Kuriakose Corepiscopa Moolayil A{ i1 'i ■ *,> j,. > t y v\ . SYRIAN HRISTIANS \l KERALA Claudius Buchanan IE ANCIENT SYRIAN CHURCH 0 H Parry /ERE THE SYRIAN IRISTIANS STORIANS? )n P T Gcevarghese M H chbishop Mor l\amos) HRISTIANS IN MLABAR i. Justice K K Lukose Mor Adai Study Centre yCl^oi *-=> ll^N-Vp c£x llibns lltctl) jfHartmtbo Htbrarp The Malphono George Anton Kiraz Collection LoVi ,-*3 bo. U^n\ ©X , ^v>< Ui A.-D 0 ol 1 V'v<\ T»~> lx mvi loou )0,_30 O'I V> -ficn^l 1 ^!0 'X °> 1 );\mo ■ o»Xn. 1 ^ bi-OQJO 1 ^ , \ m oX )ooo cn^_i l^xxs oX X»X ••.•OiXoO^X OlX ^_S Oui ho,J^ »Otfll.->^ Anyone who asks for this volume, to read, collate, or copy from it, and who appropriates it to himself or herself, or cuts anything out of it, should realize that (s)he will have to give answer before Gods awesome tribunal as if (s)he had robbed a sanctuary. I .et such a person be held anathema and receive no forgiveness until the book is returned. So be it. Amen! And anyone who removes these anathemas, digitally or otherwise, shall himself receive them in double. FOUR FIISTORIC DOCUMENTS Edited by Dr. Kuriakose Corepiscopa Moolayil Published by Mor Adai Study Centre Cheeranchira, Changanacherry 686106 Four Historic Documents (English) Edited by Dr. Kuriakose Corepiscopa Moolayil Published by : Mor Adai Study Centre Cheeranchira, Changanacherry Kerala - 686106 Tel: +481 - 724353 e-mail: [email protected] June 2002 Printed ai D C Press (P) Ltd. Price: Rs. 1 50/- U.S.S 20 (including postage) Contents ]. Introduction 2. The Syrian Christians in India Dr. Claudius Buchanan 3. The Ancient Syrian Church Mr. O.H. Parry 4. Were the Syrian Christians Nestorians? Rev. Dn. P.T. Geevarghese M (Archbishop Mor Ivanios) 5. Christians in Malabar - Justice K.K. Lukose Introduction The history of the Syrian Church in India is seriously ar loss in keeping the documents related to its heritage and history. The Pre-Portugal period is totally in darkness due to the lack of pri¬ mary evidences. There is very little or no trace of any books or manuscripts of this period written by Indians. The scanty infor¬ mations we have are the writings of the travellers from abroad. These secondary evidences are the basic source materials to bridge the black spots in the Indian Church History. The first systematic history of the Syrian Church in India was written by Pukadiyil Itoop writer in Malayalam. Later by the beginning of the 20th century the scholar and the secretary of the Syrian Church, Mr. E.M. Philip prepared the most authoritative and methodologically written history of the Indian Church, The Indian Church of St. Thomas. This is the first attempt of a Syrian Church member to present the history of his church in English. The books written by the outside scholars were biased and at times disparaging. The rejuvenation achieved by the English education prompted young scholars of the Syrian Church give impetus to present their Church's heritage and to defend the faith and doc¬ trines in a convincing scholarly manner. Rev. Dr. P.T. Geevarghese M.A. (later Mor Ivanios, Archbishop of Trivandrum) wrote a the¬ sis on the Pre-portuguese theological position of the Syrian Church titled Were the Syrian Christians Nestorians? He could arrive at a decisive conclusion that the Malankara Church could not have been anything but Jacobite before the fifteenth ce?itury. These books in its English rendering were out of print for almost a century. It is my earnest conviction that these books in 6 its originality will bear much light to the exact understanding of the history of the Syrian Church. MorAdai Study Centre is presenting in two volumes of these books. 1. The Syrian Christians in India by Claudius Buchanan, The Ancient Syrian Church in Mesopotamia by O.H. Parry, Were the Syrian Christians Nestorians? by Rev.Dn. P.T. Geevarghese and the article of the Hon. Justice K.K. Lukose titled Christians in Malabar. 2. The famous book The Indian Church of St. Thomas by E.M. Philip. We are sure these books will help all those who are interested in the history of this ancient Church. Dedicating to the glory of God and the adoration of the holy and universal church. Kuriakose Corepiscopa Moolayil Fr. Dr. George Mathew NalunnakaJ Cheeranchira Directors 11 06-2002 Mor Adai Study Centre - Four Historic Documents Part I Chapter on The Syrian Christians in India from Rev. Dr. Claudius Buchanan's Christian Researches in Asia Editor's Note The visit of Dr. Claudius Buchanan to the Syrian Church in India is an epoch making event in the history of the Syrian Church. His travelogue on this journey attracted historians of all times. The preliminary discussions on the translation of the Bible, the presentation of the very ancient Syriac manuscript, written during the time of Patriarch Michael Rabo, by the venerable Metropolitan Mor Dionasius and the conversations recorded at various places are rich resources to connect the faith, culture and history of the Syrian Church in earlier centuries. The Chapter on 'The Syrian Christian in India' in the book, 'Christian Researches in Asia' is reproduced here. I am sure all the students of Church History will most cordially welcome this publication. I am indebted to my friend, Mr. Kurian Thomas for helping me to find the rare copy of this most valuable document. I express my sincere gratitude. Dedicating this part to the honour of Dr. Claudius Buchanan, who loved the Syrian Church and its members by supplying copies of the Syriac Bible on the gospels in Malayalam. May God give him rest and peace. Kuriakose Corepiscopa Moolayil