On the southwestern coast of India lies a small state known as Kerala It was here in the first century, Thomas the Apostle arrived to preach the gospel to the Jewish community.
They followed a unique Hebrew-Syriac Christian tradition which included several Jewish elements and Indian customs.
In Malankara (Kerala) St. Thomas did not appoint any bishops, but an elder (Mooppen in Malayalam) was selected to lead the people.
The Malayalam versions of the Canons of the Synod of Diamper[1] use these titles throughout the report except in three places where they use the Latin word archidiaconus.
Mar Thoma III died suddenly on 21 April 1688 and was laid to rest at Kadampanad church.
At that time Mar Ivanios Hidayuttulla from Antioch who arrived in Kerala in 1685 was the only bishop in Malankara.
The Metropolitan complained to the Dutch company and Archbishop was banned from taking any action against the Malankara church.