Author: Dr. C.I. Issac
Publication: Organiser
Date: November 6, 2005
URL: http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=103&page=8
The religious minorities of Kerala, particularly
Christians and Muslims, are proud of their historical past. However, these
days they have started to feel a sense of insufficiency of their historical
value. Since the days of Portuguese, stories regarding the first century of
Common Era (CE) origin and aristocratic beginning began to circulate widely
amongst the Kerala Christians. Later on this articulated tradition got deep
rooted with the Christian faith. Scholars even from amongst the Christian
community began challenging the historicity of the legend that claims the
noble descent and first century origin of Indian (Kerala) Christianity. Those
who supported the first century origin of Christianity mainly highlighted
some mystifying stories related to certain saints and churches. The veracity
of the stories associated with these monuments is doubtful. This is because
the architectural style that was adopted in constructing these churches (structures)
does not match the style that prevailed in that period.
Similarly, the Muslims of Kerala were a peace
loving national community until the days of the expeditions of Hyder Ali and
Tippu Sultan. Thereafter, they were forced to transform themselves into fanatics.
The seeds of fanaticism that were sowed by the Mysorian invaders were reaped
in the bumper harvest during the days of the Mopla Riot of 1921 (Malabar Riot).
The Muslim fanatics who were at the front of the Hindu massacre during the
course of the Malabar Riot are now christened as freedom fighters and comrades,
respectively, by the Right and Left coalitions of Kerala. This is the thumbnail
portrait of the contemporary politico-social structure of the Muslim social
formations of Kerala. But recently as a result of the GEB (Gulf Economic Boom),
the Muslim community of Kerala also began to think of rewriting their history
by incorporating the story of a rich and distant past. As the Christians of
Kerala did they also coddled themselves in fabricating a so-called history
of Islam in Kerala - a history of Hindu kings converting to Islam and attributed
antique value to a few of their mosques.
In order to evade enquiries from the students
of history, such monuments of religious importance are being demolished without
preserving the relics of antique value and new and lofty structures are being
contructed in their place with granite slabs (with inscriptions on them) claiming
that at the site of the new building there was another one dating back to
the days of the founder of their religion. Today the process of the demolition
of churches and mosques is happening at an extensive and unprecedented rate.
A set of would be secular historians with vested interest is supporting the
Christian and Muslim historio-graphical exercise (distortions). All these
necessitated an enquiry into the antique values of the Christian and Muslim
places of worship that are subject to the demolition exercise and into the
(religious hierarchical) social psychology behind their reconstruction.
Christian interest in the construction of
new churches or chapels in the Hindu dominated areas is shrouded in obscurity.
Now the mushroom growth of churches and chapels is a serious threat to the
socio economic relations of the state. Pope had declared that church's ultimate
motive in the new millennium is to 'plant a cross in Asia (India) as it was
done in the previous millenniums in Africa, Europe and Americas'. In the light
of this Pontifical design the demolition and reconstruction of the churches
of Kerala leaves a lot of doubts. All these should be viewed in the light
of the Vatican Council, 1960, that drafted a new strategy for conversions
in Asia. After the Vatican Council, Indian Catholic missions have shown remarkable
dynamism in activities in economically backward regions with Hindu majority.
As a part of the 'new strategy' church is following a less intransigent attitude
towards birth control. International Christian proselytism enterprises are
labouring for a large baptized Christian population in India by 2025. In addition
to it they are hoping for a Crypto Christian population of three crore by
the said date. By this time the population map of India will have 7.4% Christians,
72.9% Hindus and 12.2% Muslims.
It is believed that Christianity set its foot
in Bharat through the gateway of Kerala during 52 CE. That was long before
Europ or the Middle East enjoyed the tenets of Christianity. In 1952 CE, the
native Catholic Church hierarchy approached the Papacy [Rome] for Pontifical
approval to celebrate 1900th year of Thomas's [one of the disciples of Christ]
venture of proselytism of Kerala. Papacy instantaneously declined the humble
request of the Kerala Catholics on the ground that the claim [legendary belief
of Thomas Apostolic transaction in Kerala] has no historicity. But the Catholic
Savarna (Syrian) aristocracy of Kerala couldn't accept such a response from
Rome and celebrated the 19th centenary of the arrival of Thomas (planting
of cross in Bharat) with much pomp.
Some beleive that in the first century of
the CE one of the disciples of Christ, named Thomas, reached the seashores
of Kerala and established seven-and-a-half churches [Seven big churches and
a small church] to fulfill the requirement of his proselytismic measures.
That most of the claimed places of the eight churches were located either
on the ruins of old Hindu temples or near celebrated temples is a historical
fact. One such famous church of this category now functioning at Malayattoor,
near the birthplace of Adi Sankara, was till the date of the national independence
a Siva temple. The revenue records of the old princely state of Travancore
justify this fact. Now the Papacy has declared, in its spiritual as well as
temporal capacity, that Malayattoor is an international pilgrim centre. What
is the reasoning behind the interference in the sovereignty of India by an
alien religious head, Pope? Has it happened with the concurrence of the king-making
'Italian Catholic Lady'?
In 1983 the Christian Catholic lobby attempted
to occupy the 'Holy Garden' (Sacred Groves) of the celebrated Lord Ayyappa
Temple at Sabarimalai (Kerala) claiming (on a lame excuse) that this was the
place where one of Thomas's eight churches was located. But the timely interference
of Hindu organisations saved the temples from sharing the fate of the one
at Malayattoor. All these encroachments or forceful occupations of temples
and temple lands have taken place mostly in eight locations wherein Thomas
is claimed to have established churches in the first century. The aim behind
the forceful occupation of Hindu temples and temple lands for the construction
of churches is to historicise the arrival of Thomas and to thus claim a tradition
and aristocracy for the Christian community of Kerala. Similarly this is aimed
at creating 'schism' and confusion 'in the souls' of the Hindus who believe
that all upasana systems are true.
It is estimated that during the last two decades
about a thousand old Christian churches were demolished in different parts
of southern Kerala. The church hierarchy claims that all such churches were
constructed during the first century. Behind every such claim they deliberately
popul-arise a story of a Namboothiri (Brahmin) having converted to Christianity.
Here the question as to why they demolish particular churches with such immense
historicity and antique value remains unanswered. It is not logical to consider
it as a part of the church strategy of sharing the fruits of recent economic
progress of the community, for the renovation of their churches. Since the
days of the British the churches in Kerala were endowed with vast patches
of royal lands and are financially sound institutions. Several Hindu temples
including the one at Palayoor (Guruvayoor) were destroyed by the Christian
fanaticism between the 16th and 17th continues. This temple destruction trend
continued unabatedly in the old princely State of Travancore for a long duration.
The last of such demolitions took place in 1950, by setting fire to the famous
Sastha Temple at Sabrimalai. In the Malabar region it continued unabatedly
until the resistance movement organised in 1969 under the organisational umbrella
of Kshetra Smrakshna Samiti by the renowned freedom fighter K. Kelappan (Kelappajee).
The history of temple annihilation in Kerala
starts with Francis Xavier in Travancore-Cochin and the Malabar regions during
the time of Mysorian invasions when it acquired a pragmatic colour. The first
organised temple destruction of Kerala took place in the 16th century under
the stewardship of Francis Xavier, who was the architect of Inquisition in
Goa-the first Christian fanatic of India. The initial prey of his dogmatic
wrath was the temple at Thevalakkara in Quilon district and Palluruthi near
Cochin. It is relevant to consider the information available from the work
of C.M. Augur, an English missionary, to pencil in a correct picture of the
Christian intolerance since the days of Padre Francis Xavier to the generations
of the contemporary church renovators. According to Augur in 1816 there were,
in Travancore State (now the part of Kerala), 19,524 temples and 301 churches.
But in 1891, that is after 76 years the number of temples came down to 9,364
and the number of churches burgeoned to 1,116. At the same time William Logan,
District Collector of Malabar, notes that during the eighties of the nineteenth
century the Latin Catholic Christians of Travancore, Cochin and Malabar together
had in possession only 40 churches and the Syrian Catholics of this region
had 160 churches. In the said period the Syrian Catholic and Latin Catholic
population in Kerala including children was two lakh and 90,000, respectively.
The Basel Missionaries started Protestant mission activities in Malabar region
of Kerala in 1839 and with their proselytizing effort the Protestant population
in Malabar in 1883 including children was 2632.
Before the arrival of the Europeans in India,
Christian presence was seen only in the Travancore and Cochin regions of Kerala.
The antagonism that was generated amongst the Christians and Muslims due to
the Crusades of 11th, 12th and 13th centuries prevented Christian proselytism
enterprises from planting their roots in the Malabar region where Muslims
got roots quite earlier. It is only during the British period that the Christian
society came into being in the Malabar region. That is why the Christian claim
of Apostle Thomas' establishment of eight churches has not extended to the
Malabar region. It is true that the Christians in Travancore Cochin were only
a marginal community confined to a few port towns before the arrival of the
Europeans. For that reason during this period the churches in Kerala were
very few.
The Church History of Travancore points out
positively that in the interlude between 1816 and 1891 in Travancore alone
10,160 temples were demolished and in its place 815 new churches were constructed.
Such a church construction took place at Guruvayoor (Palayoor) The Palayoor
church authorities until the day of the collapse of the disputed structure
at Ayodhya, kept a board in front of the church that read "the church
is constructed by Saint Thomas after demolishing a temple". (Now the
board has been removed). At such an instance even Rome (Papacy) is not ready
to believe the story of the arrival of St. Thomas in Kerala; it is true that
the demolition of the temple might have taken place only after the European
occupation of this land. The erstwhile Princely State of Travancore was a
place approximately 300 kms long and maximum width of 100 kms with an area
of 12,000 sq. kms. In such a small region the temple destruction was inaugurated
by Francis Xavier and it continued unabated. Considering the geographical
area the number of temples set ablaze or knocked down in Travancore was proportionately
much higher when compared to the temples demolished by the Muslim rulers.
While Francis Xavier launched his proselytism
enterprises in the coastal region of Kerala in the 16th century the native
Christian society was mostly confined to a few seaport towns and were loyal
to the native rulers. The alarming growth of the Christian population in this
region through the subsequent period was the outcome of the intolerance and
obsessive approach of people like Francis Xavier and the Portuguese's malicious
designs. The Portuguese did not spare even the Jews of Kerala from their wrath
of intolerance. In 1565 the Jews of Crangannoor (at present Kodungalloor)
escaped to places of Hindu dominancy of the then Kerala like Paravoor, Mala,
Chennamangalam, Ernakulam in order to escape the Portuguese persecution. The
mission that was inducted by Francis Xavier continued here without any apathy
through the Dutch, the French and the British regimes in the subsequent centuries
and this completed the circle of Christianisation of this tiny landscape.
The mission that was unwrapped by the Portuguese was carried on by the British
under the disguise of a more sophisticated mode, that is, of education and
modernisation of Kerala in general and particularly of the subalterns. While
these missionaries sowed the tenets of Christ amongst the basic classes purposefully
they conveniently avoided the responsibility of elevating them from their
long-established socio, cultural and economic backwardness.
It is this western unholy interference in
the social relations of Kerala that enhanced numerical strength of the Christians
from a three-digit number in the 16th century to 20.8% of the total population
(approx. 16 million) of Kerala in 1951. The present attempt is to whitewash
the detestable past of the native Christianity by the distortion and suppression
of the above sequence of events.
'Churchianity' was not a business in Kerala
until the arrival of European missionary interest in this land. The first
church of Kerala was constructed in 849 CE at Quilon. Then the Hindu King
of Venadu (a small principality of Kerala) Ayyan Adikal Thiruvadikal had granted
permission to the Christian merchants of Quilon to construct a church. This
royal grant is known as Theressappalli Copperplate Grant of 849 CE. This is
the first valid/authentic document relating to the Christian history of India.
Until 1550 CE no reference pertaining to the construction or existence of
a Christian church is available. One of the oldest Christian churches is the
Valia Palli (big church) of Kottayam, constructed in 1550 under foreign influence
with liberal contributions from the native Hindu Raja, where the legendary
Persian Cross is kept. There was less than half-a-dozen Christian churches
functioned all over Kerala until the sixteenth century. The subsequent centuries
witnessed the rapid growth of church and Christianity in Kerala due to the
coercive tactics of European colonial interests. But at present more than
1000 churches are claiming 1000 to 1900 years of existence. The contemporary
church hierarchy is eagerly striving to establish historicity to these legends.
Most of those churches that claim long history
from the days of Thomas (Apostle) were constructed during the period of European
intervention by demolishing the existing native (Hindu) places of worship
or on the site where the Hindu places of worship were deserted due to natural
calamities. To a certain extent even the church hierarchy recognises this
as a crippled reality. The time is not far when the heritage of these churches
which claim great antiquity will be questioned in the light of modern science
and technology. The church is well aware of the inherent danger of scientific
enquiry into the archaic space of most of the churches that claim more than
500 years of existence. Hence the only available escape left for the godfathers
of the 'Chakkraviewham of the apostolic origin of Indian Christianity' is
the destruction of the 'monuments'. Their exercise is, no doubt, a criminal
offence under the purview of history and they can be compared to a criminal
who destroys evidence after committing an offence.
Should these churches, which claim antediluvian
impor-tance, be protected as national monuments? The reconstructions of the
old churches are justified as a process of 'pulling down the old' so as to
cater to the spiritual needs of its ever-increasing laity. Why do the parishes
which posses extensive landed property destroy the old churches instead of
protecting them by constructing new ones in their vacant lands? When the State
and central archaeological departments are ready to protect the old churches
as national heritage monuments why are the church authorities in a hurry to
demolish the old churches? To the Christians there is no place value to their
places of worship unlike in the case of Hindus. The church constructions and
reconstructions which is happening in present day Kerala have raised doubts
in the minds of the people.
Kerala Muslim historiographical exercise is
not much different from that of Christians. The Christian 'Syndrome of attributing
antique status' to places of worship is being imitated by the Muslims of Kerala.
A much more shocking news is their attempt to highjack ancient Kerala kings
to Islam. One such story that they built in the near past was the conversion
of Cheraman Perumal (an ancient Kerala King) to Islam. They also claim that
after the conversion, the king went on a haj to Mecca where he met the Prophet
and later he died there and was buried at Zaffar in the Arabian seashore.
Before the King left on Haj he had constructed a mosque at Crangannoor that
is presently known as the Cheraman Palli. This story is aimed at claiming
aristocratic origin 'theory' of the Kerala Muslims and thus to penetrate into
the heart of the native Hindu society and dismantle them. Here it is relevant
to look at the recent conversion of the writer Kamala Das to the religion
of Islam. After the conversion she changed her name to 'Kamala Suraiyah'.
The prime motive behind her conversion was to make fragile the Hindu ego.
Fortunately it did not produce the desired impact on the people instead the
Hindu population viewed it as a hysteric transaction of the person involved
in the conversion.
Let us make an enquiry into the authenticity
of the Hindu King's conversion story. The story is that this conversion took
place either in 325 or in 825 of CE. The first year is 200 years before the
birth of the Prophet and the second one is 100 years after the death of the
Prophet. None of the early and medieval Muslim travelers like Sulaiman, Al
Biruni, Al Kazwini, Ibn Batuta, Abdur Razzak, etc, had referred to this fabulous
story of conversion. The mission behind Ibn Batuta's journey towards the Malabar
coast was the conversion of its ruler Zamorin of Calicut. His mission failed
miserably. Let us quote K. P. Padnabha Menon, "It is remarkable that
Ibn Batuta (1442 CE) makes no reference to the conversion of Cheraman Perumal
or of the story of his Mecca pilgrimage". Ibn Kurdad Bah (869) and Abu
Zaid Ziraf (916) referred in flattering terms to the nature of the commercial
relations between Arabia and Malabar (Kerala). But they did not mention anywhere
about any sort of conversion of a Hindu king to Islam. Let us quote Sulaiman
(851), the Arab traveller, "I know not that there is anyone of either
nation (China & India) that has embraced Muhammadanism or speaks Arabic".
It is interesting to see that the legend of the conversion of a Hindu Raja
into the Islamic fold crept into the accounts of foreign travelers only after
the advent of the Portuguese. A cautious examination of the data available
may reasonably be said to lead to the conclusion that there is nothing to
illustrate that the last Cheraman Perumal became a convert to Islam.
The rewriting of history by the Muslims does
not end with this Mosque at Crangannoor. They are attributing age-old mystic
relations with several of their mosques spread all over the Malabar region.
That in some cases their stories go beyond the birth of the Prophet is a matter
of sarcasm. The new GEB and charity inflows from oil rich countries are helping
the demolition and reconstruction of several Mosques for which they claim
historicity as well as antique value. As in the case of Christians they are
also demolishing the said old mosques without leaving any trace of its heritage
and this is a humorous 'transaction'.
Before concluding this enquiry, it is necessary
to quote Christian Encyclopedia on future Indian population pattern: "Christians
and Muslims will probably both find room to grow in the mosaic of India's
peoples so that by 2025 Christians account for 7.4% and Muslims 12.2% while
Hindus decline to 73%.
With sustained growth over the next few decades
Christianity could grow to near 10% of India's population by AD 2050.
Hindus will potentially decline as a percentage of India's population as other
religions continue to win adherents over the next few decades."
Therefore, the ongoing process of the reconstruction
of the semitic places of worship in Kerala that claims antiquated value as
well as mystic importance is to mislead the catholicity of the native Hindu
population.
References:
1. Christian Encyclopedia, OUP, 2001, New
York, pp 359-370
2. This 'Seven and a half' concept is the
replica of the ritual of the renowned Hindu temple at Ettumannoor where the
main deity is Lord Siva. During the annual ritualistic procession of the temple
seven and a half elephants idols made of gold are exhibited as the part of
its ritual. The Christian church emerged as strong force in Kerala during
the European period around this temple region. That is why the Christian faith
on account of the importance and social recognition to the said temple incorporated
the idea of seven and a half in their faith in the form of church.
3. Rig Veda, Chapter III, Mandala I, Vargam
22, Sooktam 164.
4. See discussions in The Church History of
Travancore, C. M. Augur, 1902, Kottayam, pp 7, 8, 9.
5. A. Sreedhara Menon, Survey of Kerala History,
1970, Kottayam, pp 228, 229.
6. C. M. Augur, op cit, pp 7, 8,9.
7. William Logan, Malabar, First Published
in 1887, rpt.1981, Trivandrum, p250.
8. The steady growth from there upon to this
day caused the birth of a Christian/Catholic majority State Legislative Assembly
Constituency named Irikkoor.
9. C.M. Augur, op cit, pp 7, 8,9
10. A. Sreedhara Menon, op cit, p 228.
11. T. M. Yesudasan, Dalit Svatvaum Adhikarathinte
Prasnavum [mal], 1997 Changanacherry, pp 166, 167, 168.
12. M. S. Golwalkar, Bunch of Thoughts, 1996,
Bangalore, p159.
13. A. Sreedhara Menon, op cit, p 160.
14. "In the absence of some written record
of respectable antiquity to corroborate the tradition of conversion and pilgrimage,
one is disposed not to attach any evidentiary value to the tomb on the shores
of the Arabian Gulf", K. P. Padnabha Menon, History of Kerala, Vol. I,
rpt, 1989, Trivandrum, p 446
15. Ibid, p 437.
16. Ibid, p 442
17. Ibid, 437
18. A. Sreedhara Menon, op cit, pp 103, 104.
19. Ibid, p 135.
20. Christian Encyclopedia, op cit, pp 364,
366.
(The author is the head of department and
professor of History at CMS College, (Kerala) Kottayam. His Email- drciissac@dataone.in
Web- www.christiansofkerala.com)