The History of Saint Thomas Christians (Nasranis)

A Comprehensive Report

1. Identity and Origins of the Saint Thomas Christians

The Saint Thomas Christians, or Nasranis, are an ancient Christian community indigenous to the Malabar Coast of India, especially in present-day Kerala. Their historical memory and ecclesial tradition affirm that they were evangelized by Saint Thomas the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, who is believed to have traveled to India in the first century. Because of this claimed apostolic foundation, they see themselves not as a later missionary offshoot of Western Christianity, but as a community that emerged parallel to early Christian developments in the Mediterranean world.​

For most of their history, these Christians were connected to the Church of the East, centered in Mesopotamia (Persia), and followed the East Syriac liturgical and theological tradition. This meant that their theology, worship, and ecclesiastical organization were shaped by Semitic Christian categories, Syriac language, and Persian ecclesiastical oversight rather than Latin (Roman) or Greek (Byzantine) influences.​

The term “Nasrani” comes from “Nazarene,” a name for Jesus, and was used by both the community and surrounding peoples to distinguish these Christians from later Latin-rite Catholics introduced by the Portuguese. Over centuries, Nasrani identity came to mean a blend of:​​

• Semitic Christian theology (emphasizing biblical and Syriac patristic thought rather than Greek philosophical categories).​​
• Syriac liturgy, especially the East Syriac rite for most of their history.​
• Indian social and cultural forms, including local language, dress, caste-like status, and integration with regional kingdoms.​

Thus, the Saint Thomas Christians represent a unique synthesis: an apostolic Eastern Christian community fully rooted in Indian society.​

2. Saint Thomas the Apostle in India (Traditional Account: 52–72 AD)

According to ancient tradition preserved in India and in Syriac Christian writings, Saint Thomas the Apostle arrived on the Malabar Coast around 52 AD, landing near Muziris — often identified with Kodungallur (Cranganore). While strict historical verification is debated by modern scholars, there is epigraphic and literary evidence that Christian communities existed in south India by at least the 3rd–4th century, and the community itself has consistently claimed Thomas as its founder.​

2.1 Evangelization of Jews and Hindus

When Thomas is believed to have arrived, there were already Jewish merchant communities in Kerala, linked to the broader Indian Ocean trade networks. Tradition holds that Thomas first preached among these Jewish settlers and then to local Hindu populations, forming congregations that accepted Christ while remaining within Indian cultural patterns.​

2.2 The “Seven and a Half Churches” (Ezharappallikal)

The Apostle is said to have founded “Seven and a Half Churches” along the Malabar Coast, which became focal points of the early community’s life. These are traditionally listed as:​​

• Kodungallur (Cranganore)
• Palayoor
• Kottakkavu (North Paravur)
• Kokkamangalam
• Niranam
• Nilackal (Chayal)
• Kollam (Quilon/Thangassery — often counted as the “half church,” due to its later development)​​

These locations later became important pilgrimage and historical sites for the Nasranis, symbolizing their apostolic origin and spatial continuity with the early community.​​

2.3 Martyrdom at Mylapore

Tradition further narrates that Thomas eventually traveled east to the Coromandel Coast and was martyred at Mylapore (now in Chennai) around 72 AD. His burial place is venerated at San Thome Basilica in Chennai, which has long been a major pilgrimage site for Indian Christians and for other Eastern Christians who revere him as the apostle of the East.​

3. Early Nasrani Christian Life (1st–4th Century)

The early Christians of India were known as Nazrani or Nasrani, identifying them as followers of the “Nazarene,” Jesus of Nazareth. They were ethnically and culturally Indian, adopting local dress, language, and social customs, but maintained a Semitic Christian religious identity in doctrine, liturgy, and communal organization.​

3.1 Language and Worship

In worship, the community used Syriac, a dialect closely related to Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus and the earliest Christians. Over time, they specifically adopted the East Syriac dialect and liturgical tradition, linking them to the Church of the East in Persia.​

3.2 Jewish-Christian Customs and Social Ethos

The early community preserved several Jewish-Christian practices, such as:

• Head coverings in worship, especially for women.
• Rhythms of fasting and abstinence.
• Strong communal structures with clear roles for clergy and laity.​​

Socially, the Nasranis held a respected position in Kerala society, often recognized as a distinct but integrated community, somewhat analogous to a high-status caste. They engaged in trade, agriculture, and local administration while remaining loyal subjects of local rulers.​

3.3 Royal Privileges and Copper Plate Grants

Several South Indian rulers granted the Christian community important privileges, including rights to trade, own land, and self-govern in internal matters. These grants were often recorded on copper plates, such as the famous Tharisapalli Plates, which document tax exemptions, trade rights, and honorific titles granted to the Christian community and its leaders. Such grants show that the Nasranis were seen as valuable economic and political partners by local kings.​​

4. Connection with the Church of the East

From late antiquity through the medieval period, the Saint Thomas Christians were canonically linked to the Church of the East, whose patriarch was based at Seleucia-Ctesiphon in Persia and later at other Mesopotamian centers. This church, often unfairly labeled “Nestorian,” developed independently of both the Latin West and the Byzantine East, spreading Christianity deep into Persia, Central Asia, China, and India.​

4.1 Ecclesial Status of the Indian Church

By at least the 8th–9th centuries, the Indian community was organized as the “Province of India” under the jurisdiction of the Catholicos-Patriarch of the East. The Indian Church is referred to in sources as the “Church of India” and “Metropolitan Province of India,” indicating its established, recognized status within the wider East Syriac communion.​

4.2 Bishops from Persia and Theological Character

The Church of the East regularly sent bishops to India to ordain clergy and oversee ecclesiastical life. Indian Christians did not participate directly in the Greek Christological controversies (such as the Council of Chalcedon) and thus never adopted the precise Greek philosophical vocabulary used in those debates, instead articulating Christ’s divinity and humanity in Semitic and Syriac theological terms. This contributed to later misunderstandings when Latin-rite missionaries encountered them and misinterpreted their formulations as “Nestorian.”​

5. Early East Syriac Practices in India

5.1 Liturgy of Addai and Mari

The principal Eucharistic liturgy of the Saint Thomas Christians under East Syriac influence was the Holy Qurbana of Addai and Mari, one of the oldest anaphoras in continuous Christian use. This liturgy, used across the Church of the East, is notable for its Semitic structure, emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit, and ancient prayer texts.​​

5.2 Language and Theology

The liturgical language was East Syriac, a classical dialect of Syriac with its own script and pronunciation. The theology of the community emphasized:​​

• The true humanity and true divinity of Christ.
• A focus on biblical narratives and Semitic expressions rather than Greek metaphysical categories.
• A clear distinction between divine and human natures without the technical formulas of later Greek councils.​

5.3 Church Structure in India

The ecclesiastical structure combined imported and indigenous elements:

• A Metropolitan (Archbishop) sent from the Church of the East, who exercised sacramental and canonical authority.
• A local Archdeacon of All India, often from the prominent Pakalomattam family, who functioned as the de facto civil and ecclesial leader on the ground, coordinating community affairs, finances, and relations with local rulers.​
• Clergy were usually married priests, in accordance with Eastern discipline, which allowed married men to be ordained while maintaining respect for celibacy in monastic life.​​

6. Key Early Bishops and Figures (4th–15th Century)

Over the centuries, several important figures shaped the identity and governance of the Indian Church.​

• Mar Thoma I–IV: These titles reflect a traditional concept of successive local leaders bearing the name “Mar Thoma,” symbolizing continuity with the Apostle Thomas rather than an unbroken episcopal line in the Western sense.​​
• Mar Sabor and Mar Proth: Two 9th-century Persian bishops associated with major church-building and with the Tharisapalli copper plate grants at Quilon (Kollam), which formally conferred privileges on the Christian community.​​
• Catholicos-Patriarch of the East: The supreme head of the Church of the East, under whose jurisdiction the Indian province fell.​​
• Archdeacon of India: The indigenous chief official who led the community in temporal matters, and often in de facto spiritual leadership, especially when communication with Persia was difficult.​

These structures allowed the Indian Church to maintain continuity and autonomy, even as long-distance communication with Mesopotamia was periodically disrupted.

7. Portuguese Arrival and the Latin Challenge (1498 onwards)

The arrival of Vasco da Gama at Calicut in 1498 opened a new chapter, as Portuguese traders and missionaries encountered an established, ancient Christian community whose rites, theology, and customs differed markedly from Latin Catholicism. The Portuguese, operating under the Padroado system (royal patronage over missions), were surprised and sometimes scandalized to find Christians using Syriac liturgy, married clergy, and East Syriac theology.​

Many Portuguese ecclesiastics assumed that the Nasranis were heretical, particularly suspecting “Nestorian” doctrine, and saw themselves as tasked with bringing the community into conformity with Roman-rite Catholic practice. Jesuits, Franciscans, and later other Latin religious orders sought to:​

• Replace Syriac texts and customs with Latin ones.
• Reorganize Church structures directly under Latin bishops.
• Align doctrinal expression strictly with post-Tridentine Catholic formulations.​

This produced growing tension between the indigenous Thomas Christian hierarchy and the Portuguese authorities.​​

8. The Synod of Diamper (Udayamperoor), 1599

In 1599, Archbishop Aleixo de Menezes of Goa convened the Synod of Diamper at Udayamperoor, near Kochi, as a decisive attempt to “reform” and integrate the Saint Thomas Christians into the Latin Catholic framework.​

8.1 Nature of the Synod

The synod was effectively a forced assembly, with considerable Portuguese pressure, and many Nasrani clergy attended under compulsion or strong political and ecclesiastical influence. The synod passed numerous decrees affecting doctrine, liturgy, and administration.​​

8.2 Major Actions

Key measures included:

• Condemnation of East Syriac theological formulations deemed “Nestorian,” even where local usage did not match the original heresy.​
• Destruction and burning of Syriac liturgical and theological books that contradicted Latin standards or contained references offensive to Latin sensibilities.​​
• Systematic Latinization of the liturgy: imposing Roman forms, suppressing local usages, and seeking to remove East Syriac elements.​
• Abolition of the traditional authority of the Archdeacon and reorganization of the community under direct Latin episcopal rule.​
• Formal prohibition of bishops coming from Persia, ending the canonical link with the Church of the East.​​

As a result, the Indian Church lost much of its historical autonomy and its direct East Syriac connection, although many underlying practices and memories survived among the people.​​

9. Rising Resistance among the Nasranis

After Diamper, resentment steadily grew within the community. Many Nasranis felt their ancestral traditions had been humiliated, their Syriac heritage suppressed, and their indigenous leadership dismantled.​​

The arrest and mysterious disappearance (often believed to be death by drowning) of Mar Ahatallah, a Syriac bishop who arrived claiming authority to restore traditional structures, further inflamed anger. Rumors that he had been killed by the Portuguese cemented the perception that foreign powers were persecuting the ancient Church of India.​

The community increasingly demanded:

• Restoration of their ancient East Syriac liturgy.
• Respect for their indigenous leadership, especially the Archdeacon.
• Freedom from Jesuit and Portuguese domination.​​

10. The Coonan Cross Oath (Koonan Kurishu Satyam), 1653

The crisis culminated in the famous Coonan Cross Oath, taken on 3 January 1653 at Mattancherry, near Cochin. Thousands of Saint Thomas Christians assembled at St Mary’s Church, where a large outdoor cross became the focus of their public protest.​

Holding ropes tied to the cross and with clergy touching the Gospel, the people swore that they would no longer obey the Portuguese Jesuits or the Latin bishops imposed upon them. They pledged instead to recognize Archdeacon Thomas as their legitimate leader and to resist foreign interference in the governance of their church.​

This oath marks:

• The first major open revolt of the Thomas Christians against Latin ecclesiastical control.
• The symbolic break between a large portion of the community and Portuguese-dominated structures.
• The beginning of enduring internal divisions within the Saint Thomas Christian tradition.​

11. Aftermath: Pazhayakoor and Puthenkur

Following the Coonan Cross Oath, the community split into two main factions.​

• Pazhayakoor (“Old Allegiance” or Old Party): Those who eventually remained in communion with Rome, accepting some Latin oversight while seeking restoration of their own rite.
• Puthenkur (“New Allegiance” or New Party): Those who rejected Roman authority and sought alternative episcopal support from Syriac churches in the Middle East.​

Archdeacon Thomas was proclaimed Mar Thoma I by his followers, though initially he lacked canonical episcopal ordination according to accepted standards, which later created challenges in obtaining recognition from other Eastern churches.​

12. Pazhayakoor and the Emergence of the Syro-Malabar Church

The Pazhayakoor faction gradually reconciled with the Catholic Church through the mediation of Carmelite missionaries sent by Rome to replace the more confrontational Jesuit dominance. These missionaries were more sympathetic to preserving the East Syriac liturgical heritage and correcting excesses of Latinization rather than eradicating Eastern identity.​​

12.1 Liturgical and Structural Developments

Over time, the Pazhayakoor:

• Retained the East Syriac rite, though often in a “Latinized” form, with Western devotions and rubrics introduced alongside traditional elements.​​
• Worked to restore more authentic East Syriac usages in the 19th and 20th centuries, reversing some Latin abuses and recovering ancient texts.​​
• Came under indigenous bishops, as the Holy See gradually appointed local hierarchs instead of European missionaries.​

Important figures in this period include Mar Alexander de Campo and Mar Charles Levigne, who helped stabilize the community and its relationship with Rome.​​

12.2 Formation of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

In 1887 and 1896, Rome created separate vicariates for the Thomas Christians and appointed native bishops, formally recognizing the distinct identity of the East Syriac-rite Catholics of Kerala. The term “Syro-Malabar Church” eventually came into official use to distinguish them from Latin-rite Catholics and from West Syriac-rite Malankara groups.​​

Today, the Syro-Malabar Church is one of the largest Eastern Catholic Churches, with its own major archbishop, synod of bishops, and worldwide diaspora, while remaining in full communion with the Pope.​​

13. Puthenkur and Turn to the West Syriac Tradition

The Puthenkur faction, having broken with Latin authority, still needed valid episcopal ordination and external recognition. In 1665, a bishop from the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, Mar Gregorios Abdul Jaleel, arrived in India and was welcomed by this group.​

Mar Gregorios consecrated Archdeacon Thomas as Mar Thoma I with full episcopal orders, thus regularizing his position and connecting the Puthenkur to the West Syriac (Antiochene) tradition. With this, the Puthenkur:​​

• Received canonical hierarchs from Antioch.
• Gradually adopted the West Syriac rite and theology.
• Developed new institutional links distinct from the East Syriac past.​

14. Adoption of the West Syriac Rite

Following the arrival of Mar Gregorios and other Antiochene bishops, the Puthenkur community shifted from the East Syriac to the West Syriac liturgical family.​​

• The Liturgy of St James, principal rite of the Syriac Orthodox Church, replaced the Qurbana of Addai and Mari.​​
• Theology moved toward Miaphysite Christology (as held by Syriac Orthodox), affirming the one united divine-human nature of Christ in the tradition of St Cyril of Alexandria, as opposed to Chalcedonian dyophysite language.​
• Strong spiritual and institutional influence from the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch reshaped the liturgical calendar, devotional practices, and ecclesiastical structure.​

This created a distinct West Syriac-rite Thomas Christian tradition in India, parallel to but separate from the East Syriac Syro-Malabar stream.​​

15. West Syriac Schisms in India

Within the West Syriac branch, disputes arose over the degree of dependence on the Patriarch of Antioch, control over church property, and the balance between local autonomy and foreign oversight. These tensions produced multiple factions and court cases, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries.​

Major divisions included:

• Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church: Emphasizing independence and autocephaly.
• Jacobite Syrian Christian Church: Remaining loyal to the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch.​

Each body claimed continuity with the ancient Saint Thomas heritage, but differed over authority structures and external allegiance.​

16. Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church emerged as the faction that declared autonomy from the Patriarch of Antioch and asserted the right to have its own Catholicos of the East in India. This decision reflected both theological self-understanding and practical concerns about foreign interference and legal control.​

Important leaders include:

• Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysius, who played a central role in asserting Malankara’s autonomy and reforming ecclesial life.
• Baselios Geevarghese I, one of the early Catholicoi in India, symbolizing the establishment of an Indian-headed hierarchy for the Orthodox Syrian community.​

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church retains the West Syriac liturgy and Miaphysite Christology while functioning as an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox Church centered in Kerala.​​

17. Jacobite Syrian Christian Church

The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church represents those in India who chose to remain firmly aligned with the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch. They recognize the Patriarch as the supreme head of their Church and accept bishops sent or approved by him.​

This church:

• Maintains the West Syriac (Antiochene) rite.
• Shares Miaphysite Christology with the Syriac Orthodox Church.
• Has engaged in prolonged legal and ecclesiastical disputes with the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church over jurisdiction, properties, and canonical interpretation.​

18. Formation of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church (1930)

In the early 20th century, a movement for reunion with Rome arose within sections of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. Led by Mar Ivanios (Geevarghese Panicker), an influential bishop and reformer, a group of clergy and laity entered into communion with the Catholic Church in 1930.​​

18.1 Nature of the Reunion

The reunited body, known as the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, was allowed to retain:

• The West Syriac (Antiochene) liturgy, including the Liturgy of St James.
• Its distinctive Malankara spiritual and canonical traditions.​​

At the same time, it accepted the Pope as the visible head of the universal Church, thereby forming an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with Rome while remaining distinct from the Syro-Malabar Church, which continues the East Syriac tradition.​​

Key figures in this process include:

• Mar Ivanios, the principal architect of the reunion.
• Mar Theophilos, another early hierarch who supported and consolidated the new Catholic Malankara community.​​

Today, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church functions with its own hierarchy and synod, serving faithful in India and the diaspora.​

19. Other Saint Thomas Christian Churches in India

Beyond the major branches already described, several other churches trace their heritage to the Saint Thomas Christians.​​

• Chaldean Syrian Church: This church is linked to the Assyrian Church of the East and preserves the East Syriac liturgy in a form close to the original Mesopotamian tradition. It represents those who sought renewed direct connections with the Assyrian Church rather than remaining within the Roman Catholic framework.​
• Malabar Independent Syrian Church (Thozhiyur): A small, independent West Syriac-rite church that separated from the main Malankara body in the 18th century and maintains its own episcopal line and autonomy.​​

Alongside these, other smaller communities and Episcopal arrangements reflect the complex history of schisms, reunions, and jurisdictional disputes that have shaped the Thomas Christian landscape.​

20. Conclusion: A Unique Christian Story

The story of the Saint Thomas Christians is distinctive in global Christianity. It combines:​

• Apostolic origin: A continuous tradition linking the community to the missionary work of Saint Thomas the Apostle.
• Indian culture: Deep integration into the social, linguistic, and political fabric of Kerala and other parts of India.
• Syriac Christianity: A heritage rooted in East and West Syriac liturgies, theology, and ecclesial structures.​

Their history has been marked by profound faith, significant external interference (especially colonial and Latin missionary interventions), and multiple internal divisions leading to a family of related but distinct churches. Yet despite these splits — Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara, Malankara Orthodox, Jacobite, Chaldean Syrian, Malabar Independent Syrian, and others — all of them share a common memory of Saint Thomas and a shared origin in the ancient Nasrani community of the Malabar Coast.​