ICH - 2. The Apostle Thomas and the Origin of Indian Christians.

2.1. Malabar tradition, known also as Indian tradition. - Some historians differ- Early history of many Christian communities shrouded in obscurity. St. Thomas Christian tradition is not vague and indistinct. - The tradition speaks of a date- The name of the seven communities St. Thomas established- the names of families- unfortunately no contemporary written documents- If no historical basis the Thomas Christians would not have preferred Thomas to all other apostles. No other Christian communities in any other part of the world has a rival tradition of possessing the tomb. The usual rivalry between the Nordists and the Sudists- the Sudists never questioned the genuineness of the tradition. So also the Chaldeans.- they do not claim that the Suriani Christians of Malabar are result of their evangelization. Three sources regarding tradition: 1.different forms in which the tradition of the community is expressed (= Viradian pattu, Ramban pattu and Margamkali pattu, discovery of a cross at Alangad, effigies of a king [pallivanavar] discovered at Nilamperur and Kilirur), 2. the tomb of Mylapore and 3. the coinage of Gondopheres +Acta Thomae.

2.2. The tomb of Mylapore
The town of peacocks -east coast – Coromandal coast- Cholamandalam, country of Cholas. Some deny a priori the authenticity of the tomb- They hold that Thomas in Malabar tradition is mythified. Three different persons: The apostle Thomas, Manichean Thomas 277AD, and Thomas Cana. Acts: before the beginning of the 3rd century the bones of the apostle removed to the west. (King Mazdai opening the tomb for relics) St. Ephrem recognizes the relics carried from India. (Carmina Nisibena No.42) St. John Chrysostom- Martyrologium Hieronymianum of 5th century-Gregory of Tours (594). Suleiman Muslim traveler speaks (841) of Bethuma = house of Thomas reached in 10 days from Quilon.- Passio Thomae of 6th century: at the request of Syrians Romas Emperor Alexander (AD233 defeated king Xerse of Persia) ordered the body to be translated to Edessa from India to be kept in locello argento quod pendit ex catenis argenteis Pseudo Sophronius (AD 7th c.) first mentions Calamina. Isidore Seville (AD 636): Calamina City of India. Pseudo Dorotheus & Pseudo Hippolytus Anglo-Saxon chronicles: English King Alfred sent an embassy in 883, leader Bishop Sigheln of Sherborne- to Rome and India returned with precious stones and odoriferous essences + a relic of Holy Cross given by Pope Martinus (d. AD 884.) Arab historian Amr ibn Matta 1340, Mufazzal ibn Abil Fazail 1358, Marignoli 1349, Monte corvine 1291 Blessed Oderic 1325, Nicolo Conti 440. Four East Syrian bishops arrived in Kerala in 1504. No other place has put forward any serious claim of possessing the grave of St. Thomas the Apostle
2.3. Acts of Judas Thomas
Originated in a milieu of Upper Mesopotamia, perhaps Edessa - turn of third century. Medlycott: Unlikely for a third century wrier to invent the story –sovereign’s name, an historical one reappeared in coins and inscriptions of Gandhara. General tradition.- Journey and activities of Thomas in a romantic manner.- Gondapher, Gad, palace story, Mazdai. Kandappa rajah? Mazdai = Matziadev Combination of two traditions.
2.4. Ancient Christian writings: Acts of Judas Thomas c.200; Clement of Alexandria 3rd century, Doctrine of the Apostle, Origen (c.231, Eusebius Eccl.Hist. III.1), 4th century Arnobius 305?, Eusebius of Caesarea (d.340), Ephrem (d.373), Gregory of Nazianzuz (d.389), Cyrillonas (d.396), Ambrose (d.397), De transitu mariae; 5th century: Gaudentius of Brecia (d. after 406), Jerome (d.420), Theodoret of Cyrus (427), Paulinus of Nola (d.431), Martyrologium Hieronymianum (mid 5th century); 6th century: John of saba(c.630), Isidore of Seville (d.636) and so on. The South Indian tradition supported by two monuments: the community of St. Thomas Christians with their living traditions and the tomb of Mylapore. None of the counter arguments seem to be strong enough to erode the validity of the tradition.
2.5. The Apostle St. Bartholomew and the Indian Church
Eusebius of Caesarea (265-340.) and St. Jerome (340-420) on the alleged apostolate of St. Bartholomew in India –while speaking about the reported visit of Panthenus of Alexandria in 2nd C. According to Eusebius, Panthenus discovered the gospel according to St. Mathew in India; St. Jerome, Demetrius, Bishop of Alexandria sent him to India. (Other relevant texts are: Martyrologium Hieronymianum, PL30, 436; the Greek Menology 2 for February 17, PG 117,317; “Passio Bartholomew” or “the Martyrdom of the Holy and Glorius Apostle Bartholomew” Ante-Nicene Christian Library, vol. 16; Cf. Perumalil, The Apostle in India, Patna 1971, pp.108-132) Formerly, scholars held the India of Eusebius and Jerome should be in fact Ethiopia or Arabia Felix. Some recent studies (Perumalil and Moraes) try to explain that the Bombay region on the Konkan coast was the field of Bartholomew’s missionary activities and his martyrdom. The town of Kalyan, is supposed to be the “Kalliana”, the traveler Cosmas Indicopleustes visited in the 6th century as he reports in his Christian Topography. [E.O. Windstedt ed., The Christian Topography of Cosmas Indicopleustes, 1909). Pseudo-Sophronius(7th century): St. Bartholomew preached to the “Indians who are called Happy”, and according to the Greek tradition the Apostle went to “India Felix”. The word Kalyan =“felix” or “Happy”, and it is argued that the Kalyan region came to be known to the foreign writers as “India Felix”, and its inhabitants, Indians “called the happy”. Indian apostolate of St. Bartholomew -no Indian tradition as for St. Thomas. This absence some historians would explain (Moraes), is due to the fact that the history of the Christians of Bartholomew got intermingled with that of the St. Thomas Christians who came under the control of the Persian Church. And in the tradition of that Church, Bartholomew was associated with Armenia and not with India. The Bartholomew Christians got merged with the Christians of Bombay after the arrival of Portuguese in India. But some writers have suggested that Bartholomew may have been a mishearing of “Mar Thoma” which became “Bar Tolmai”.
2.6. St. Thomas Christians and the East Syrian Church
St. Thomas Christian community is alleged to have suffered, a decline- Reinvigorated by groups of Christians who came from Persia. All historians agree that some kind of a relation between the Christians of India and the Church of Persia existed from very early centuries. The stories of Bishop David of Basra and Bishop John- The ‘Chronicle of Seert’, East-Syrian document of 7th or 8th c. Bishops who attended the Nicean council of 325, is mentioned one John the Persian, was bishop of the whole of Persia and greater India. [Gelasius, Eccl. Hist. 2:27 quoted in Young, Handbook p.28, (no. 27)] Persian Church known as the East-Syrian Church, [Iran and Iraq]. Babylonians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Persians. East Syrian as against the West-Syrian or Antiochene. The Church of Seleucia-Ctesiphone after the twin capital cities under the Persians. After the name of the Euphrates-Tigris valley, the seat of the most ancient civilizations, the region as well as the Church are also known as Mesopotamia. (Sumerians before 2400 BC, Akkadians from 2400 Babylonians in 18th century. (Hammurabi) Hittites, overthrown by another Semitic people Assyrians (8th c. BC). Assyrian empire with Ashur as their centre. After a century came the Chaldeans- also Semitic people with Babylon as capital. -close of the 6th century BC the Persians [Cyrus]. The Persians =Aryans of central Asia. -all invadors got assimilated into the existing civilization. =continuation of the Babylonian Civilization, [Semitic]. The central geographical position of the civilization gave its commercial importance i.e., the north-south and east-west land trade routes passed through these regions. The language of commerce = Aramaic even of the Aryan Persians. The first messengers of Christianity in these region =Parthians, Medes and the inhabitants of Mesopotamia who were in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts.2.9). -Addai, the Apostle of Edessa, one of the 72 disciples of Jesus, either personally or through his disciples Agai and Mari. Although no serious claim to the apostolate of St. Thomas is put forward by the Persian Church, the Apostle is, however, considered to be intimately connected with their Church. - In the middle of the 16th century -reunion of the ‘Nestorians’ with Rome took place.
2.7. East Syrian Migrations
Different groups of Christians from’Babylon’ (Persia) came to India. One is associated with Thomas of Cana (Knai Thomman) (4th c./8th c.) and the other with two saintly men, Sapor and Prot (9/10 c.)

2.7.1. Thomas Cana (AD 345) and Indian Christians
Thomas of Cana (Knai Thomman) appears as merchant, traveler, and pilgrim. Malabar tradition careful to distinguish Thomas the Apostle from Thomas Cana. Southist community always considered their origin to be from Thomas Cana & held that there existed a Christian community prior to the arrival of Thomas Cana, founded by Apostle Thomas. -importance of the arrival of this Syrian Merchant -a turning point in the history of the community- material and spiritual prosperity.
Mar Timothy’s (780/9-823) letter: “Many monks voyage to India and China with only a stick and a purse. Consider yourself to have gone by sea with as much money as they had.” -an evidence of the renewed intensification of Christian activity in India under the great Timothy.Ibn-at-Taiyib “The Law of Christendom” summarizes two letters of Mar Timothy. (Hambye ER. Some Eastern Evidences pp.188-191). The first to the Indian Christian community -gives instructions for electing the metropolitan. ‘Only after the Patriarch had approved the election the matter could be referred to the King. The allusion may be to the king of the Christians about whom the Portuguese heard from local traditions. In the second, Timothy refers to some canonical abuses crept into the Christian community of India, especially in the matter of ordinations of Metropolitans, bishops, priests and deacons. The Patriarch calls ‘Arkn’, the head of the faithful in India. This letter of Timothy is a clear testimony to the position the Archdeacon of the Church of India held from very early time. (Arkn = Syriac arkidiaquon, like Metran from Metropolitan)
2.7.2. Sapor and Proth
Sapor and Proth, presented by tradition as brothers and saints (Xaor and Aproito, Mar Xabro and Mar Aprott, Saper and Aprot). We follow Sapor and Prot) - for the welfare of the Christian community of Kollam. From the legends about these two bishops, the migration of at least two groups of Persian Christians could be distinguished. The first led by a bishop called Thomas reaching here about AD 774/795 and the other in AD 813/25 or AD 910. The latter group was led by Sabrisho, probably a merchant and two bishops, Mar Sapor and Mar Prot. = Quadixagal (Quadisa syr.= saint + kal mal. Pl.) It is quite likely that the copper plate grants of King Ayyan of Venad given to the Tarisappally (Orthodox ? church) of Kollam c. 880 also possible that the Persian Cross at the Big mount near Mylapore and the oldest of two such crosses at the Valiapalli at Kottayam belongs to the same period. Kollam era began on August 25th, 825.
The earliest report =the testimony of the Chaldean Abuna in 1533. (Others Correa, Dionysio, Roz, Gouvea, Barbosa) The tradition presents very strongly Thomas and the two brothers as the persons instrumental in bringing the Persian Church into such direct and intimate communication with the Christians of India. Another reason for this attachment, the fact that the East Syrians spoke Aramaic, the language of Jesus. The relation between the Church of India and the East Syrian, Persian Church which started in the 3rd/4th century grew to such proportions that the former, in course of time, became so dependent on the latter that everything ecclesiastical in India was practically East Syrian (? How far it was? Mundadan) The dependence was both an advantage and a disadvantage to the Indian Church. Perhaps the community of the Thomas Christians was able to maintain a strong Christian tradition on account of this dependence. At the same time the varying fortunes of the Persian Church affected to some extent the Indian Church too.
2.8. Indian Christians & Christian West before the arrival of the Portuguese/ Occasional visitors
The Indian Christians had some knowledge of the Christian West either indirectly through the Persian Church or directly through some contacts. India was well known in the Mediterranean regions, but confusion seems to cloud the accounts of the 4th & 5th c. writings. -doubt as to whether the India of Pantenus and St. Bartholomew
2.8.1.Panthenus Christian Philosopher & founder? of the catechetical school of Alexandria. Majority of scholars hold that Panthenus visited Ethiopia or Arabia Felix (South Arabia). But not convincing enough to reject the possibility of Panthenus visiting India.
2.8.2.Theophilus, the Indian 4th c. is said to have visited India. Photius, quotes from the now lost Eccl. Hist. of the Aryan Philostorzius (354-425) -Emperor Constantius sent Theophilus from the Island of Divus (Maldivu, or dvipa= Socotra?.) to his native land and the country of Axum & India.
2.8.3.The embassy under the leadership of Bishop Sigheln in 883, sent by King Alfred of England. William of Malmesbury (d. A.D. 1143) says in his chronicle De gestis regum Anglorum, liber 5 (About the Acts of the Kings of England Book V), that King Alfred sent Bishop Sighelm of Sherborne across the sea to Rome and to St. Thomas, to India, that he happily arrived in India and returned with precious stones and odoriferous essences of that country and with a relic of the Holy Cross, sent by Pope Martinus (d. AD 884) to the king.
Conquest of Egypt & Persia by Muslim Arabs -7th c. affected contacts between India and the Christian West. -Interest in India in connection with the stories about the legendary ‘Presbyter John’ ( a legendary Indian emperor). A pilgrim known as Saint Bernard the penitent, visited the tomb of St. Thomas (bet. AD 1170 & 1177). Later Henry Morungen, a Saxon king. -regular and direct contacts between India and the Christian West reestablished after Mongols conquered Mesopotamia and opened the Persian Gulf to European merchants, travelers and missionaries. Visitors frequented this route to proceed to China and East Asia & regular traffic started.
2.8.4. Latin Mission of the Middle Ages
Besides the accessibility of the new route to the missionaries, the opening up of the vast country of China to the European merchants and missionaries lead to the sudden appearance of Latin missionaries in India in the 13th century. Marco Polo (Venetian) or John Monte Corvino and Nicolas de Pistoia (Franciscan missionary) the first to visit India in this era of renewed contact. Rise of mendicant orders in the 13th century developed the original apostolic spirit of the Christian community. The Franciscans -in Palestine and from there to the Orient. Dominicans to the Eastern Rite Christians of West Asia and worked for reunion.> groups of Catholic Eastern Christians. Important (13th and 14th c.) mission among Mongols who ruled Central Asia and China: Ist mission led by John of Monte Corvino OFM. (1307 archbishop of Peking (Khanbalik). He reached Kollam & remained thirteen months, visited Mylapore (his companion Nicolas of Pistoia died and was buried there). Went to China & made archbishop. Jordan Catalani of Severac first Dominican to come to India. (French). In 1320, with four Franciscans on their way to China via India. Landed at Thana (Bombay) in April 1321. -Went back to Europe and on August 9, 1329, appointed the bishop of Kollam (newly erected). No evidence for his return to India. While Jordan was in India, Bl. Odoric of Pordenone, a Franciscan friar, came down to Thana via Hormuz from where he proceeded to Kollam (Palumbum). Bishop John Marignoli (Flowrence, Italy), Franciscan friar, legate to China (1338). After three years in China, returned to Europe via India. Arrived Kollam on March 23, 1346. St. Thomas Christians received him with great respect. After July 1347 he embarked for Sumatra and Ceylon. The medieval Latin mission in India languished and the Latin Christian community in Kollam disappeared soon.