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 52г, seeing the conversion of members of the Brahman caste, as well as local Jews, founding a church 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". 

When trader-missionary Thomas of Cana arrived in 345, along with 400 refugee believers, there was already a community of Christians. The incomers belonged to the Church of the East ("Nestorians") with its central episcopal see at Seleucia-Ctesiphon. Over time these links were strengthened. Patriarch Timothy I founded the Metropolitan See of India. Thus a second branch of Indian Christians emerged: the "southern" Christians associated with Thomas of Cana, as opposed to the "northern" branch tracing their roots back to the Apostle Thomas.   

In the XVIth century explorers and missionaries arrived in India to evangelise, and found an existing, indigenous church. Over time the Thomas Christians divided into various communions.