﻿5(5 Jl ACCOUNT OF THE il\ THOME' CHRISTIANS 



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AccouivT of tlic St. Thome' Christianas otv 

 the Coast of Malabar. 



BY F. WREDE', Esq. 



Although tlio unexpected dis<?overy of Chris- 

 tians on the Mcdahar coast, was a nuitter of the 

 greatest surprize and satisfaetion to the fiist Portu- 

 guese adven.ti'.rrrs, m ho were cciually enthusiastic , to 

 extend tlicir nuhtary gU.'ry and coiKjuests, as to pro- 

 ])agate their rehgion among tlie infidels in tlie re- 

 motest quarters of the world; yet tiieir exidtation 

 Mas temporary : for m hen upon nearer investigation 

 they found tliat these Christians followed the Doe- 

 trine of N kntolu us, and aekuowledged, instead of 

 the Pope, the Patriarcli of that sect, residing iii 

 Sijria, fur their ecclesiastical supreme chief, they ap- 

 peared in their eyes worse than infidels. 



Their number must have been very considera])le 

 in the beginning of the 1 6th century, when the Por- 

 tuguese became first acquainted with them, since 

 they possessefi about one hundred and ten churelies, 

 in the countries now subject to the Tr-avanvore and 

 Cochin rajas : and at this present time, after the 

 inanifokl persecutions, oppressions, and successive 

 revolutions that have almost depopulated the wliole 

 coast, they are computed to amount to no less than 

 lo 0,000 souls. 



They are indiscriminately called St. Thome Chrh- 

 tians, Nestorians, .Sj/r/(7;/.v, and sometimes \.\\^ Mala- 

 bar Christians of the mountains, by the Portuguese 

 ■writers of that time, and by the subsequent mission- 

 aries from Rojuc. The most common name given 

 to them by the Hindoos of the countiy, is that of 

 Nazarauee Map'ila^ and more frequently Surians or 

 Suriancc JIapita. 



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