Thoma.{{sfnp|Kollaparambil|1992|pp=84–85}}

The ''Oxford History of the Christian Church'' summarizes the division of the community in the following quote:  
<blockquote>"In time, Jewish Christians of the most exclusive communities descended from settlers who accompanied Knayil Thomma (Kanayi) became known as 'Southists' (Tekkumbha ̄gar)...They distinguished between themselves and 'Northists' (Vatakkumbha ̄gar). The 'Northists', on the other hand, claimed direct descent from the very oldest Christians of the country, those who had been won to Christ by the Apostle Thomas himself. They had already long inhabited northern parts of Kodungallur. They had been there even before various waves of newcomers had arrived from the Babylonian or Mesopotamian provinces of Sassanian Persia."

– Historian of South Asian Studies, Robert E. Frykenberg (2010){{sfnp|Frykenberg|2010|p=113}}</blockquote>