Indian Antiquary Vol 56

SR No.: 032548
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1986
Total Pages: 286
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 13 MB

Page 148

128
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[JULY, 1927
Christian of Paru.31 So says a reliable tradition existing among these Christians, which, having been received from the ancients, has been preserved till now. So that, already long before the coming of the said Thomas Cananco, there were alrcady St. Thomas Christians in this Malavar, who had come from Maliapur, the town of St. Thomas. And the chief families are four in number: Cotur, Catanal, Onamturte, Narimatan, which are known to-day among all these Christians, 32 who became multiplied and extended through the whole of this Mala var, also adding to themselves some of the gentios who would convert themselves. However, the descendants of Thomas Cananeo always remained above them without wishing to marry or to mix with these other Christians, and so up to the present there are among them two lineages: one which is descended from Thomas Cananeo on the father's side, the mother, they say, being a gentile woman who was baptised afterwards, the other lineage is that of those who on both the father's and the mother's side were originally descended from St. Thomas Christians. The latter33 took greater care than the others to increase the Church; and so they received among themselves many gentios whom they baptised, and even those who at any time served the said children (filhos) of Thomas Cananeo they likewise took under their protection; and, as these were rich and honourable, they wished to subject the others, saying they were their blacks.34 Whence there arose betwoen the St. Thomas Christians and the others great discord, and there were anciently among them great disputes : wherefore at Carturte 36 and Cotete36 it was necessary to make different Churches, each party keeping aloof from the other. And those of the Thomas Caneneo (sic) party went in one Church, and the others in the other. And last year, 1603, the same was the cause of the quarrels between those of Udiamper and Candanada, each one holding out for his party. And it is wonderful to see the aversion which one party has for the other, without being able to forget their antiquities and the fables they have in this matter. The St. Thomas Christians descending from Thomas Caneneo are few. They are at Udiamper, and at the great Church of Carturte, and at the great Churcb of Cotete, and at Turigure 87
(To be continued.)
31 Was there no Syrian church at Cran'anore in 1604 ! We have to conclude the contrary from de Gouvea and do Couto. How old was the church of Parur in 16041 While I was at Parur, on Febr. 11, 1924, we pulled up from the open-air cross a small stone with a cross on both sides, and found an Indian inscription of Kollam era 728, or A.D. 1563. Did that year record the change from Cranganore to Parur here alluded to! Probably not. I understand from p. 128 n. 14 that Parur had a church in 1327.
33 I trust some of our Malabar friends will be able to comment on these names. 33. The latter seems to mean the Northista.
34 E fcando estes, ricos, hörados, os outros os quiserad a opear, dizõdo serð seus negros, should mean strictly, I think, "these (the Northists) being rich and honourable, the others (the Southiets) wished to subject them, saying they were their blacks." But the Northists were and still are the vast majority! That is true, and I believe the Northist theory is that the Southists are the descendants of the slave woman. Gouvea turns, however, the tables on the Northists, when he says that they, the Northists, are the descendants of the slave woman. Probably it will be said that de Gouvea is based on Roz, which is quite possible, as Roz supplied him with much material (cf. Proloyo), and that Roz allowed himself to be circumvented by the Southists.
36 Kațutturutti.
36 Cotete' was visited by Menezes after Diamper and before. Caramall à' (Jornada, fol. 76r and 70r). At Cotete there were two churches in 1599. It is Kottayam, Oj. Whitehouse, p. 298.
37 What place is this?