User talk:Collaparambil

Syrian Christian Family Roots - Collaparambil family

Dravidians
Most of the Ethnologists believe that Dravidians in India is a branch of Mediterranean race.They reached India before 2500 BC.Dravidians became the elite inhabitants of India. They are also called Indus Valley people as it is one of the greatest and earliest civilizations world has ever seen. They had well planned and well cared cities, own language and script, agriculture but no military.They had trade with the Mesopotamia.The period of this great civilization is estimated between BC 2500 to BC 1500.

Aryans
Aryans (Arya means "NOBLE") were Indo-Europeans lived earlier in Euro-Asia. They were War-like people and had a strong military. According to Aryan Invasion theory of Max Muller they attacked Indus valley in around 1500 BC. Dravidians were pushed to South. They settled in North India and it gave rise to a new culture that may be called as Vedic culture. Their life was not city based but it was a village based one. Slowly the intellectual and priestly ( Vaidik) people who were called Brahmins started dominating over soldiers and this gave rise to the now proclaimed "Indian Culture"

Dravidian- Aryan Keralam
The Dravidians came south crossing the Vindhya Mountains. They started living there doing Agriculture. Since South-West corner of India was the best option for them to do agriculture in terms of natural resources and environment upper class Dravidians settled in the land, which was later, named Kerala.

By 1000 BC a number of Brahmin families from the North migrated to the south and settled down, maintaining friendly relations with the Dravidians. They even absorbed some intelligent dravidians (mainly Panans) as Brahmins. At that time Kerala was ruled by powerful Chera dynasty. Brahmins pleased Dravidian kings with their intellectual skills and they were adorned in RajaSabha(court). Brahmins thankfully gifted the kings with Aryan "Surnames" like Verma etc.

The language of the Dravidians was Tamil. Although Aryan's migrated south their language was limited to religious functions and ceremonies. Until the eighth century, when the Kulasekhara Dynasty established its control over Kerala, Tamil was the language of the area. When Ravi Varma Kulasekhara (1299-1314)of Travancore established his rule over all of south India, Malayalam emerged as the language.

By AD 1300 this language Malayalam became an independent language. During the early days this language had a round script. Later it adopted an elongated script. Actually Malayalam script originated from Brahmi script, which is India's National script, which in turn is an Aryan Script. The Malayalam of today has a mixture of the both.

The eighth and the ninth centuries A.D. were the sublime periods in the history of Kerala, marking the advance of philosophy, fine arts, dance, music, literature and education.

Kodungalloor(Mussiris)
Muziris (Kodungallur) and Nelcyndis or Nelkanda (near Kollam) in South India, are mentioned as flourishing ports, in the writings of Pliny (23-79 AD). Pliny has given an accurate description of the route to India, the country of Cerebothra (the Cheras).

Apparently,Kodungalloor(Mussiris) was the major harbor city of cheran domain at that time and it was nearby the Cheran-capital Thiruvanchikulam.

(Kodungalloor is a well known tourist location in Kerala due to St. Thomas.)

Even before the time of Christ,(i.e. before 1000 BC ) during the time of Moses and King Solomon, there were trade of spices and luxury articles like Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cardamom and Sandal Wood in return for Gold, Silver, Copper, Bronze and Perfumes between Malabar Coast and Syria, Palestine and other Middle Eastern Countries. During the second exile, (i.e.during the period of Nebuchadnezzar in 6th century BC.) (586 BC) some of the Jews came and settled in Kerala. They were known as Bene Israel. (Most of them have returned to Israel by twentieth century.)

St.Thomas' Indian mission
One among the twelve Apostles of Jesus was St. Thomas. Palestine, Mesopotamia, Persia and Media were some of the places where he converted people to Christianity. During that time the area from Syria to Patria(persia) was under Roman rule and because of this traveling through this region was relatively easy. Saint Thomas came to know about Indian jews through Haban one of the prominent Jewish merchant in India and reached Kodungalloor(Krankanoor)at AD 52. Over here he stayed with the Jewish community, preached the Gospel and evangelized the people. St. Thomas christian communities evolved in places like Kodungaloor, Kollam, Niranam, Nillakal, Kokkamangalam, Kottakavu and Palayoor. Tradition says that St. Thomas established 7 Churches in Kerala.

During that period Palayoor which was a Sea Port, and there were lots of Jews who were traders, lived there. St. Thomas stayed with these traders and converted a lot of people to Christianity. In one of the Temple Ponds he performed a miraclein front of some Vaidik Brahmins who were adoring Sun. St. Thomas threw water in the name of Jesus and it stood still in the air and glitterd like diomond. By this "Experience" many Brahmins accepted Christianity while the other Brahmin families cursed the place. Even today the place is known as "Sapa-kadu" or Chavakadu which means - the forest of curse. This incident can only be proved on the basis of name of the corresponding villages and the paintings in Palayoor Church.

In short, the Syrian Christians are believed to be a mix of the converted Royal family, the Jews, the Nambudiris and the migrated Christians from the Persian Countries. They seem to have maintained their identity for a long time in the first few centuries and later amalgamated in to one patronized community known differently as, Issanuvadikal/ Nazranis/Malankara Christains/ Syrian Christians etc.

Pakalomattam, Sankarapuri, Kalli, Kallikavu,(Panakkamattam, Nedumpally, Madeipur, Koykkam, Muttodal).. etc were among the families who were baptised in Palayoor.

Some families left Palayoor in 2nd or 3rd century.Pakalomattom, Sankarapury etc include in this list. They predominantly settled in Kuravilangad. The Temple authorities in Kuravilangadu allowed their land to be utilized for construction of a church around 105 A.D. This church remained under the control of the Syrian Jacobites, till the Portuguese took over the Rule of the Syrian Churches by force for a period of 100 years from 1553- 1653 AD, i. e.from the Synod of Diamper 1599 AD(Udayamperoor)till the oath of Coonan-Cross took place.

Afterwards, there was a split in the church between Puthencoor and Pazhayakoor for ownership of the Church Properties. With the Portuguese as Rulers behind the Pazhayakoor group, the Church was forcibly retained by the Pazhayakoor, under the Roman Pope. To escape the fury of the Portuguese and their supporters, after a big fight in the church, the Puthencoor group migrated Southward under Venadu Kings. Those who left the Church were mostly members of the same family or relatives.

For more information please visit: Syrian Christain History by P.E.Easo. He has done a remarkable work to identify the traces of syrian christian families.

Evolution of church in Malankara
There are no much recorded history available to give light in to the earlier evolution of the church in kerala. With the limitted insights the following events are listed. By tradition its is believed that St. Thomas established the church in Malankara. However few references about a Christian community in Kerala is available from Pantaenus of Alexanderia.

Knanaya connection

In 189 A.D. Pantaenus visited the Malabar Church at the request of the Malabar Christians. In 345 A.D. The Catholicos of Jerusalem sent Bishop Joseph of Edessa, some priests, deacons, and about 400 people under the leadership of Thomas of Cana. This was a time of severe persecution of Christians in Persia, from the 4th to 6th century A.D., called the Persian or Babylonian period.

5th and 6th Century

Nestorian missionary movements were very active during the 5th and 6th centuries. The Alexandrian merchant Cosmas Indicopleustes visited India in the 6th century and recorded that the he saw Christian communities in Malabar and Ceylon.

Malabar Era

In 825 A.D. a party of immigrants under the leadership of Marwan Sabriso and two Bishops Mar Sapro and Mar Prodh landed in Malabar. Around that time, the king of the land Cheraman Perumal who was a good king, left his kingdom and went to Arabia where he became a Muslim. Some however, say he became a Christian. The Malabar Era (Kollavarsham) begins with the traditional date of his leaving the kingdom (August 15, 825 A.D.). After Cheraman Perumal left, his kingdom was divided into small chiefdoms which later grouped into three kingdoms: that of Zamorin of Calicut, and those of the Rajahs of Travancore and Cochin. Marwan Sabriso and his party settled in Quilon and constructed a church there. A local ruler, the King of Venad, gave Marwan Sabriso and his community certain rights and privileges which were inscribed on two sets of copper plates. Five of these plates still exist -- three in the Old Seminary in Kottayam, and two with the Mar Thoma Metropolitan. The Orthodox faith was retained, though Nestorian Episcopacy prevailed during this period.

Roman Catholics

In 1498 the Portugese explorer/trader Vasco de Gama landed in Calicut, at the north end of the Malabar coast. In 1542 the missionary monk Francis Xavier landed in Goa. Thereafter Latin missionaries also came to work among the Mar Thoma/St. Thomas Christians, and in June 1599 at the Diamper Synod, the Mar Thoma Christians were brought under the Roman Catholic Church and Papal supremacy.

Oath of the Coonen Cross

The Mar Thoma Christians were infuriated by the harshness of the Jesuit missionaries in their effort to carry out decrees of the Diamper Synod, and by the news that Bishop Mar Ahatalla, a representative of the Eastern Patriarch was killed by the Portuguese. In 1633 nearly 25,000 Christians and 633 clergy led by Archdeacon Thomas declared independence against the foreign aggression -- by holding on to a rope which was tied around the stone cross in front of the church in Mattancherry, and took an oath rejecting the supremacy of the Roman Catholic Church over them. Archdeacon Thomas was made Bishop with the title Mar Thoma I. He then sought support of sister churches in Antioch, Babylon, Jerusalem, Alexandria and Abyssinia.

The Jacobites

In a response to this appeal, Mar Gregorios who belonged to a section of the Antiochean Church known as Jacobites, arrived from Jerusalem in 1665. He consecrated Mar Thoma I. Gradually the Mar Thoma Christians with their Metrans (Bishops) were brought under the influence of Antiochean Jacobite Church. Relationship with the Anglicans

In 1806 Claudius Buchanan of The Church of England came, and met Mar Dionysius the Metropolitan. In 1810 Col. Munro who was a devout Christian, came to Travancore as the Resident. He realized that the social and religious life of the Church was at a low ebb. After the Oath of the Coonan Cross the ritualistic and administrative life continued on, but there was no spiritual vitality or missionary zeal. Church services were in Syriac,which the congregation did not understand, and the clergy understood imperfectly. In 1811, Buchanan got the Gospels translated into Malayalam. In 1813 a seminary for the education of Syrian Christian clergy was founded in Kottayam.

Reformation in the Malankara Church

Many ecclesiastical irregularities such as failure to use the scriptures for instruction, praying for the dead, and keeping relics of the saints in churches started flourishing. Abraham Malpan then assumed leadership of a reform movement. The use of a revised liturgy and the changes he brought about in some practices offended the Metropolitan, and he was consequently excommunicated. Deacon Mathew (a nephew of Abraham Malpan) was sent to Mardin with a petition by supporters, and in 1843 he came back as Metropolitan. In 1852 Mathews Mar Athanasius was confirmed by Royal proclamation as the Metropolitan of the Malankara Church. He supported the reform movement of Abraham Malpan, and those who were with him restored the ancient faith of the Church along with its name Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, and declared its autonomy and independence.

Kottayam
The beginning of the 9th century AD is the age of the Kulasekharas. At that time, Kottayam was a part of the Vempolinad, which belonged to the Kulasekhara Empire (1090-1102 AD). The Vembanad lake itself, derives its name from Vempolinad.

The Kingdom of Vempolinad, split itself into the Kingdoms of Thekkumkur and Vadakkumkur by about 1100 AD. (Later these two kingdoms were annexed by Marthanda Varma of Travancore (between 1749 and 1754).) Kottayam is a compound word- kotta+akam which means the interior of a fort. Rulers of Munjanad and Thekkumkur had their head quarters at Thazhathangadi in the present Kottayam town. Marthanda Varma of Travancore attacked Thekkumkur and destroyed the palace and the Thaliyil fort. The remnants of place and forts are still seen here.

Syrian Christians to Kottayam
There were few Christians in Thekkumkoor state till the early part of the 14th century based at Kadathuruthy. For various reasons some Christian families lead by Pulikal family from Poonjar migrated to Kottayam and settled nearby Eruthical temple belonging to Thekkumkoor Raja. Large scale migration of Christians from Kuruvilangad, Kaduthuruthi and Poonjar occurred in the 16th century and they settled nearby Thazhathangady, Pazhayachanda, and Valiaangady. As the population grew, need for church aroused because the migrants still had to visit their mother churches to satisfy their spiritual needs. Arrival of (Fr.) Cherian Mathen Kathanar from Kadathuruthy helped it. Thekkumkoor Godavarma Raja was glad to provide the land free of cost, when the Christians approached him, very soon the construction of Valiyapally started and completed in 1550.

There were two types of Christians (thekkumbhaghar meaning southern (Knanaya Christians) and Vadakkum bhaghar meaning northern - St.Thomas Christians worshipping at Valiyapally. Soon difference of opinion merged out, that united worship became impossible. So Vadakkumbhaghar lead by (Fr.) Ouseph Kathanar met Thekkumkoor Raja explained him the plight. The generous Thekkumkoor Raja donated them 82 cents of land near to Valiyapally, thus leading to construction of a new church named after Mother Mary. The church was completed in AD 1579, also known as Kottayam Cheriapally.

According to Malayalam calendar (Kollavarsham) 754, 6th month, Makaram, 13th Thursday(i.e. 1579 AD) a church was constructed at Kottakkakam (old name of  Kottayam) within Veloor territory named  after of virgin Mary with the permission granted by foreigner, Bishop Mar Rouhem from Syria and then king of Thekkumkoor, Raja Godavarma.

== Collaparambil family

(Kollaparambil/Kollaparampil/Collaparampil)==

Need more research on this ....and it is progressing. The other colloquial and regional language varients to this name could be Kollaparambil, Kollaparampil and Collaparampil