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Christianity

Christianity is a  religion centered on Jesus Christ, and on his life and teachings. Christians believe Jesus to be the Messiah, and thus refer to him as Jesus Christ. Christianity is the world's largest religion. It is the predominant religion in the Americas, Europe, Oceania, and large parts of Africa.

Christianity began in the 1st century as a Jewish, and therefore shares many religious texts and early history with Judaism — specifically, the Hebrew Bible, which Christians call the Old Testament. Like Judaism and Islam, Christianity is considered an Abrahamic religion.

According to the New Testament (Acts 11:26), "the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. The earliest recorded use of the term Christianity is by Ignatius of Antioch.
 
Syrian Christians

Syriac Christianity is a culturally and linguistically distinctive community within Eastern Christianity. It has its roots in the Near East, and is represented by a number of Christian denominations today, mainly in the Middle East and in Kerala, India. They are an ethnic community in Kerala,South India. Their tradition goes back to the very beginnings of first century Christian thought, and the seven churches that are established by St. Thomas the Apostle among the natives and the Jewish diaspora in Kerala. They follow a unique Hebrew-Syriac Christian tradition which includes several Jewish elements along with some Hindu customs. Their heritage is Syriac-Keralite, their culture South Indian, their faith St. Thomas Christian, and their language Malayalam.

Anybody who is born in Kerala Syrian Christian family are Syrian Christians or Nasrani’s. Its not just about using Syriac as their liturgy language its more about more than 2000 years old traditions. Anybody who belongs to the churches which follows East or West Syrian rite for their worship are Syrian Christians.

According to the Acts of Thomas, the first converts made by Thomas in India were Malabari Jews, who had settled in Kerala since the time of King Solomon of Israel. Syriac Christians trace their origins to St. Thomas the Apostle. They used Syriac as their liturgical language from an unknown period and they were mostly, a united church till the Portuguese persecution.

Syrian Christians are believed to be a mix of the converted local people by St. Thomas the Apostle including the Royal family, the Jews, the Nambudiris and the migrated Christians from the Persian Countries.

Syriac Christian heritage is transmitted through the Syriac language, a dialect of Aramaic. Unlike the Greek Christian culture, Syriac culture borrowed much from early Rabbinic Judaism and Mesopotamian culture. Whereas Latin and Greek Christian cultures became protected by the Roman and Byzantine empires respectively, Syriac Christianity often found itself marginalised and persecuted.Antioch was the political capital of this culture, and was the seat of the patriarchs of the church.

The Kerala Syrian Christians are comprised of some of the earliest people who joined Christianity, including local people of Kerala and many Malabar Jews from the Jewish diaspora of the pre-Christian era and many other diaspora traders who were settled in Kerala.

The Christains were also given the title of honour Mapila,under Mampally Sasanam by the Chera king, Vllabhankotha, in the year 974 AD (Kollam era149).The title Mapila was to be suffixed to the names of all Nazrani-Christians from that time.