﻿ox THE COAST OF MALABAR. S63 



Seleiicia in Persia, al'tcrwards at Babylon, and lastly 

 at Jllosul. 



In the Malabar histories [Keriil Oodputtee] the 

 first mention of a Siirian colony of Christians is made 

 in the reign of Cocoorangox Peru ma l, who pro- 

 bably lived in the 6th century ; a w ealthy Syrian 

 merchant of tlienameof Tho.me Caxxaneo, is said 

 to have landed at Cran^anore, where he was well re- 

 ceived, and induced to settle by great privileges 

 granted to him by the Pehumal. He afterwards 

 married two wives ; one of the JVair, and one of 

 some low cast, by whom he had a very numerous 

 progeny, who after his death had great disputes 

 about his inheritance. These were carried to such a 

 degree that at last they were obliged to separate 

 themselves : the sons I y the JS^air woman settling in 

 the Fciithern parts, and the others in the northern parts 

 o^ Malabar — -v»'here their descendants for a long time 

 preserved this mutual enmity, and M'ould on no ac- 

 count intermarry : there is also still a common tra- 

 dition amongbt them, that they descend (at least those 

 that are from Syriaji origin) from four principal Sy- 

 rian families, v.ho had successively settled on the 

 coast. 



We f.nd again mention made of two Syrian or 

 ChaUhean bishops of the name of Mar Sabro and 

 ]\1ar Brodt, (or rather jMar Sapor and AJail 

 Peruses) at Coitan, about one hundred years after 

 its foundation, where they vrere extremely well re- 

 ceived by the Raja, and permitted to build a church, 

 which was still extant when Cabral first visited 

 Coilan. The grants and privileges which they re- 

 ceived from the Raja, v/ere engraved upon copper- 

 plates, which many centuries after were shewn to 

 Archbishop De IN/ENezes at Tevakure, (perhaps Ma- 

 vileare*,) which are in all probability the very same 

 that are now in possession of the Jews at Ojc/iin. 



If 



* Vide Historia Synodi Diamperitans, page- 8. 



Qui 



