Indian Antiquary Vol 56

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 187

SEPTEMBER, 1927]
THOMAS CANA
161
THOMAS CANA. BY T. K. JOSEPH, B.A., L.T.
THOMAS CANA is the greatest hero and benefactor of the Malabar Christians. He is also said to have been the Prime Minister1 of Chêramân Perumal, the Emperor of Malabar.
The tradition of the St. Thomas Christians of Malabar has it that, while their Church was in a chaotic condition for want of bishops and leaders, the Bishop of Urahâi (Edessa) was asked in a dream whether he was not sorry for the distress and ruin of the flock in Malabar which the interrogator had earned by his death. The Bishop then told this dream to the Catholicos of Jerusalem, who, on consultation with the wise men of the place, determined to send Thomas Cana the honourable merchant residing in the city, to Malabar for information.
He set sail and landed in Cranganore, where he found certain Christians wearing crosses hang. ing from their necks. Having gathered from them their past history and learned that they were sorely in need of bishops, he soon loaded his vessel with what pepper and other merchandise he could procure, hastened home and delivered the strange news to the Catholicos of Jerusalem. Subsequently, with the permission of Yustêdiûs, Patriarch of Antioch, the Catholicos sent with his blessing to Malabar, Joseph, Bishop of Edessa, several priests and deacons and a great many men, women and children-four hundred and odd in all-under the leadership of the merchant Knâyi Tômma.
All these, after a safe voyage, landed in Cranganore in A.D. 345. And "the people of the Kottakkâyal community and the Christians called Dhariyâykkal of the sixty-four families," all came together and received them and acknowledged Mar Joseph from Jerusalem as their Bishop. And the affairs of the Church were properly managed by Tômmâ (Thomas).
He also obtained from the Emperor land and high social privileges, as well as a copper-plate document to that effect on Saturday, 29th Kumbham (Aquarius) of the abovementioned year, on the seventh day of the moon and in the sign Cancer. (The tradition in these five paragraphs is recorded on pp. 88-91 of Ittûp's Syrian Christian Church of Malabar, in Malayalam).
The 72 high social privileges which Thomas Cana obtained from the Emperor are used even to-day. Besides these, he got 18 low castes, like barbers, carpenters, bow-makers, bards, toddy-drawers, etc., to serve the Christians and be under their special protection from the molestation of other castes. (See my Malabar Christian Copper-Plates, ch. 9.) Thomas, the merchant prince, is also said to have presented the Emperor with one nili (measure of
Observations by Rev. H. Hosten, S.J.
1 How could wo substantiate that Thomas Cana was the Perumal's Prime Minister? That brings his story nearer that of Frumentius and Edesius.
2 How is it proved that, as Mr. T. K. Joseph states in another paper on Thomas Cana, this was the 5th Patriarch of Jerusalem? Fr. Monserrate notes in 1579 that the Syrian Bishops of his time were very fond of connecting themselves somehow with Jerusalem. It gave them a special standing of honour. His words are: "the greater number of the bishops and priests, whom they call carija in Syrian have passed through Jerusalem before they come from there" (Babylonia). [The Patriarchs of Jerusalem have the designation fifth Patriarch,' which does not mean the fifth among the Patriarchs of Jerusalem.-P.K.J.] This mention of the Patriarch of Antioch is, I think, subsequent to the arrival of the Jacobites into the country. Land's Anecdota Syriaca, vol. 1, Leyden, 1862, p. 182, quoting Swanston, JRAN., II, gives Eustathius, Bishop of Antioch. Eustathius of Antioch was deposed at the Council of Antioch in A.D. 330, and died in exile at Trajanopolis in Thrace in A.D. 360. Cf. Bardenhewer, Patrology, 1908, pp. 246, 252.
4 What means Kottakkâyal? Perhaps Parur, Kottakava? What is the meaning of Kottakavu? [Kottakkayal (fort-lake), or correctly Kóṭṭakkavu (fort grove) is Parur.-T.K.J.]
5 Does Ittap's History say that Mar Joseph of Edessa was from Jerusalem ? [Yes.]
Gouves has something about the castes which had to serve the Christians by order of the Perumal of Thomas Cans, and who had even to become amoucos, or run amock, for their sake. I hope to extract some other time from Gouvea all that he has about Thomas Cana and the two Bishops, Mar Xabro and Mar Prodh. [Gouvea's passage on Thomas Cana has already been extracted by Fr. Hosten in the Ind. Ant. for July 1927.-T.K.J.]
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