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10. MANICHEAN
(meaning "The Village of Mani people". Mani literally means Pearl. So some interprets that they were Pearl dealers.) Near Kanchipuram, we still have a village called after Mani, which dates back from the third century AD; the period when Syrian immigration was at its peak and the time when Gnosticism took root in India.
persecution of christians 3C AD
Some of them later returned to Kerala
returned to
Northern Christians fled to Persia
Northern Christians fled to
Others went underground
Southern Christians fled to Kerala
Gnostic Christians - the first enemy of Apostolic Christian Churches came along with the trade to India after the 2nd century. As they became dominant, the influence of Persian Gnosticism became widespread that it swallowed almost all other religions then in existence in India and changed it to what we today call as Hinduism. (the name came very recently). Since the Thomas Churches of Inner India (i.e. except Malabar/Kerala Churches) did not have the contact with other churches outside of India, they succumbed to the heresy and became the Gnostic Universal Religion (gnostic Sanadhana Dharma) the beginning of the Hinduism. The Christians who disagreed and who put up a vigorous fight against the heresy were finally forced to flee to Kerala where there was a safe refuge until eighth century. Those of the Northern India fled to the Middle East where the Eastern Churches welcomed them. Some of these came back to India during the Persian Immigration under Bishop David in AD 340.
Pallavas were followers of Sanatana Dharma. In line with the prevalent customs, some of the rulers performed the Aswamedha and other Vedic sacrifices. They had made gifts of lands to gods and Brahmins. Mahendravarman I (600 - 630 CE) was a patron of the Jain faith. Mahendravarman later converted to Hinduism under the influence of the Saiva saint Appar, with the revival of Hinduism during the Bhakti movement in South India. (The four Saivite preceptors (Appar, Sampantar,
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