Origins of Christianity in India

St Thomas Cross

Christianity reached India from the earliest times. There is a reliable tradition that the Apostle Thomas preached there from 52, seeing the conversion of members of the Brahman caste, as well as local Jews, founding a church at Kodungallur and ordaining local clergy. Indian believers in Christ were called "nasrani" from the word "Nazareth". 

In 180 it is possible that Pantaenus, the Christian teacher from Alexandria, found this church, which had the gospel of Matthew in "Hebrew". 

Thus, when trader-missionary Thomas of Cana arrived in 345, along with 400 refugee believers, there was already a community of Christians. The incoming, newly-arrived Christians belonged to the Church of the East ("Nestorians") with its central episcopal see at Seleucia-Ctesiphon. They settled in the south of the city of Kodungallur, while the longer-standing community were based in the north. Over time, links with were the Church of the East were strengthened; Patriarch Timothy I (780–823 AD) set up the Metropolitan See of India. 

In the 1500s, explorers and missionaries arrived in India to evangelise, and found an existing, indigenous church. Over time, as a result of contact with the incoming Portuguese Roman Catholic Christians, and later other denominations, the Thomas Christians divided into various communions.