Indian Christianity
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA : M. M. NINAN<br />
involvement has principally been in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China and Japan; and in the Middle East,<br />
it has worked in Palestine, Jordan, Iran and Egypt." http://www.cms-uk.org/default.aspx?Tabid=181<br />
In 1808 Marthoma VI (Mar Dionysius I) made an attempt to raise funds from among the community and<br />
was able to collect , 840 poovarahans (star pagoda gold coins = Rs 2,940 of that time) from the<br />
Malankara Syrian Christian community. To this amount the British resident in Travancore, Col. Macaulay<br />
added another 2,160 Poovarahans (Rs 7,560) a contribution from the government of Tranvancore from<br />
money collected as fines from Hindus by the Travancore government for their crimes against the Syrian<br />
Christians - a total of 3000 Poovarahan equivalent to Rs 10,500/- a large amount at that time.<br />
Marthoma VII deposited this money at annual interest of 8% which was to be paid to the Church<br />
annually. This investment was called Vattipanam (interest money).<br />
Poo Varahan - Star Pagoda Gold Coin of East India Company was the gold coin minted in Madras during 1740 -<br />
1807 and was the standard until 1816<br />
Though many of the Jacobite theology was at variance with the Protestant theology there was lot of<br />
cooperation between the CMS and the Syrian Churches. Among the prominent missionaries were<br />
Thomas Norton, Benjamin Bailey, Joseph Fenn and Henry Baker, who are common names among the<br />
Christians even today. They started the CMS Press in Kottayam in 1821, and began to publish<br />
Malayalam Bible and Christian literature for the use of common people. 1825, they published the gospel<br />
of Matthew, and in 1828, the New Testament, and in 1841, the complete bible. The availability of the<br />
bible in the hands of the people had made much difference in the growth of <strong>Christianity</strong> in Kerala. Again<br />
Theological Education which was introduced by the CMS missionaries had also its impact in the later<br />
growth and divisions of the churches among the Nasranis.<br />
The Orthodox Church had no educational institution of its own for the training of candidates to priest<br />
hood. To remedy this in 1813 Pulikottil Joseph Ramban, a senior priest of the church from Kunnamkulam<br />
took the initiative and as the result of his work the Kottayam Seminary was started in 1815. The Bishops<br />
of Malankara Syrian Christian Church, Pulikkottu Mar Divannaciose (1817-18), Punnatra Mar<br />
Divannaciose (1818-27) and Cheppadu Mar Divannaciose (1827-52) and they all helped in the project.<br />
In fact this institution was the center and the starting point of the reformation within the church.<br />
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