Sankaramangalam

SANKARAMANGALAM FAMILY HISTORY

Introduction

It is a generally accepted fact that St. Thomas the Apostle came to India and was martyred near Chennai (Madras), at a place known as St. Thomas Mount. The Apostle Thomas was also called the Apostle to India.

St. Thomas landed at the ancient port city of Kerala known as Musseris (present-day Kodungallur or Crangannur) and preached the Gospel. As a result, four prominent Brahmin families of Palayoor, Kodungallur—Sankarapuri, Pakalomattom, Kally, and Kaliankave—adopted Christianity and were baptized by St. Thomas.

As the years passed, the descendants of these four families migrated to different parts of Kerala. The Sankaramangalam family, which migrated to Central Travancore, is one of the several branches of the Sankarapuri family. (The different branches of the Sankarapuri family and their places of residence are shown in the appendix of our “Kudumba Charithram.”)

Conversion of the Four Brahmin Families of Palayoor, Kodungallur: A.D. 52–A.D. 156

The ancient seven churches at Palayoor, Kodungallur, Paravoor, Niranam, Kollam, Chayal, and Kokkamangalam still stand as permanent monuments to the ardent missionary work of St. Thomas in Kerala, of which Palayoor was the first.

Apostle Thomas and the Four Brahmins

St. Thomas, who landed at Kodungallur in A.D. 52, went to Palayoor, a village about 50 miles (80 km) north of Kodungallur. There he found a group of Brahmin priests standing in the temple pond and performing a drink offering (libation) to propitiate their god.

The offering was made by chanting prayers (mantras), taking water from the pond with their hands, and throwing it upward. Considering it an appropriate moment to introduce the Gospel, St. Thomas stopped there and told the Brahmin priests that if their gods accepted the offering, the water they threw upward would not fall back down. If it did, they were not real gods. But the omnipotent God whom he worshipped would accept his offering.

The priests accepted this as a challenge and said they would accept his God if he could do what the Apostle had said. So St. Thomas went down to the pond, prayed, dipped his hand into the water, took a handful of water, and threw it upward.

To the great astonishment of the Brahmin priests, the water did not fall back down but disappeared into the air. Some of the priests immediately became convinced and adopted Christianity. They were the Brahmin priests of the Sankarapuri, Pakalomattom, Kally, and Kaliankavu families. The first among them was Mahadevan Nampoothiri of Sankarapuri.

These Brahmins invited St. Thomas to their homes, honoured him, and studied the Gospel. They believed in salvation through Jesus Christ, and St. Thomas baptized them. They built the Palayoor Church. Mahadevan Nampoothiri was named “Thoma,” after the Apostle.

Early Christians in India

Thereafter, the Brahmin families of Kadappoor and Arackal, as well as the royal family of Villiaravattom, also became Christians and were baptized by St. Thomas.

Subsequently, a large number of Jews residing in and around Kodungallur and Arackal, as well as members of the royal family of Villiaravattom, also became Christians.

The Raja of Kodungallur, his daughter, and her husband, the crown prince, were also baptized by St. Thomas. The King was named Andrews, and the crown prince was named Cephas.

Cephas was the first Malayalee priest and the successor of St. Thomas in Malankara. He was the son of the brother of Sankarapuri Mahadevan.

Journey of Our Forefathers from Palayoor and the Establishment of Marthamariam Church at Kuravilangad

A.D. 157 to A.D. 1665

The Samurin of Kozhikode was engaged in constant warfare with neighbouring kingdoms. Maravars from the Pandya region were a threat to the people. Therefore, the young men practised martial arts to protect themselves from these marauders.

The peace-loving Christians of the Sankarapuri, Pakalomattom, Kalli, and Kaliankavu families left Palayoor around A.D. 157 and travelled south in search of safer places to live. They came to Angamaly.

Mangattu Kaimal, the ruler of Angamaly, and the Raja of Edappally were on friendly terms, and so our forefathers settled there for about one and a half centuries. They greatly assisted the ruler of Angamaly and the Raja of Edappally in their wars against the Kozhikode Samurin (Samuthiri).

Angamaly to Kuravilangad

In consideration of their faithful services, the Raja bestowed great honours upon them and granted them special privileges.

However, this golden period did not last long. Due to religious persecution by the Hindus, our forefathers left Angamaly and Edappally and reached Ettumanoor via Kadumthuruthy around A.D. 305.

The Ettumanoor Devaswom authorities permitted them to live on the northern side of the Kalikavu Temple, which was situated about 5 miles (8 km) north of Ettumanoor. They used their own homes for worship.

By God’s grace, by A.D. 337 they had purchased land and constructed a church at Kuravilangad. Over the years, timely renovations were carried out, bringing it to its present form. This is the Marthamariam Church at Kuravilangad.

As the church was founded at Kuravilangad, the four families—Sankarapuri, Pakalomattom, Kalli, and Kaliankavu—as well as the Kadappur family, shifted their residences to houses built near the church.

Pakalomattom and Kalli lived on the northern side, while Sankarapuri, Kaliankavu, and Kadappur lived on the southern side of the church. Thus, Pakalomattom became known as Vadakkedam (the northern side), and Sankarapuri as Thekkedam (the southern side).

Roman Catholic Church and Syrian Church

The history of our family is very closely connected with the history of the Christian Church in India. After St. Thomas founded the Church in A.D. 52, the infant church that took root in Kerala registered tremendous growth in various parts of South India.

Following the martyrdom of the Apostle St. Thomas, however, the growth, development, and mission of the Church slowed down until a missionary from Alexandria, named Pantaneos, visited Kerala in A.D. 189. The Church in India became known as the Syrian Church.

A new age dawned in the history of the Syrian Church with the arrival of Vasco da Gama in A.D. 1498. From that time onward, many Portuguese people came to India for trade. Slowly, they began to wield economic and political power in the country.

As the Portuguese community grew in number, some representatives of Roman Catholicism also arrived. Their principal aim was to bring the Syrian Church under the ecclesiastical supremacy of the Roman Catholic Church.

With this in view, Alexis de Menezes, the then Archbishop of Goa, convened a synod at Diamper in 1599 and compelled the Syrian Church to accept Roman doctrines and practices. The Church had to continue under the newly introduced system of faith for more than five decades.

Our forefathers opposed this Roman intrusion and decided to free the Syrian Church from Roman supremacy. In 1653, the Church shook off this ecclesiastical control and asserted its freedom and autonomous nature by taking an oath at Mattanchery called the “Koonan Kurisu Oath.” This split resulted in the division of the Church into the Syrian Church and the Roman Church.

The Journey from Kuravilangad to Kallooppara

Twelve priests of the Syrian Church consecrated Mar Thoma I as the Metropolitan of the Malankara Syrian Church. In A.D. 1665, this consecration was duly confirmed by H. G. Mar Gregorios, the representative of the Patriarch of Jerusalem.

N.B. Before the split in the Church, its administration was carried out by the Archdeacons of the Pakalomattom family. Rev. Chandy of the Pakalomattom family, who adopted the Roman rites, was consecrated as Bishop Alexander de Campo and appointed Metropolitan of Malankara by Archbishop Menezes, in opposition to Mar Thoma I. He tried to take over the Syrian Churches in Malankara, which caused enmity between the two factions.

The Journey of Our Forefathers from Kuravilangad to Kallooppara: A.D. 1666 to 1672

Our forefather Kunjummen Kuruvilla of Sankarapuri was an affluent person who lived happily at Kuravilangad with his wife and two sons. He was a member of the Administrative Council of the Marthamariam Church, Kuravilangad.

He was a warrior proficient in several martial arts and was also a teacher. He had served in the armies of the King of Edappally and the King of Vadakkumkoor. His sons were also proficient in martial arts.

In order to forcibly take over the church and conduct a marriage ceremony according to the Roman rites, a foreign priest under Archbishop Menezes came to Kuravilangad in A.D. 1666, with the backing of the Raja of Kochi and the assistance of the Portuguese Army.

Our ancestors opposed this, and in the skirmish that followed, many people from both sides were killed. Our forefather Kunjummen Kuruvilla of Sankarapuri was among those who laid down their lives in defence of their faith.

Fearing retribution from the Raja of Kochi and the Portuguese Army, many members of the Sankarapuri, Pakalomattom, Kalli, and Kaliankavu families fled from Kuravilangad to safer areas of Kerala.

Sankarapuri Kunjummen Kuruvilla’s wife and her two sons—Kunjummen, aged 20, and Kuruvilla, aged 18—approached the Raja of Edappally and sought refuge.

He sent them with a letter to Tharayil Kurup, the collector of Kallooppara, which was the farthest border of the Edappally Kingdom. After a hazardous journey, they arrived at Kavungumprayar and presented the Raja’s letter to Tharayil Kurup.

Obeying the Raja’s instructions, Kurup provided them with a proper house and other facilities for living. As the two brothers were proficient in martial arts, the Raja of Edappally appointed them as masters to establish a “Kalari” (fencing school) in and around Kallooppara to train young people in warfare.

They were also appointed as special bodyguards of the Raja during his visits to Kallooppara and trained more than 300 young men. The Raja was very pleased with them and gave them several gifts. The people also respected them.

In time, they became wealthy and popular, to the extent that Tharayil Kurup became jealous of them and decided to kill them.

Assassination of Tharayil Kurup

In A.D. 1670, just four days before the Raja’s visit to attend the “Kumbha Bharani” festival of the Kallooppara Temple, Tharayil Kurup and his servants attacked the two brothers with the intention of killing them and taking possession of their house and land.

In the skirmish, Kunjummen killed Tharayil Kurup, and Kurup’s servants fled from the site. Fearing punishment from the Raja, the two brothers and their mother left Kavungumprayar that very night, intending to reach the neighbouring Thekkumkur Kingdom.

Due to severe rain, lightning, and thunder, they could reach only as far as Eraviperoor. They went to the house of the sister of Velloru Kurup and sought shelter for the night.

Velloru Kurup was informed of their plight. He knew of the wickedness of Tharayil Kurup and therefore made arrangements for the safety of the fleeing family.

On the festival day, when the King visited Kallooppara, he heard all the details and decreed that the Sankarapuri brothers were not guilty.

During the festival, the Raja asked Velloru Kurup to bring the two brothers with their group of students to demonstrate their martial arts.

To test their proficiency in swordplay, two banana stems were placed there at the Raja’s instruction. Secretly, an iron rod and a copper rod were inserted into each stem.

The brothers were asked to cut each stem with a single blow of the sword without allowing the stem to fall. They succeeded, and the Raja and all the onlookers were greatly amazed at their proficiency.

In appreciation of their skill, the Raja presented them with his own sword, shield, and umbrella. (This sword and shield were, until recently, in the possession of Mr. Mammen Abraham of Sankaramangalam Tharavadu.)

Moreover, the Raja presented them with the fertile land of “Ganachukadu” (now known as Kanachukadu), free of tax. As the brothers were not willing to accept the land as a gift, they requested the King to allow them to purchase it by paying its value. Accordingly, the Raja permitted them to buy the land.

The two brothers, Kunjummen and Kuruvilla, constructed a house on the Ganachukadu property they had purchased and lived there with their mother.

They engaged in extensive farming and trading in agricultural products and, over time, achieved great prosperity. They were members of the governing body (Executive Committee) of the Marthamariam Syrian Church of Kallooppara, along with representatives of the Aaruveedans, Adangapurath Tharayil, Kalloor, Cheruveloor, Peralummood, and Mudiyil families.

They worked diligently and honestly for the Church in its various activities. The parishioners loved and respected them and extended their full cooperation in all their endeavours. This proved very useful in later years when conflicts arose with some members of other communities around them.

From Kallooppara to Eraviperoor — A.D. 1672

As atonement for the death of Tharayil Kurup at his hands, Kunjummen, the elder of the two brothers, accepted celibacy and remained a bachelor for life.

Kuruvilla, the younger brother, married a girl from the Cheruvellur (Cheruthara) family in 1672. Two sons, Kuruvilla Kunju and Kunjummen, and a daughter were born to this couple.

The daughter was married to a person belonging to the Maruthottathil family of Vennikulam. In A.D. 1696, Kuruvilla Kunju married a girl from the Kalloor Mudiyil family. Their descendants are the present-day members of the Kanachukattu family.

Birth of “Sankaramangalam”

In A.D. 1700, Kunjummen married a girl from the Adangappurathu Tharayil family. Their descendants are the Sankaramangalam family members.

Kunjummen was a prominent member of the Edappally Raja’s council. Considering his meritorious services, the Raja bestowed upon him the title “Tharakan.” In our family history, he is mentioned as Kunjummen Tharakan I.

Kunjummen Tharakan was such a respected person that the Brahmins and other upper-class Hindus of Eraviperoor wanted him to stay among them. Therefore, an area called “Kulam,” belonging to Elayadathu Potty, was given as a gift to Kunjummen Tharakan.

However, like his father, he was reluctant to accept the land as a free gift. Instead, he paid for it in cash and named it “Sankararkulam,” which was known in the local dialect as “Chankaramkulam.”

A four-winged house (Nalukettu) and a gateway (Padippura) were constructed at Sankararkulam, and from A.D. 1704 onward, Kunjummen Tharakan and his family lived there.

The Almighty’s Care Through All These Years

Later, in compliance with the specific instructions of the Raja, the name was changed from Sankararkulam to Sankaramangalam.

Part of that house still remains at Sankaramangalam Tharavadu and now belongs to Mr. Mammen Abraham, Sankaramangalam (Ref. 787 1X-1, now residing in the U.S.A.).

The central portion of the Nalukettu is shown on the cover page of our Family History Book (Kudumba Charithram in Malayalam) and also in this abridged English book.

A detailed genealogy of the descendants of Kunjummen Tharakan I is given in the Family History Book published by the Sankaramangalam Family Association.

The Lord who went before His people in the wilderness by day in a pillar of cloud and by night in a pillar of fire, who fed them with quail and manna from heaven and gave them water from the rock, and who thus led them to the Promised Land, has also led our forefathers during their journey from Palayoor to Kuravilangad and from there to Eraviperoor. We gratefully remember this guidance.

God blessed Kunjummen Tharakan I with great prosperity and with descendants. By God’s grace, his descendants have now reached the twelfth generation. At present, our members belong to six generations, from the seventh to the twelfth generation.

At Eraviperoor itself, there are 192 residential houses, and more than 675 family units are scattered across different parts of India, the Far East, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and America.

Lighted Candles in the Community

Our present generations are second to none in the fields of education, science, medicine, engineering, information technology, religion, and other areas.

Our forefathers of the first five generations acquired extensive landholdings at Eraviperoor and in the neighbouring places of Vallamkulam, Kaviyoor, Kallooppara, and Nellimala, and engaged in extensive cultivation.

In A.D. 1789, upon the death of Rev. Fr. Varkey Tharakan (Varkey Tharakan Kathanar, 1735–1789), the third son of Kunjummen Kuruvilla, the properties were duly divided among the descendants.

Our ancestors played a major role in the growth and development of the social, economic, and spiritual life of Eraviperoor. They were instrumental in establishing churches, schools, hospitals, cooperative societies, and other institutions. These various activities are briefly mentioned in the genealogy of each generation.

While we are proud of our glorious heritage, we must work harder for the general prosperity and welfare of all our family members and also of all the people living around us.

Let us praise the Lord for His mercy, guidance, and blessings received from generation to generation, and commit ourselves to His care and service so that we may be lighted candles in our community.

Abridged free translation by R. John Mathew, Sankaramangalam

SANKARAMANGALAM FAMILY HISTORY

The ancestral home of the Sankaramangalam Family, built in A.D. 1704.

Publication Note

The book “Sankaramangalam Kudumba Charithram” (Malayalam), prepared by the Kudumba Charithra Committee, was published in 1980 and 2001.

This synopsis of the Sankaramangalam Family History in English was prepared in 2001 by the then President of the Kudumba Yogam, Mr. C. John Mathew, Sankaramangalam, for the benefit of the young children of our present generation who live outside Kerala and cannot read Malayalam.

Eraviperoor

April 30, 2005

Editor, Newsletter

Sankaramangalam Family Association