beginning

The beginning of our family roots can be traced back to the beginning of Christianity in  Kerala with  the arrival  of  St Thomas,  one  of  the  twelve disciples  of  our Lord Jesus  Christ, at  Muziris  on the  shores of  Kerala  in  52 AD.  This  place  is  today  known  as Kodungalloor. To quote from the research papers of Wikipedia.org, “The Saint Thomas Christian  tradition  has  historically  been,   as recorded  by   scholars, that  St. Thomas   converted 12-13,   in some accounts 32,  Brahmin  (not namboothiri) families   namely   Pakalomattom,   Sankarapuri,   Kalli and  Kallikav   from  which  many St Thomas Christians  particularly  those  from  prominent   families   have traditionally claimed descent.  There  is  no  contemporary  evidence   showing  that  Thomas  had been  in  the   sub -continent,  but  it was   possible  for  an  Aramaic-speaking  Jew  from   Galilee  to  make   such  a   trip to Kerala in the 1st century.   The Cochin Jews  are   known  to  have  existed   in  Kerala  around  that   time.  The earliest   known   source connecting the apostle to India is the  Acts of Thomas,  likely written in the early   3rd   century,  perhaps   in   Edassa.   While  some  historians  have  contended  that  there  was  no  significant   Brahmin   presence in Kerala in the first century A.D and  have  disputed   the  historicity  of  the  Brahmin  conversion  tradition, there is much  evidence that  some  St Thomas  Christians observed   Brahmin  customs  and   were     granted privileges usually reserved for Brahmins  including  the wearing of the sacred thread and having  a  kudumi.  The argument against Brahmin conversion should be  viewed in the the context of the Namboothiri  group which arrived in Kerala much later in  7th  or 8th century.  The medieval  historian  Pius Malekandathil  believes  these were customs  adopted and  privileges won  during  the  beginning  of  the  Brahmin  dominance  of  medieval  Kerala.   He argues that  the St Thomas  Christians,  integrated  with  Persian  Christian   migrant  merchants  in  the  9th century,    had become a powerful  trading  community  by  this  time and were granted  the privileges  by the Brahmins and    the Hindu rulers to promote revenue generation  and to   undermine Buddhist and Jain traders who rivalled the Hindus  for religious  and political hegemony in Kerala at  the time. St Thomas came to Palayur after arriving in Kodungallur. This area was becoming a centre of Jains and Budhists. The brahmins were not dominant   there at  that time.     The  Namboothiris,  who  were  Maratha  brahmins,  came  to  Kerala  and  became a dominant group by 8th century after the decline of Jainism and  Budhism in Kerala.

Some writers believe that the original converts would have included the Jews already present  in Kerala at that time. Indeed, a version of the Songs of Thomas or Thomma Parvam, written in 1601, is  believed to be a summary of a larger and older work, narrate the conversion of 40 Jews along with the Brahmins and  the  local King at Kodungallur by St Thomas.  The Thomma  Parvam  further narrates   St Thomas's mission in South India and states that before his martyrdom at  Mylapore in present-day Chennai, Tamil Nadu, he had converted Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishiyas, and Shudras.  The   traditional   belief   of    the arrival  of a foreigner by  the  name  'Thomas'  who  debated  with  the  Brahmins  and  converted   many   prominent people,  including  a  King  is  part of  Namboothiri  Brahamin  folklore   and   is  found    in  the  important Namboothiri Brahmin 17th century tract the Keralolpathi”