Religion in ancient Tamil country or monasteries, learned monks preached their sermons, seated in a place which was entirely concealed from the view of the audience. The Buddhists did not observe the distinctions of caste and invited all ranks to assemble on a footing of equality. Self-control, wisdom and charity were among the virtues preached and practiced by the monks, who were numerous in the ancient Tamil country. Christianity is said to be introduced in India by St. Thomas the Apostle who landed at Muziris on Malabar Coast in the year 52 AD. These ancient Christians are today known as Saint Thomas Christians or Syriac
Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Kottayam Jewish populations of Judea were dead, enslaved or in flight. Many of the Persian and Arabian Jews fled abroad, Jewish colonies were founded on the Malabar Coast and at other well known trading posts. Twenty years or so after the First Council of Nicaea, wealthy merchant Thomas of Cana brought a colony of 400 Syrian Christians (from 72 families, belonging to seven clans: Bagi, Belkuth, Hadai, Kujalig, Koja, Mugmuth, and Thegmuth) from southern Mesopotamia to the Malabar Coast in 345 and strengthened the church founded by Thomas the Apostle. According to Syrian writings, the Knanaya migration was a mission from