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Articles: Devotion | Journey into Adi Sankara
- Prof. venkata ramanamurty mallajosyula
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Many historians regard this as unreliable evidence; but Cosmos Indicopleustus, a Byzantine monk of 6th C.E testifies the evidence of Christianity in Kollam.
However inscriptional evidences are found only during 9yh century. C.E. During the age of second Chera empire, the Teresapalli copper plate executed in 849 C.E., by Ayyan Adikal Thiruvadikal, then Governor of Venad, under Sthanu Ravi (844-885.C.E,) issued a historic document granting several rights and privileges to the Christians of Kollam. It proclaims the sprit of religious tolerance and also the adaptation of common principles in any religion. It is again confirmed that in a copper plate grant (1225 C.E) Veera Raghava Chakravarthi, Iravi, the ruler of Mahodayapuram granted many privileges and headship of a merchant guild.
It is clear from the above that the influence of foreign religion was felt in Kerala much earlier than anywhere in India, at least during the middle of the last first millennium C.E.
Similarly the Jewish immigration to Kerala was the direct effect of early commercial contacts with Israel. According to their tradition some 10,000 Jews and Jewesses came to Keralacoast in 68 C.E. in order to escape from religious persecution at home. They are also said to have landed in Kodunkallur and founded a settlement. Their population multiplied in Kerala due to the spread of Christianity in western world and to prevent severe persecution at heir own land they took asylum in Kerala. They were originally prosperous business community and were encouraged by the local Rulers. The famous Jewish copper plate grant of the Ruler Bhaskara Ravi Varman records the royal gift of certain permanent Rights and privileges to the community. Interestingly, it happens to be the inscription in copper plate in Vattezhutu characters in which originally ancient Tamil was written.
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