Thomas the Apostle in India Essay Example for Free

Thomas the Apostle in India Essay The essay will discuss the debate concerning the arrival of Thomas Apostle to India. Based on the information available to researchers, the paper will argue that St. Thomas had actually lived in India. Two different theories that present opposing views concerning this topic will be presented in this paper. One theory argues that Thomas the Apostle had stayed in South India, while another theory argues that Thomas the Apostle did not come to India. There is also controversy regarding the place that was visited by the great saint. One group argues that he had stayed in North India while another group of scholars argue that in actuality he had stayed in the south. The essay will cover various facts, issues, and debates concerning Thomas the Apostles’ arrival to India. Malabar, the land where the apostle is said to have arrived, maintained trade and cultural contact with the western world. This was the center of the Jewish and Christian settlements, the remains of which can be seen even today. Many Christians decided to stay in Cranganore, a Malabar port, in order to avoid their harassment by the Roman Empire in Jerusalem. This shows that from historical times, Christians showed their liking for South Indian regions. (Coipuram, 2002)   Therefore, it is not surprising that Jesus Christ ordered St. Thomas to go the East particularly to India and China in order to spread the message of Christianity. St. Thomas arrived in South India in the year 52 AD. (Coipuram, 2002)   St. Thomas worked with the Christians as well as the local community. He was able to impress the people and the kings through his miracles. At the same time, his acts inspired the orthodox Brahmins of South India to kill him in 72 AD in Mylapore in the present Tamil Nadu, a South Indian state. (Coipuram, 2002)     The remains of the saint were taken to Turkey in 8th century and later they were sent to Rome. (Coipuram, 2002) It is stated that St. Thomas had constructed seven churches in different parts of Malabar. Christians of the region celebrate several festivals that are connected with the activities of St. Thomas. Many Christian communities came to India from Turkey. In the year 345 AD, some Christians settled in Cranganore. The Christians of the regions are known as the St. Thomas Christians. (Coipuram, 2002) Information regarding the activities of St. Thomas in India is found in the book â€Å"Acta Thomae† or Acts of Judas Thomas, which is dated to the end of 1st century AD. (Ninnan, n.d) The book is available in various languages including Syrian, Greek, Latin, Armenian, and Ethiopic. According to this book, St. Thomas and other apostles shared the whole world among themselves for the purpose of propagating Christianity. Jesus Christ sold Thomas to Habban of India who was looking for a carpenter. (Ninnan, n.d)   This forced Thomas to accompany Habban to India. Thomas reached the kingdom of Gondaphorus where Thomas was asked to build a palace.   St. Thomas performed various miracles winning the hearts of many people in India. Consequently, he was able to convert a few Indians. St. Thomas converted the Gondaphorus king, king of Mazdai, a noble lady named Mygdonia, and Tertia, the queen of Mazdai. (Ninnan, n.d)   The book â€Å"Acta Thomae† also states that the apostle became an apostle outside the city of the kingdom as he was killed by four soldiers. (Ninnan, n.d)   The book reveals that St. Thomas had arrived and stayed in India. (Ninnan, n.d)   There are many local traditions that claim that St. Thomas had arrived and stayed in South India. Such traditions are found in the works such as Songs of Nazranis, Thomma Parvam (1601 AD), and Veeradian Pattu. (Ninnan, n.d.) The local traditions claim that St. Thomas had stayed in Cranganore and converted the local people into Christianity. It is said that during the initial years of the stay of St. Thomas in Cranganore, he converted the Jewish settlers in the region. (Ninnan, n.d)   In the next phase, he converted 75 Brahmin families and 3000 others, who were obviously impressed by his miracles. (Ninnan, n.d.) The South Indian connection of St. Thomas is proved by the theory that due to the discovery of Hippalus wind in 45 AD, many westerners used to sail from Yemen directly to the Malabar Coast. (Ninnan, n.d.) Therefore, it is suggested that Thomas had stayed in the Malabar region. Apart from this theory and local traditions, there are no other strong evidences to state that St.Thomas had actually stayed in South India.    St. Thomas’s stay and death in North India is mentioned in the ancient Syrian texts. There are archaeological and literary evidences to state that the king of Gondaphorus had maintained contact with Christian saints and that he was finally converted to Christianity. (Ninnan, n.d.)   Nevertheless, it is not important whether St. Thomas had stayed in North India or South India. The Gospel of Thomas, an apocryphal book, gives information pertaining to the work of St. Thomas in India. This book was not given much importance by the church authorities as it was believed that the book had undermined the teachings of Jesus, but researchers do not accept such allegations as this book does not contradict the teachings of Jesus Christ. (Gjorgjievski, 2001, p. 1) The book the Gospel of Thomas mentions that since St. Thomas refused to go to India, he was compelled by Jesus Christ to go to the East by selling Thomas to Abban, an envoy of the king Gundaphor. (Gjorgjievski, 2001, p. 1) It is stated that after coming to India, the apostle, instead of constructing a palace as he was asked by the king, distributed the money among the poor, which enraged the king who imprisoned the saint. (Gjorgjievski, 2001, p. 1)   Eventually, the king realized the divine power of the saint and accepted Christianity. The evidence of this book also shows that St. Thomas had come to North India although South Indians claim that he had stayed in South India.   (Gjorgjievski, 2001, p. 1) There are two phases of Thomas’s activities in India. In the first phase, he taught the Parthians ruled by the famous king Gondaphares who lived during 1st century AD. (Medlycott n.d.) In the earliest ecclesiastical writings, one gets the information pertaining to the first phase of the stay of Thomas in India. During the second phase, he seems to have visited South India. (Medlycott n.d.) This is because it is widely believed that St. Thomas died in Mylapore and his tomb could be found in this city although later his body remains were taken to Turkey. (Medlycott n.d.) This is proved by the evidences provided by various scholars who visited this region from the early years of Christian era to the Portuguese period. The Portuguese scholars have mentioned the existence of Christian traditions in Mylapore. (Medlycott n.d.) Therefore, this study has presented an eclectic view concerning the place where St. Thomas lived. The study shows that St. Thomas lived both in western India as well as in South India. (Medlycott,   n.d.) Evidences regarding St. Thomas are available in the works of Syrian writers, liturgical books and calendars of the Syrian Church, works of the fathers belonging to western church, works of fathers belonging to Greek and Abyssinian churches. (Medlycott, n.d.) The study of Prof. Carl Schmidt regarding the â€Å"Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles† has proved the authenticity of apocryphal works that describe the activities of St. Thomas in India. (Medlycott n.d.) Therefore, without any doubt one may accept the ancient Syrian and Latin works that describe the stay of St. Thomas in India. (Medlycott, n.d.) In ancient but revised Syriac work, â€Å"The Teaching of the Apostles†, it is mentioned that St. Thomas the apostle had actually lived in India. St. Thomas, who was also called Didymus was invited by Jesus to become his apostle and spread the message of Christianity in the east. (Jesuvera, 2006)     The St. Thomas feast day is celebrated in the Malabar on July 3rd every year. (Jesuvera, 2006) The Christians theologians believe that St. Thomas had preached to the people such as Parthians, Medes, Persians, Bactrians, Margians, and South Indians. (Jesuvera, 2006)   In the work, â€Å"Assumption of Mary†, a work belonging to 400 AD, there is reference to St. Thomas of India staying near the body of Virgin Mary on the day of her â€Å"body assumption†. (Jesuvera, 2006)  Ã‚     Evidences concerning Thomas apostle’s life in India are found in Syrian Christian literature and traditions found in India. (Jesuvera, 2006) With the arrival of the European missionaries to India after 16th century, many Europeans were informed that in India there existed a Christian community called â€Å"St. Thomas Christians†. Based on this, it was suggested that St. Thomas had really stayed in India and convinced a few Indians to accept Christianity. (Sharan, n.d.)   Contrary to this belief, it is argued that the Christian communities of Kerala were given the name only after 14th Century with the arrival of the European missionaries to Malabar. (Sharan, n.d.)   It is argued that this Christian community was actually called Syrian Christians and not St. Thomas Christians. (Sharan, n.d.) It is argued that Europeans propagated the myth of St. Thomas in order to achieve the political and religious agendas of converting India as a part of European or British imperialism and to convert large numbers of Indians into Christianity. (Sharan, n.d.)   To support this argument, correspondence of Fr. A. Mathias Mundadan who was satisfied with the fact that evidence existed to prove that St. Thomas had stayed in India. (Sharan, n.d.) It is argued that based on inaccurate evidences or hagiographies one cannot suggest that St. Thomas had lived and died in India. (Sharan, n.d.) It has been argued that St. Thomas never came to India. In reality, Christianity was established in India for the time in 345 AD by a merchant called Thomas Cananeus. (Sharan, n.d.)   Based on similarity of names, it has been suggested that St. Thomas had come to India and established Christianity in South India. (Sharan, n.d.) Traditions related to Thomas are found not only in India but also other countries of the orient such as Syria, Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Brazil, and Mexico. (Merrilat, 1977) This shows that many oriental countries have constructed their own myths concerning the arrival of St. Thomas to their land and introducing Christianity. Therefore, there is need for strong evidences to accept the belief that St. Thomas actually lived and died in India. Recently, a controversy has been created when the pope Benedict XVI suggested that St. Thomas had come to Western India. Implicitly, this statement has negated the assumption that the apostle had come to South India. (Pope denies, n.d.)   This statement also shows that the pope accepts the fact that St. Thomas had stayed in India although this statement has hurt the sentiments of the Christians of Kerala who strongly believe that St. Thomas had come to the Malabar region in the 1st century AD. (Pope denies, n.d.) The statement of the pope also shows that the apostle had actually come to North India and not to South India. This statement has been used by the scholars to suggest that St. Thomas had never stayed in India. The scholars, who refused to accept that St. Thomas had visited the present India, argue that he had actually visited the regions of Pakistan. (Pope denies, n.d.) This statement cannot be accepted because as already mentioned, there are many evidences showing that St. Thomas had actually lived in some parts of India. Most of the predecessors of the present pope had accepted that St. Thomas was an apostle of India. (Pope denies, n.d.) The church sources do not deny that St. Thomas had lived in India. The debate is regarding whether the apostle had stayed in North India or in South India. Already it has been mentioned that works such as Gospel of St. Thomas and Act of Thomas refer to the work of St. Thomas in India. The statement made by the pope has created controversy among the Christians of Kerala as a few churches in the region are dedicated to the memory of St. Thomas. (Pope denies, n.d.) In conclusion, there are sufficient evidences ancient, medieval, and modern to suggest that St. Thomas had actually lived and died in India. During the first phase of his stay in India he worked in Western India with the king Gondaphares. During the second phase, he visited South India and spread Christianity in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The saint’s tomb can be found in Mylapore although later his remains were taken to Turkey and eventually to Rome. Thus, he lived both in North India as well as South India. The books such Gospel of St. Thomas and Act of Thomas describe the various events related to the life of St. Thomas when he stayed in India. Therefore, there are solid evidences to assert that St. Thomas lived and died in India. References Gjorgjievski, B.T. (2001). On the Gospel of Thomas. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from the web site: http://darktreasures.com/Strangelore/Stuff/on-thomas.pdf Jesuvera. (2006). Feast of St. Thomas – Apostle to India. Konkani Catholics Blog. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from the web site: http://www.konkanicatholics.com/ Medlycott, A.E. (n.d.). India and the Apostle Thomas. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from the web site: http://www.indianchristianity.com/html/chap4/chapter4b.htm Merrilat, H.C. (1997). The Gnostic Apostle Thomas. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from the web site: http://members.aol.com/didymus5/intro.html Ninnan, M.M. (n.d.). Story of St. Thomas Apostle and St. Thomas Churches of India A Short History. Retrieved April 12, 2007, from the web site: http://www.acns.com/~mm9n/marthoma/marthoma.htm Pope denies St. Thomas came to South India. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from the web site: http://www.hamsa.org/index.htm Sharan, I. (n.d.). The myth of St. Thomas and the Mylapore Shiva temple. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from the web site: http://www.hamsa.org/01.htm