History about m,o,c.... Outside Roman empire i.e. Parthian empire and its east, Christianity has spread and flourished from its inception, while in Rome and Roman empire it was a banned and persecuted sect up to conversion of Roman emperor Constantine in CE 315. Edessa (in Greek) or Urha (in Syriac) was the centre of Eastern Christianity from where St. Thomas worked tirelessly for the spread of Christian faith in Parthia, Mesopotamia, India, China and far away islands. All Church writers and historians of early centuries, such as Origen (CE 185-254), Hippolytus (CE 160-235), Clement of Alexandria (CE 150-215), Eusebius (CE 260-340) and writer of Acts of Thomas (CE 200) vouched the incident in their writings. Jewish settlements of Kodugalloor as well as tradition handed over to generation to generation in Kerala indicate that St. Thomas arrived through the spice route and preached the Gospel to Jewish Diaspora and to natives, established seven churches and appointed priests from four families. The discovery of south west monsoon wind in AD 45 for direct sea voyage from Red Sea to south India through Erythraean sea (Indian ocean as per Greenwich version) by Greek Navigator Hippalus facilitated easy passage to Apostles predestined trip to famous spice capital of ancient world, Muziris in AD 52. Jewish document of C.E.68 narrates the presence of Christians at Kodumgalloor. Another 2nd century writing of an Alexandrian Academician Panthaneus who visited south India, describes the existence of a prosperous Christian community in Kerala (History of Kerala – by A.Sreedhara Menon). The propagation of Christianity was led by apostles St. Peter and St. Paul around the Mediterranean, and by St. Thomas in the East. This Nasrani faith had many similarities to ancient Judaism (see also Jewish Christianity), and, owing to the heritage of the Jewish Christian Nasrani people, developed contacts with the Non-Chalcedonian religious authorities of Edessa, Mesopotamia. The East Syrian Prelate, Mar Yuhanon signed on behalf of the Churches of Persia and India at the first organized gathering of Christianity, the Synod of Nicea held in CE 325. The East Syrian Canonist Ibn Tayyib says ‘In the time of Catholicose Mar Ishaq (CE 309-410) the Metropolitanates of Fars and Meru and in the time of Mar Ishu Yab-I/ II/ III (CE 582-660) Halwan, Harat, Samarkhand, India and China were created’. Mar Ishu Yab warned in his two letters to Mar Shimyun, Metropolitan of Fars (Riwardisher) located in southern Persia that his independent stand will not hamper the ecclesiastical needs of the people of India. Ancient East Syrian (Persian) crosses found out in many places with writings in Pahlavi language engraved on it, as seen at Kadamattom Orthodox church, Kottayam Canaanite church, Mylapore church are also pronounces the close relationship of Malankara with East Syrian Church. The local Church maintained its autonomous character under its local leader, Arkidhyaquana (locally called as Malankara Moopen). Geevarghese Bar Ebraya, Maphriyano of West Syrian Church, in his Ecclesiastical History, made no mention about Malankara Church reveals the fact that Antiochean See had no knowledge or any association with Church of Malankara. The patronage of Christianity by Roman emperors from AD 315, marked the end of freedom enjoyed by Christianity in Persian empire and the commencement of persecution. In C.E.345 during the persecution of King Shapur-III, Mesopotamian Christians consisting of 400 people termed as ‘Canaanites’, one bishop and priests led by a merchant named Cana Thoma migrated to Kerala. They are called in Kerala as ‘Thekkum Bhagar’ means Southernists. The migration of Cananites took place from Cnana which is in the southern part of Mesopotamia, while early Malankara Nazranis were ecclesiastically linked to Edessa-Selucia, which is northern part of East Syria. Church hierarchy distinctively termed the migrated group as southernists. In C.E.822 a group of people from East Syria, (home of the biblical Magis, who have advanced knowledge of astronomy at that time) migrated to Kerala at Kollam, the southern Cheran capital under two bishops - Mar Sabrisho and Mar Aphrod - formulated a new calendar for the king of Kollam, known as Kolla Varsham (era) which began in C.E.825. Syrian Christians were also actively involved in spice trade due to their west Asian connections. As a reward for their unique services, the Syrian Christians were bestowed with many rights in copper plates by the King in the presence of his royal assembly is known as Tarissa Palli Chepped is in the possession of the Malankara Orthodox Church and the hidden first and last page with Reformists. The other important Chepped, ‘Kana Thomman Chepped’ was ferried to Portugal and misplaced there. The spread of aggressive religions and the exhaustive holocaust by Timur during 14th century caused the devastation of the 16 million strong East Syrian Church which had more than the combined strength of Latin and Greek Church at that time, to small groups of dispersed minorities. The fall of Constantinople, a bastion of Christianity in Asia Minor, to the Islamic Ottoman Empire in 1453 marked the end of the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantine Empire, and severed European trade links by land with Asia. This massive blow spurred the age of discovery as Europeans were seeking alternative routes east by sea for the spice trade. One such Portuguese explorer, Vasco de Gama, arrived in Calicut in 1498. The Portuguese came to South India and established their political power there. Simultaneously they aggressively carried out the work to unite the Malanakara Church in communion with Rome under the Portuguese patronage. Even many documents related to 17th & 18th century also reveals the attachment of Nazranis to Eastern Syria. A memorandum by Malankara Nazranis to Roman Pope against compulsive westernization during 17th Century states that, “All our prayers are written in the Chaldean Syriac of our Apostle father St. Thomas”. A Jesuit priest Nunes Barutha of that period states that : “Marthoma Christians are not believe in any other teaching other than written in Eastern Syriac”. In 1682, Bartholomew, a West Syrian Malpan from Aleppo was appointed in Verapoly seminary by Carmelites. But Malankara Nazranis strongly opposed the appointment to teach their students by a West Syrian teacher. Canon of Udayamperoor synod (page 79)specifically asked to discontinue the use of Eastern Syriac in liturgy and prayers for native Malayalam. Eastern Aramaic (Chaldean Syriac) was widely used in Malankara up to 17th century, and all borrowed words and names from Syriac to Malayalam are still phonetically in Eastern Syriac. Christianity witnessed India’s major socio-religious transition during its two thousand years of existence. St.Thomas preached in south India to a community consisted of native Dravidian majority, small groups of Jains, Buddhists and migrant Vedic Indo-Aryans (Brahmins). Malankara Nazranies also had evolved a script (Karshoni) to write Malayalam after making certain changes in east Syrian script, even though ‘Vattezhuthe /Grantha’ the early form of Malayalam was normally also used by Nazranies. The present day Malayalam script was formulated and used by Indo-Aryan settlers on the lines of Devnagari for the translation of their Epics to Malayalam after 12th century. Even Aarthat Padiyola in copper plate (preserved at University Manuscript Library, Trivandrum), declaring the sovereignty of Malnakara Church in C.E.1806 was written in old Malayalam script. Early scripts, Brahmi & Kharoshti (used in emperor Ashoka edicts) prevailed in ancient India was also developed from eastern Syriac, which helped to decipher identical edicts written in India’s original but defunct Prakrit languages. St. Thomas Christians were reluctant to divulge their faith to others before the arrival of European missionaries. At the time of the arrival of Vasco-da-Gama at Cochin in CE 1502, Metropolitan Mar Yahb Alla assisted by Mar Denha, Mar Yacob and Mar Yuhanon sent by Babylonian Patriarch ministered from Ankamaly along with dynastically descended Arkidhyaquana from native Pakalomattom family. Cardinal Tisserent in his book ‘Eastern Christianity in India’ states that even after the arrival of Portuguese, Babylonian Primates, continued to sent prelates and they ministered in Malanakara viz. Mar Yacob (CE 1503-49), Mar Joseph and Mar Elias (CE 1556-69), Mar Abraham (CE 1568-97) and thereafter Mar Simeon. Most of them were detained by Portuguese under Goan Inquisition and sent to Bassein (Vasai), Lisbon or Rome for orientation in Latin language, tradition & liturgy. Portuguese were eager to bring the Indian Church under the Popes control through Latin ecclesiastical hierarchy. They succeeded in their efforts in CE 1599 with the Synod of Diamperduring the regime of Geevarghese Arkidhyaquana. Royal order issued under the pressure of Goan bishop Menezis, the representatives of various parishes who attended the assembly were forced by Portuguese authorities to accept the Papal authority. In CE 1601, Menezes consecrated Fr. Francis Roz as bishop of Ankamaly, which marked the beginning of Roman Catholic hierarchy in Malankara. In CE 1652, Mar Ahathalla, a prelate from East Syria reached Mylapore (most emotive place in India for every East Syrian in early times) and the news of his detention and torture by Portuguese, caused the great uprising of 1653. It was a historical proclamation of freedom in human history,centuries before French revolution and American Boston Tea party from Colonial rule. Even the Indian freedom struggle started 200 years after this emancipation proclamation. Under the leadership of Arkidhyaquana Thomas, Nazranis gathered at Mattancherry church on Friday, January 24, 1653 (M.E. 828 Makaram 3) and sworn an oath known as the Great Oath of Bent Cross. The following oath was read aloud and repeated by people touching a stone cross: By the Father, Son and Holy Ghost that henceforth we would not adhere to the Franks, nor accept the faith of the Pope of Rome[29]. Those who were unable to touch the cross tied ropes to it, which they held as they swore the oath. Because of the enthusiasm of believers, the cross bent a little and so it is known as Oath of the bent cross (Coonen Kurisu Sathyam). They wanted to combat aggressive catholic hierarchy and to regain the spiritual and administrative autonomy of the Church, hence 12 elderly priests laid hand on Thomas Arkidhyaquana and elevated him as Metropolitan. It appealed to several eastern Christian churches to defend its identity from Latin intrusion. Mar Gregorios of Jerusalem came to India in 1665 in a Dutch ship. He confirmed Marthoma I as the Metropolitan and worked together with him to re-organize the Church. Until CE 1599, it depended on the Assyrian (Persian) Church for prelates to ordain its priests.[7] The Church have lost many early traditions after the onslaught of western Christianity. Early period Nazranis sought the intercession of Apostolic father St. Thomas who was described in tradition as well as in Liturgy as a great healer of sicknesses and it was zealously solicited by a traditional annual fast of 8 days which is unfortunately discontinued now.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Feb 2014 17:52:23 +0000
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