Christianity — as an organised religion — is about 2,000 years old. It is believed to have originated in the firstcentury CE. The Thomas Christians, one of the oldest communities of the Christian faith, date back to that time.
Today, they thrive in Kerala, South-west India, and across the world. Named after the apostle St. Thomas, Thomas Christians (Malabar Christians) are indigenous Christians. The vibrant community is popularly known as the Nasrani Mappila.
The term Nasrani comes from the Greek word ‘Nazōraioi.’ Gradually, it evolved into Nasrani, the Arabic term for ‘Christians.’ The name is based on Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus. However, the community involves different ethnicities and origins; its culture is an amalgamation of Syriac, Hindu, Jewish, and Latin customs blended with the local traditions of Kerala.
Saint Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, was the first to acknowledge Jesus’s sanctity unambiguously. But what led St Thomas to travel to India? How did he find an entirely different sect of Christianity?
Several stories narrate the story of Saint Thomas’s arrival in India. According to the Acta Thomae (Acts of Thomas), when the apostles divided the countries to preach the gospel of Christ, Saint Thomas was bestowed the responsibility to preach in the East. However, he was initially reluctant to travel East. He argued that his ill health would hinder his journey and that a Hebrew would fail to teach the people of the East. Despite his initial reluctance, he managed to go East and share the gospel.
It is believed that Saint Thomas, the Apostle, brought Christianity to India in 44-48 A.D. The Acts of Thomas say Saint Thomas first preached the gospel to the Jewish people in India. The Syrian Christians (another one of the Nasranis’ numerous names) do not follow a set of dogmas. Their community is framed by spiritual beliefs.
The Saint Thomas Christians believe in three eternal things: the heavenly God beyond creation, the omnipresent God, and the spirits within him. They consider these three eternal beings the Father, Sons, and Holy Spirit. The Nasrani Mappila follow a spiritual framework and pursue a life full of devotion. However, the details of that life differ individually. The community’s beliefs are integrated into the local folklore, songs, and dances.
Thomma Parvam (Songs of Thomas) tells the tale of St. Thomas arriving in Mavlankara and sowing the seeds to Seven Churches in Kerala. The Songs narrate how Thomas the Apostle shared the gospel with Jews, natives and the King of Kodungallur. The Thomas Christian community is believed to have combined its beliefs with those of the Brahmins in the Middle Ages. The Nasrani Christians, for instance, practised wearing the sacred thread.
The Thomma Parvam also describes Saint Thomas’s martyrdom. Different versions of the songs signify different stories relating to his death in 72 AD. From a king ordering a high priest to stab him to the Brahmins having him killed for sharing the gospel, all stories hail Saint Thomas as a martyr.
The arrival of the Portuguese changed things for the prosperous community of Thomas Christians. In April 1498, two Nasranis commanded Vasco de Gama’s fleet. The forthcoming years saw the community helping the Jesuit missionary bring many people into the Catholic fold. However, this amicable relationship was short-lived.
During the Inquisition, the Portuguese considered the Nasrani Mappila as heretics. A few years later, the community was divided. Some Thomas Christians remained Roman Catholic, while others were divided between East Syrian and West Syrian churches. Over the years, the community has become further divided, with ongoing struggles over Syrian, Latin, and Malabar rites. One group continues to follow ancient traditions, whereas reformers have somewhat changed the nature of their spiritual beliefs.
South Indian texts mention the existence of the Nasrani folk. For instance, Manimekalai—the epic that dates back to the second and third centuries CE—refers to the community as Essanis. The accounts of various travellers also describe the Malabar Christians. Cosmos Indicoplenstes first wrote about the presence of the Saint Thomas people in Kerala. His accounts, which can be traced back to 522 CE, describe the community in its Essanis. Alfred’s embassy chronicled the Nasranis as a flourishing community that commanded respect on the Malabar coast circa 833 CE. Even Marco Polo described the community and their ancient church in his account, The Travels of Marco Polo.
Over four million Nasrani Mappilas thrive in India; many more thrive across the world. The Malabar Christians occupy top clergy positions in the most significant Christian communities worldwide. This vibrant, cultured group represents one of the oldest Christian communities globally, particularly one that originated and prospered outside the West.
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