Editing Saint Thomas Christians (section)

=== Origin ===

{{see also|Acts of Thomas}}According to tradition, Thomas the Apostle came to [[Muziris]] on the Kerala coast in AD 52<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-christianity-came-to-india-kerala-180958117/|title=The Surprisingly Early History of Christianity in India|first=Paul|last=Zacharia|author2=Lynn Johnson|website=Smithsonian Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://stthoma.com/|title=Thomas The Apostole|date=8 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208073816/http://stthoma.com/|archive-date=8 February 2011}}</ref><ref name="Erwin Fahlbusch"/> which is in present-day [[Pattanam]], near [[Kodungallur]], [[Kerala]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4970452.stm|title = Search for India's ancient city|date = 11 June 2006}}</ref>

The [[Cochin Jews]] are known to have existed in Kerala in the 1st century AD,<ref name="Orpa Slapak"/>{{sfnp|Bayly|2004|p=244}} and it was possible for an [[Aramaic]]-speaking [[Jew]], such as St. Thomas from [[Galilee]], to make a trip to Kerala then.<ref name="Puthiakunnel">Thomas Puthiakunnel, (1973) "Jewish colonies of India paved the way for St. Thomas", The Saint Thomas Christian Encyclopedia of India, ed. George Menachery, Vol. II., Trichur.</ref> The earliest known source connecting the Apostle to Northwest India, specifically the [[Indo-Parthian Kingdom]] is the ''[[Acts of Thomas]]'', likely written in the early 3rd century, perhaps in [[Edessa, Mesopotamia|Edessa]].{{sfnmp|Frykenberg|2008|1p=99|Klijn|2003|2p=15|3a1=Childers|3y=2011|4a1=Medlycott|4y=1912}}

A number of 3rd and 4th century Roman writers also mention Thomas' trip to India, including [[Ambrose of Milan]], [[Gregory of Nazianzus]], [[Jerome]], and [[Ephrem the Syrian]], while [[Eusebius of Caesarea]] records that St. Clement of Alexandria's teacher [[Pantaenus]] from [[Alexandria]] visited a Christian community in India using the [[Gospel of Matthew]] in [[Hebrew language]] in the 2nd century.{{sfnmp|1a1=Eusebius|1loc=Book V Chapter 10 |2a1=Frykenberg|2y=2008|2p=103 |3a1=Baum|3a2=Winkler|3y=2003|3p=52 |4a1=Medlycott|4y=1912 |5a1=Whitehouse|5y=1873|5pp=12–20}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.indianchristianity.com/html/chap4/chapter4g.htm |title=Indian Christianity}}</ref>

The tradition of origin of the Christians in Kerala is found in a version of the Songs of Thomas or ''Thomma Parvam'', written in 1601 and believed to be a summary of a larger and older work.{{sfnp|Frykenberg|2008|p=92}}<ref name="Ramban">"The Song of Thomas Ramban" in Menachery G (ed); (1998) ''The Indian Church History Classics'', Vol. I, ''The Nazranies'', Ollur, 1998. {{ISBN|81-87133-05-8}}</ref> Thomas is described as arriving in or around [[Maliankara]] and founding ''[[Ēḻarappaḷḷikaḷ]]'' (Seven great churches): [[Kodungallur]], [[Kottakkavu Mar Thoma Syro-Malabar Church, North Paravur|Kottakavu]], [[St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Church, Palayoor|Palayoor]], [[St. Thomas Church, Kokkamangalam|Kokkamangalam]], [[St. Thomas Church, Angamoozhy|Nilackal]], [[St. Mary's Church, Niranam|Niranam]] and [[Kollam]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Whitehouse |first=Thomas |title=Lingerings of light in a dark land: Researches into the Syrian church of Malabar|date=1873 |publisher=William Brown and Co. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ie4CAAAAQAAJ |language=en|pages=23–42}}</ref> Some other churches, namely [[Thiruvithamcode Arappally]] (a "half church"),<ref>{{cite book |title=The pastoral care of the Syro-Malabar Catholic migrants |author=James Arampulickal |publisher=Oriental Institute of Religious Studies, India Publications |year=1994 |page=40}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Orientalia christiana periodica: Commentaril de re orientali ...: Volumes 17–18 |publisher=Pontificium Institutum Orientalium Studiorum |year=1951 |page=233}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| author=Adrian Hastings| title=A World History of Christianity| date=15 August 2000| publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans| isbn=978-0-8028-4875-8| page=149}}</ref> [[St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Church, Malayattoor|Malayattoor]] and [[St. George's Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church, Aruvithura|Aruvithura]] are often called ''Arappallikal''.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Department of Tourism|title=Seven and half Churches (Ezhara Pallikal)|url=https://www.keralatourism.org/christianity/seven-half-churches/7}}</ref> The ''Thomma Parvam'' also narrates the conversion of Jews, natives, and the local King at Kodungallur by St Thomas. It is possible that the [[Jewish Christian|Jews who became Christians]] at that time were absorbed by what became the Nasrani Community in Kerala.<ref name="Puthiakunnel"/><ref>{{cite book |last=Muthiah |first=S. |title=Madras Rediscovered: A Historical Guide to Looking Around, Supplemented with Tales of 'Once Upon a City' |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zl8MAQAAMAAJ&q=%22long-settled+Jews%22 |publisher=East West Books|isbn=818-685-222-0|year=1999|page=113}}</ref> The ''Thomma Parvam'' further narrates St Thomas's mission in the rest of South India and his martyrdom at [[Mylapore]] in present-day [[Chennai]], Tamil Nadu.{{sfnp|Frykenberg|2008|p=99}}{{sfnp|Mundadan|Thekkedath|1982|pp=30–32}} According to legend, the community began with Thomas's conversion of 32 [[Brahmin]] families, namely [[Pakalomattom family|Pakalomattom]], Sankarapuri, Kalli, Kaliyankal, Koikara, Madapoor, Muttodal, Kottakara, Nedumpilly, Palackal, Panakkamattom, Kunnappilly, Vazhappilly, Payyappilly, Maliakkal, Pattamukku, Thaiyil, etc.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mani |first=Thattunkal Zachariah |year=2016 |title=ThomaaSleehaayude Kerala ChristhavaSabha Onnaam Noottaandil |page=14 |publisher=T.Z.Mani}}{{ISBN?|date=July 2024}}{{full citation needed|date=July 2024|reason=I can find the cite, but I can't find the book.}}</ref><ref name="Ayyar 1926 3">{{cite book |last=Ayyar |first=L. K. Anantakrishna |year=1926 |title=Anthropology of the Syrian Christians |page=3 |publisher=Cochin Government Press |url=https://archive.org/details/AnthropologyOfTheSyrianChristians/page/n39/mode/2up}}</ref>{{sfnp|Frykenberg|2008|pp=101–102}}

While there is much doubt on the cultural background of early Christians, there is evidence that some members of the St Thomas Christian community observed Brahmin customs in the Middle Ages, such as the wearing of the [[Upanayana]] (sacred thread) and having a [[kudumi]].{{refn|{{sfnp|Malekandathil|2010|pp=38–61}}{{sfnp|Menachery|2000}}{{sfnp|Brown|1956|p={{page needed|date=July 2024}}}}{{sfnp|Malekandathil|2014}}}} The medieval historian [[Pius Malekandathil]] believes these were customs adopted and privileges won during the beginning of the Brahmin dominance of medieval Kerala. He argues that the Syrian Christians in Kerala, integrated with Persian Christian migrant merchants, in the 9th century to become a powerful trading community and were granted the privileges by the local rulers to promote revenue generation and to undermine Buddhist and Jain traders who rivaled the Brahmins for religious and political hegemony in Kerala at the time.{{sfnp|Malekandathil|2010|pp=38-61}}{{sfnp|Malekandathil|2014}}

[[File:Mar Knai Thoma.jpg|thumb|Icon of Mar Knai Thoma the Merchant]]
An organized Christian presence in India dates to the arrival of [[East Syriac Rite|East Syriac]] settlers and missionaries from [[Persia]], members of what would become the Church of the East, in around the 3rd century.{{sfnp|Medlycott|1912}}{{sfnp|Frykenberg|2008|pp=102–107,115}} Saint Thomas Christians trace the further growth of their community to the arrival of Jewish-Christians (early East Syriac Christians) from the region of Mesopotamia led by [[Thomas of Cana|Knāi Thoma]] ([[Anglicisation|anglicized]] as Thomas of Cana), which is said to have occurred either in the 4th or 8th century.{{sfnmp|1a1=Medlycott|1y=1912 |2a1=Kollaparambil|2y=1992|2pp=1–20 |3a1=Frykenberg|3y=2010|3p=113 |4a1=Fahlbusch|4a2=Bromiley|4a3=Lochman|4y=2008|4p=286}} The subgroup of the Saint Thomas Christians known as the [[Knanaya]] or Southists trace their lineage to Thomas of Cana, while the group known as the [[Northists]] claim descent from the early Christians evangelized by Thomas the Apostle.{{sfnmp|Frykenberg|2010|1p=113 |2a1=Baum|2a2=Winkler|2y=2003|2p=52 |3a1=Swiderski|3y=1988a}} The traditional histories of the Thomas Christians note that the immigration of the Knanites reinvigorated the church of India, which was at the moment of their arrival deprived of ecclesial leadership.{{sfnp|Kollaparambil|2015|p=129}} The arrival of the migrants is also associated with connecting the native Church of St. Thomas with the Syriac Christian tradition of the [[Church of the East]].{{sfnp|Thomas|2018|p=4}}{{sfnp|Neill|2004|pp=42–43}}{{sfnp|Nedungatt|2001|p=41|ps=: Related with East Syriac Church: The spatial separateness of the St Thomas Christians from Christian centres in other lands was not in every way absolute, as at an early stage of their history they found themselves in rapport with the East Syriac Church. Neither their traditions nor their posterior documents exhibit any sign of constraint or bad blood occasioned by such a relationship. On the other hand everything goes to show that it was a happy working arrangement. Their being in dire straits early on in their history and the arrival on the scene of the progenitors of the present-day "Southists" as benefactors, appears to coincide with the Community's acceptance of fellowship with the East Syriac Church. – Dr. Benedict Vadakkekara}}

During this time period Thomas of Cana received copper plates of socio-economic and religious rights for his relations, his party, and all people of his religion. The granting of these plates is noted to have enhanced the social position of all the ancient Christians of India and secured for them royal protection from the Chera dynasty. The [[Thomas of Cana copper plates]] were extant in Kerala until the 17th century after which point they were lost.<ref name=":12">D'Aguiar, Rev. J. Monteiro. 'The Magna Carta of St. Thomas Christians', ''K. S. P.'', no. 4, p. 172 and 195.</ref>{{sfnp|Kollaparambil|2015|p=129}}{{sfnp|Medlycott|1912}}