Origins and Traditions
It is not clear how the division of the Saint Thomas Christians into Southern and Northern groups originated. The earliest written evidence for the split dates to the 16th century. A number of traditions and stories have emerged to explain the development, and both Southist and Northist groups use variants of these traditions to claim superiority for their group.
Most commonly the division is traced the figure of Thomas of Cana. According to these versions, Thomas of Cana was a Syrian merchant who led a group of 72 immigrant families from the Middle East to settle in India in the 3rd or 4th century (some sources place these events in the 8th century). This story may reflect a historical migration of East Syrian Christians to India during this time, which established the region's relationship with the Church of the East. In these versions, the Knanaya or Southists are the descendants of Thomas of Cana and his followers, while the Northists descend from the local Christian body converted by Thomas the Apostle centuries earlier. In some versions, Thomas of Cana had two wives or partners, one the ancestor to the endogamous Southists, and the other (generally described as a Kerala native) the ancestor to the Northists.
In 1939 Joseph Chazhikaden introduced and popularized a theory that the Knanaya were the descendants of ancient Jews. According to Chazhikaden, they originated in Judea, and later converted to Christianity, though they maintained their distinct culture and identity. Eventually they were forced out of their homeland and moved to Cranganore, where they were welcomed by the ruler Cheraman Perumal and lived near, but maintained their separateness from, the indigenous "Northist" Saint Thomas Christians.
Directional divisions within communities are common in Kerala. A similar north-south division is found among the Nairs, and historically appears to have been in place in the early Brahmin settlements in the area. The Saint Thomas Christians may have taken this trait from the Brahmins.
Read more about this topic: Knanaya Christians
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