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Introduction
Kerala (Indian) tradition is that [[Thomas the Apostle|Apostle St. Thomas ]] established Christianity in Malankara in AD 52; it got organized and prospered with the arrival a group of Syrian Christians (Knanaites) from Urhoy (Edessa) in AD 345. The leadership of these Antiochean missionaries gave the local Christian community a new life, the Church in Malankara (Kerala) thereon adopted the rites & liturgies of the Syrian Church of Antioch and became a part of that ancient Patriarchal [[See]]. Thus the early Christian converts (St.Thomas Christians) along with the new Christian settlers (Knanaites), came to be called 'the Syrian Christians'. The Church in Malankara continued to be under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Antioch, and his subordinate in the East, the Catholicos/Maphriyono, till the arrival of Nestorian bishops in 1490. Later with the coming of Portuguese in the 16th century, the Syrian Christians of Malankara came under the influence of Latin Catholics, but when they tried to forcibly introduce their teachings, the Malankara Syrian Christians revolted and finally re-organized once again under the guidance of the delegate of the Holy See of Antioch, thereby retaining the true Apostolic faith. In the 19th century, another split occurred in the Church when a group sided with the rich and influential European missionaries. Again in the early 20th century, another group defied the Holy Church to form an independent faction claiming to be of nationalistic structure, after much harassment. Even in the midst of such great trials and tribulations, by God's grace the ancient Syrian Orthodox Church, which in India (Malankara) also referred to as the Jacobite Syrian Church, continues to exist in this part of the world with its distinct identity, ardently practicing the true Apostolic faith taught by its Holy fathers.
In this page the history of the Malankara Church from its beginning is reproduced; the brief history is complied from the articles written by the famous historian and Syriac Scholar Very Rev. (Dr.) Kurien Corepiscopo Kaniamparambil, Mr. E M Philip Edavazhikkal (author of 'Indian Church History', 1906), Dn. P T Geevarghese (later Mar Ivanios of Syro-Malankara Church - author of 'Were Syrian Christians Nestorians'), Very Rev. (Dr) Adai Jacob Corepiscopus (the principal of Syrian Orthodox Theological Seminary at Udayagiri), Dr. D Babu Paul ('Veni Vidi Vici'), and late Prof. Pankkal E John and late K P John ('Way to Peace'). A more detailed history is expected to be published soon.
I. Establishment of Christianity in India
Like all the Christians sects of Kerala, the Syrian Orthodox Church too firmly believes that St. Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, had founded the Church in India. There exists a strong tradition in Malankara about the arrival of St. Thomas, his mission, death, burial and about the [[relics ]] of his mortal body. No other country or people make such claim about St. Thomas. The widely accepted belief is that St. Thomas visited various places and baptized many Jews and Hindus and thus began the process of establishing the Church. Middle East countries and Kerala had trade relations during the early centuries and and all the evidences, acknowledged by all the historians points to the fact that the Jewish settlers existed in Cragnanore even before the Christian era. So it is very clear that there was a sea route to Kerala coast in those days and St. Thomas traveled to Cragnanore through this.
There is a general presumption that St. Thomas, a Jew himself by birth, may have visited India in search of Jews settled here. As mentioned earlier, there was a flourishing colony of Jews in Muziris (Cragnanore, Kerala). These Jews are said to have arrived with King Solomon's first fleet.
