Thomas of Cana & the 72 Families
The Great Migration to Malankara (Traditionally AD 345)
By the 3rd and 4th centuries, the Saint Thomas Christians of Kerala were already an established community tracing their apostolic origin to St. Thomas the Apostle. Though geographically distant from West Asia, they maintained ecclesiastical and liturgical ties with the Syriac-speaking Christian world under the Church of the East.
The Malabar Coast was not isolated. It was deeply embedded in the Indian Ocean trade network. Merchant vessels regularly crossed the Arabian Sea, linking Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), Persia (Iran), Arabia with the nThe Malabar Coast of Kerala
Christian traders were active participants in this maritime commerce. Within this environment emerged Thomas of Cana, traditionally described as a wealthy Syriac Christian merchant from Mesopotamia, often associated with a place called Cana in southern Iraq.
He is remembered not merely as a trader, but as a leader capable of organizing large-scale migration and community formation.
According to long-standing tradition, around AD 345 Thomas of Cana organized and led a formal Christian migration to Malankara. The reasons given in tradition are both ecclesial and commercial:
- To strengthen and organize the Christian community in India
- To reinforce Syriac liturgical and ecclesiastical ties
- To expand structured trade networks between Persia and Kerala
- To provide stable leadership and sacramental life
He did not travel alone. The migration was carefully structured and included:
- 72 Christian families (traditionally numbering around 400 people)
- Several priests and deacons
- A bishop, often identified in tradition as Mar Joseph (Uraha Mar Yousef)
The number “72” carries biblical resonance (echoing the seventy-two disciples in Luke 10), but within community memory it also signifies distinct family clans who maintained genealogical continuity. This was not a scattered migration of individuals; it was a planned communal relocation with ecclesiastical structure, leadership, and long-term settlement intent.
The migrant fleet crossed the Arabian Sea and landed at Kodungallur (Cranganore), then one of the most important port cities of the Chera kingdom and a major commercial hub. Tradition states that they were received by the Chera ruler, commonly identified as Cheraman Perumal.
According to community memory, the king:
- Granted them land on the southern side of Kodungallur
- Permitted construction of houses and a church
- Bestowed social and trade privileges
- Recognized Thomas of Cana as a chief or community head
These privileges were said to have been inscribed on the Thomas of Cana copper plates, also known as the Knai Thoma Cheppedu. Though the original copper plates are now lost, references to them survived in later records and oral tradition.
The privileges reportedly included rights such as:
- Use of certain ceremonial honors
- Tax exemptions
- Control over markets
- Authority within their own community
This royal recognition elevated the social standing of the migrants and integrated them into Kerala’s political and economic framework.
The 72 families who accompanied Thomas of Cana are remembered as:
- Syriac-speaking Christians
- Merchant and artisan families
- Organized clan-based households
- Faithful to East Syriac liturgical tradition
Over time, their descendants became known as the Knanaya, also called Thekkumbhagar (“Southists”), distinguishing them from the older Saint Thomas Christians known as Vadakkumbhagar (“Northists”).
Traditionally attributed characteristics of the 72 families include:
- Strong preservation of genealogical lineage
- Practice of endogamy (marriage within the community)
- Maintenance of Syriac customs and traditions
- Emphasis on communal solidarity
Importantly, this migration did not replace or displace the earlier Saint Thomas Christians. Instead, it formed a distinct subgroup within the broader Malankara Church, contributing to its diversity and complexity.
The identity of the 72 families became central to Knanaya self-understanding, shaping marriage patterns, social structure, and ecclesial organization for centuries.
After settling in Kodungallur, Thomas of Cana and the 72 families established a stable and organized Christian community. They built a church for the regular celebration of the Holy Qurbana, developed structured parish life under episcopal supervision, and organized commercial activity that integrated them into the region’s thriving trade networks. Thomas functioned as a recognized community leader, providing both civic and ecclesial direction.
Their presence significantly strengthened Malankara Christianity. It reinforced ecclesiastical ties with Mesopotamia and the Syriac Christian world, deepened liturgical discipline in the East Syriac tradition, elevated the social standing of Christians under Chera rule, and expanded Christian participation in coastal commerce. The migration thus had spiritual, institutional, and economic impact.
Over time, the story of Thomas of Cana became foundational for the identity of the Knanaya community. Although the original copper plates recording their royal privileges were reportedly lost during the Portuguese period, their contents survived through oral ballads, genealogies, church chronicles, and preserved family traditions. Scholars debate the traditional date of AD 345 and note the limited documentary evidence, yet the continuity and strength of communal memory remain consistent across centuries.
Thomas of Cana is therefore remembered not as an apostle, but as a community builder and stabilizer whose migration reinforced Syriac ecclesiastical connections and established a distinct, socially recognized Christian merchant community. The 72 families symbolize continuity — a living lineage that preserved faith, liturgy, culture, and identity for more than sixteen centuries.