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Syrian Christians of Malabar

The Syrian Christians form an exceedingly interesting element in the population of Malabar. They are so called because they use the Syriac version of the Bible. They stand aloof as a distinct community presenting striking differences from the other members of the great Christian fold. Their existence as a separate community is inextricably associated with, and dates from, the apostolic times. Their early history is wrapt in hopeless obscurity. As observed on a previous occasion, “ tradition has it that the apostle St. Thomas during his evangelistic mission to China and the eastern countries travelled through Malabar founding in various places seven churches, remnants of which still survive to bear witness to the possible genuineness of the tradition. Whatever value may be attached to this account which is at best only traditional, there are associations which have clustered round it such as would be interesting to the antiquarian. Despite its traditional aspect the point is interesting in that it still remains one of the hopeless mysteries of antiquity”.

In the necessarily brief notice of these interesting people it is neither possible nor desirable to deal at any length with the vexed question of the great apostolic visit to this far-off land. However, the fact is significant that the entire community place such unbounded reliance upon the genuineness of the apostle’s visit and its great historical sequel, the rise of the community itself. Here we plainly tread upon debatable ground. The subject, of course, has given rise to two rival theories, each tenaciously maintained by its respective exponents; and the decision of the whole question is said to hang upon the identity or otherwise of the apostle himself with a namesake of his who visited these parts at a comparatively later period. The problem may remain a problem for ever. This absence of old authentic records confirms the prophecy certainly for the present, and probably to all futurity. When, in these days, in spite even of strong contemporary evidence, the existence of Shakespeare himself, an event of less than five centuries ago, is negative by the advocate of “the Baconian Theory,” it is no wonder that the incidents connected with the life history of the apostle which admittedly belong to the dawn of the Christian Era, should have become the subject of a historical controversy.

The Rev. Milne Rae, late of the Madras Christian College, once made a serious attempt by writing a book on “the Syrian Church in India,” in which he essayed to characterize the entire belief as the outcome of “the migration of a tradition.” This led some of the advanced Syrian Christians to stoutly repudiate the Professor’ s theory. In spite of all that the question remains as controverted as it originally stood.

No one, to be sure, is at present in possession of sufficient data leading to the solution of the problem relating to the great apostolic visit. Anyhow, the tenacity with which the belief is still clung to by the entire Syrian community is something significant, which the counter theorists would find it rather hard to shake or explain.

The tradition regarding the apostle’s advent to Malabar will be well worth reproduction. As observed before there are two rival theories about it. The one is that the apostle himself visited Malabar and the first Syrian element came into being as the result of his labours. The other is that a merchant named Thomas came in 745 A.D. with a band of Christians from Bagdad, Nineveh and Jarusalem under the orders of the Catholic Archpriest at Uratrai (Edassa). It is not proposed to enter into a critical examination of the two theories with a view to establishing the one or the other beyond all possibility of doubt. It is proposed only to give the traditional account that still forms the basis of the Syrian creed in this country, together with a brief ethnic description of the people themselves. According to current tradition the Syrian Church was founded in Malabar about 50 A.D. The apostle founded at first seven churches, five of them being in the Travancore State, one in Cochin and one in British Malabar.Two of these have been since completely destroyed ; and the remaining five being in a condition which is little better than decrepit. The early coverts to the new Church were Nambutiri Brahmins who were converted by whole villages. The ministers of the Church at Palayur which is one of the seven Churches referred to above were first ordained by the apostle himself. These were chosen mainly from two families, Pakalomakam and Sankarapuri. The higher order of the Syrian priesthood remained, for centuries, practically hereditary in these two families.

The third century was marked by the arrival of a Persian heretic of the school of manes, or according to some others of a heathen wizard. This was a period of apostacy for the new Church. This wizard or heretic arrived and preached a crusade against the Syrian Church, and as a result thereof many of the Syrian Christians accepted his teachings and became his disciples. These apostates are still known as Manigramakkar and are to be found at Quilon, Kayamkulam, &c.., within the limits of the Travancore State.

In 350 A.D came to Malabar the first colony of Christians. A Syrian merchant, by name Thomas of Cama, visited the country with many others about four hundred in number. They had amongst them a Bishop named Mar Joseph. They landed at Cheraman Perumal was then the ruler of Malabar as a viceroy of the Pandian king.

The then Perumal received this Syrian colony very kindly and allowed them to settle in the country and granted them seventy-two privileges thus raising them to a position of almost equality with the Brahmins. A grant on copperplate was made to them; which with other records is still preserved in the Kottayam Seminary.

Between centuries IX & X a second colony of Christians came to Malabar. They too were received well and allowed to remain in the country. Then a fusion was effected between this second and the northern portion of the first colony; and this combined section continued to live in Cranganore. The southern portion of the first colony which remained aloof settled at Quilon.

The community attained its zenith of prosperity between centuries IX and XIV. They were allowed to elect a king of their own; and thenceforward they began to be ruled by their own kings. But, however, this regal period became extinct, and the community fell under the power of the Cochin Rajas.

This point leads us on to consider the advent of the Portuguese in the country. The Church fell into what is known as the Nestorian heresy. It is uncertain when exactly it took place. But it appears tolerably certain that in the seventh century it received Nestorian Bishops from Persia which continued until the advent of the Portuguese. When Vasco de Gama arrived in Malabar the Christians went to him with the extinct sceptre of their own kings. Almost a century after the advent of the Portuguese Alexes de Menezes , Archbishop of Goa and Primate of the East, was deputed by the Pope in 1598 with the object of completing the conquest of the new Syrian Church. He convoked a synod at Diamper in 1599 and brought back those who had fallen into the Nestorian heresy and who were using the Syro-Chaldean rite, to the unity of the true faith and the obedience of the Holy Sea. At length the Episcopal seat was changed to Cranganore which was raised to an Archbishopric and was endowed with the munificence of the kings of Portugal. Now the Christians split themselves into the old and new parties, or the Syrian and Romo-Syrian. But in 1653, almost the whole of the archdiocese of Cranganore, with the probable exception of about four hundred souls, fell into a great schism and rebelled against their Archbishop Francis Garzia, S.J. Anarchy prevailed in the Church at the close of the Portuguese period. Many declared independence and a large number publicly resolved upon applying to Babylon, Antioch, Egypt, and Alexandria for a Bishop was either thrown into the sea or sent to be tried before the Inquisition, and many resolved to take vengeance and to have nothing to do with the Portuguese.

The conquest of Cochin by the Dutch in 1663 was an incident favourable to the Syrian cause. The Dutch ordered all Romish priests and monks to leave the place. In the great schism which took place in 1653 referred to before, twelve priests who were the ringleaders proved excessively turbulent and they made Thomas de Campo, Bishop. Alexander VII. deputed missionaries and by their labours about eighty-four parishes returned to the unity of the Church. From them the Catholics of the Syro-Malabar rite trace their descent. Some few parishes, about thirty-three in number, remained firm in the schism and maintained a succession of practically pseudo-Bishops till 1772. In that year Joseph, the Sixth in succession, was consecrated by the heretic Jacobite Bishop Gregory and took the name of Mar Dionysius. Then these schismatics as a whole accepted the tenets of the Jacobites which they do to this day. They are hence still called Jacobite Syrians. They are locally called Puthenkuttikkar, or followers of the new creed.

The Catholics of the Syro-Malabar rite remained under the jurisdiction of Goa and Verapozhe with the exception of the short-lived schisms caused in 1861 – and the still more baneful one in 1874. The Pope Leo XIII. by the “Brief Quod Jampridem” of the 20th May 1887 seperated the Syrian from the Latin Church. The later was kept under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Verapozhe and the Bishop of Cochin. The Pope also constituted the churches that were kept under the Syrian rite into two Vicariates Apostolic, one for North and the other for South Malabar. These were styled respectively Trichur and Kottayam and they include all the churches of the Syrian rite.

From 1806, times grew brighter for the Syrian Church. The Rev. Claudius Buchanan visited Malabar and made sympathetic inquires after the Syrian community. He was determined to help on the cause of the Syrian Church. At his instance Parish Schools were established and the Bible was translated into Syriac. He also interviewed Col. Macaulay, the British Resident in Travancore, and with him travelled about. He was presented with a copy of the Syriac version of the Scripture. He took it home, translated it and sent for distribution to Malabar a very large number of copies.

The consecration of one Mar Thoma, who was the last Metran from the Pakalomakam family, being irregular some people receded from the Church. Col. Munro came to know of this. In 1813 he laid the foundations of a Seminary at Kottayam. Mar Thoma died in 1816 through the influence of Col. Munro, the Church Mission Society sent out Rev.B.Baily and Revs. Baker and Fenn. This last was placed in charge of the Kottayam Seminary.

The East India Company made a handsome donation for educational purposes.

Mar Dionysius died and was succeeded by another Mar Dionysius from Kottayam. Col. Munro was the greatest benefactor of the Syrian Church. Later on the Church broke friendship with the missionaries who had done so much in the direction of its progress. A split again followed. A party of reform arose who wanted to effect changes more in consonance with the teachings of the Bible. The new party was led by Mar Athanasius and the struggle between the two is only becoming keener. There are about 200 churches and nine Metrans. The number of priests in the churches varies from two to ten or twelve. The churches have endowed property.

I shall now attempt to give a brief ethnic description of the community as it exists in Malabar. It is divided into four or perhaps five classes with slender variations separating them, viz.:-

1. The Chaldeo-Syrians
2. Romo-Syrians
3. Mar Thoma Syrians or St. Thomas Syrians
4. Jacobite Syrians

And the fifth class has newly sprung up who are called the non-Syrians.

I shall dispose of this small sect of “non-Syrians” at first. They present much the same sectarian peculiarities as the “Jacobite Syrians” and were until slightly over a generation ago identical with them. At that time in a civil case in which the question of their sectarian nature and belief turned up in the District Court at Calicut, they disclaimed for purposes of the case alone that they were Jacobite Syrians by denying the spiritual authority of the Patriarch of Antioch. Hence they are still called “non-Syrians” and lead an independent existence as a distinct community. Their religious rites and observances are even now similar to those of the Jacobite Syrians themselves.

1. The Chaldeo-Syrians formed with the Romo-Syrians one and the same community. But owing to differences in their services they became separated. The Chaldeo-Syrians are under the spiritual government of the Patriarch of Babylon; and do not recognize the authority of the Pope of Rome, like the Romo-Syrians. Besides these their Bishops and priests present difference in dress, & c.. which will be noticed later on. They are so called because their services are conducted in the Chaldeo-Syriac language.

2. Romo-Syrians were, as observed before, identical with the Chaldeo-Syrians; and the causes which led to their mutual separation have been already noticed. They obey the ecclesiastical authority of the Pope of Rome and the Bishop of Verapuzhe under him. In fact they are called Romo-Syrians because of this Papal supreme control over them. They keep statues of saints and martyrs inside their churches just as the Roman Catholic Christians do. Like them also the Romo-Syrians believe in the existence of a Purgatory where the souls of sinners are purified after death preliminary to admission to Heaven’s eternal bliss. They also believe in the efficacy of prayers to their saints and martyrs and for the dead; in the Holy Eucharist and Transubstantiation holding that the bread and wine taken at the Lord’s Supper become the flesh and blood of Christ himself. During their services the Romo-Syrians, unlike the other Syrians, distribute the bread and wine together.

It will thus be noticed that the Romo-Syrians present striking similarities of religious creed to the ordinary Roman Catholic Christians; a fact pretty clearly due to their common submission to the ecclesiastical sway of the Romish Pope.

3. Mar Thoma Syrians, otherwise called St. Thomas Syrians. These and the Jacobite Syrians were originally identical; and their separation, likewise, had its origin in their repudiation of the separation, likewise, had its origin in their repudiation of the authority of their ecclesiastical heads. The Mar Thoma Syrians do not recognize the Patriarch of Antioch; and their present spiritual ruler is Mar Titus, Bishop of Maramannu in the Travancore State. They, therefore, are a dissentient sect from the Jacobite Syrians. They had at first no ecclesiastical head, but were after some years ruled by a succession of Bishop under the generic title of Mar Thoma. During the time of their separation from their Jacobite brethren their Bishop was Mar Thoma Athanasius. From this period they were called Mar Thoma Syrians because their Bishops were called Mar Thoma. But later on they appear to have claimed the direct discipleship of the apostle St. Thomas , and thereafter to have adopted a different and apparently more dignified appellation of St. Thomas Syrians.

They do not keep statues of saints and martyrs in their churches, and do not believe in a Purgatory. Nor do they cherish any faith in the efficacy of prayers to saints and the dead. The bread and wine at the Lord’s Supper are distributed separately. The priests are allowed to marry; but their Bishops and monks, like the Roman Catholics, are to maintain celebacy. Their faith excludes all belief in the Holy Eucharist and Transubstantiotion.

4. Jacobite Syrians derive their name from James, one of their saints. In the time of the Tudors when the relations between the Church and State became comparatively friendly, the Pope of Rome came to exercise considerable authority over the kings. Then the whole Christian world rested under the spiritual control of one of the following heads : - The pope of Rome, the Patriarchs of Constantinople, Antioch and Babylon. The Pope wished to wipe off all sectarian differences and to bring the whole Christendom under his sole anthority. With this object His Holiness prevailed upon the king to imprison the heads of all other Christian sects except those who recognized his authority; for the want of a head to direct and control their spiritual life, he thought, would necessarily induce them to abandon their own faith and flock to his own spiritual banner. But he was easily foiled in his hopes. One of their saints, by name James (from Jacobus, the Latin name of James, hence the name Jacobite Syrians) therefore came to the prison-house and begged the imprisoned spiritual dignitaries to take prompt steps to avoid the impending danger of their being forced to accept the Romish sway. He was forth-with installed Bishop inside the prison-house and was sent out to hold together the scattered fragments of the Syrian Christians whom the Pope wished to bring under him. He succeeded in doing the work entrusted to him and those Christians whom he so held together were thereafter styled Jacobite Syrians.

They are at present under the Patriarch of Antioch. They do not keep statues inside their churches nor believe in a Purgatory. But they do believe in the supernatural efficacy of prayers to the saints and the dead; and also in the holy Eucharist and Transubstantiation. Like the Roman Catholics, during services they distribute the bread and wine together to those who confess sins inside the House of God. Like the Mar Thoma Syrians, they allow their priests to marry; but enjoin strict celebacy on their Bishops and monks.

At this stage, notice some of the striking differences in faith between the Syrian Christians on the differences in faith between the Syrian Christians on the one hand and the ordinary Christians on the other. Incidentally the slight shades of difference between the various elements of the Syrians themselves will be noticed also.

1. With regard to the descent of the Holy Ghost, the Syrian Christians believe that he comes from God alone; while the Roman Catholics and Protestants believe that he comes from the Father and the Son, i.e.., God and Christ. The Jacobites and non-Syrians agree in respect of adoration to the Cross; and herein they differ from the St. Thomas Christians.

2. With regard to the keeping of statues, the Roman Catholics and Romo-Syrians, i.e., to say all those who obey the spiritual overlordship of the Pope of Rome, keep statues of saints and martyrs inside their churches, which no other Christian sect does.

3. Belief in Purgatory . The Roman Catholics and in fact all who yield to the Pope’s authority believe in the existence of a Purgatory, which is not shared by the Protestants and all other Syrian sects except the Romo-Syrians who acknowledge the Pope’s authority.

4. Prayers to saints and the deal are offered by the Roman Catholics and Jacobite Syrians who believe in their efficacy; while the Protestant and the Mar Thoma Syrian creed exclude all such conceptions and beliefs. The Jacobites admit that prayer to Virgin Mary is necessary, and herein they differ from the St. Thomas Christians.

5. The Holy Eucharist and Transubstantiation. Like-wise the Roman Catholics and Jacobite Syrians believe in Transubstantiation; while the Protestants and Mar Thoma Syrians do not so believe.

6. Protestants and Mar Thoma Syrians during their services distribute the bread and wine separately to confessors of sins. But the Roman Catholics and the Jacobite Syrians distribute the same together.

7. The Roman Catholic priests and Bishops maintain celebacy. But the Jacobites and Mar Thoma Syrians allow their priests to marry, but not their Bishops and monks. The Jacobite priests as well as the non-Syrian priests are allowed to marry only once. But the St. Thomas priests are not so, but they enjoy a greater degree of latitude in this respect.

Besides these there are minor differences in the Church services of these various classes of the Syrian community which it is neither necessary nor possible to detail within the brief space at my disposal. There are differences in the forms of dress worn by their Church functionaries. The Romo-Syrian and Chaldeo-Syrian Bishops and priests appear alike; while the Jacobite and Mar Thoma Syrian and non-Syrian Bishops and priests dress after the same fashion.

The Syrian Christians of Malabar, living as they do alongside of their Hindu religionists have appreciably affected Hindu manners; and their life and customs have been largely influenced by contact with them. There are some Syrian Christians who, like their Hindu neighbours, believe in the existences of devils and demons, and share in their idolatrous practices. The Hindus wear caste marks as a strictly religious ordinance. On the 6th January every year the Syrians have a bath and wear a caste mark. During the Christmas season the lamp illumination kept up by the Syrians and called Pindivillaku appear to be the result of proximity with their Hindu brethren. In the wearing of ear-rings and thali and minnu (two other ornaments) by the Syrian women, is traceable the result of association with their Hindu neighbours.

English education has made tolerably fair progress amongst them; and some have come to the front and occupy posts of responsibility under the British Government. They are, as a class, characterized by considerable honesty and integrity and diligence and industry; and it must be said to their credit that they have a bright future before them. In British Malabar where human equality is rigidly maintained as a strictly political doctrine, their condition is rapidly improving; and European superiors have borne ample testimony to the sense of honesty, industry and love of duty of their Syrian Christians subordinates. In Cochin, and the more so in Travancore, their political status requires more careful and sympathetic dealing. Religious susceptibilities and scruples are an impediment to their onward career in life. They have not lost any opportunity whenever it presented itself to press upon the authorities their political grievances in those States.