community
Saint Thomas Christians of Kerala
Kerala (Malabar coast), India · India & Indian Ocean
9.592, 76.522
Approximate location. The map shows a region, not a pin.
Attested. ATTESTED: the community from the 6th century (Cosmas) and 9th century (copper plates, crosses). TRADITIONAL: foundation by Thomas in the 1st century. See muziris, mylapore, kollam and st-thomas-mount in batch 3.
The Saint Thomas Christians (Nasranis) of Kerala trace their origin to the apostle Thomas. Cosmas Indicopleustes reports Christians in 'Male, where the pepper grows' around 550. The Quilon copper plates (c. 849) and Persian crosses at Kottayam and elsewhere show a community tied to the Church of the East, which sent its bishops from Persia.
Source stance: insider. Community tradition (insider) with Cosmas and the copper plates as independent evidence.
People and groups named here
- Thomas the Apostle (traditional founder)
- Maruvan Sapir Iso (Quilon plates)
Related places
Sources
- Saint Thomas Christians (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors. Accessed 2026-11-11.
- Thomas Christians, Saint
Catholic Encyclopedia (1907-1912), public domain; New Advent. Accessed 2026-11-11.
- Cosmas Indicopleustes, Christian Topography, Book III (churches in Taprobane, Male, Kalliana, Dioscoris)
tr. J. W. McCrindle, Hakluyt Society (1897), public domain; tertullian.org. Accessed 2026-11-11.
Further reading
Councils here
None in this list.