Endogamy Among Members of the Knanaya Christians of India

Thomas of Cana who led a migration of Syriac Christians
from the Middle East to India between 345 and 800 A.D.

Image courtesy: www.wikipedia.org/

The Knanaya, also known as the Tekkumbhagar or 'Southists', are an endogamous group in the St. Thomas Christian community of Kerala, India. 

Syrian merchant Thomas of Cana, in between 345 and 800 A.D., led a migration of a group of these Christians from the Middle East to India. They use a kind of Syriac (a variety of middle Aramaic) language, related to Palestinian Aramaic that Jesus Christ spoke in his time.  

There are about 300,000 Knanaya Christians in India and other countries including the USA. Majority of these people belong to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and the Malankara Churches. 

Traditionally, they engage into endogamous marriage -- the custom of marrying only in one's own community, clan, caste, or ethnic group (tribe). They refuse to marry anyone coming from a different group. 

To learn more, please click on the following:

• Knanaya [Also known as 'Southists' or 'Tekkumbhagar,' are an endogamous group in the St. Thomas Christian community of Kerala]
• Knanaya Region
• What is the Knanaya community?
• Knanaya Catholics and Endogamy
• Knanaya Origin
• History [Of the Knanaya community]
• History of Knanaya [Video]
• Thomas of Cana
• Arrival of Thomas of Cana (Bishop Thomas of Cana?), History and References About Southist Community
• The Cultural Heritage of the Knanaya Christians
• Who destroys Indian Christian families? [by Dr. James Kottoor] (April 2015)
• An open letter to Indian bishops on Endogamy (July 2015)
• Stop Endogamous Marriages in India & USA: President, Knanaya Association of Norlth America (KANA) Appeals to Pope Francis (Sept. 25, 2015)
• Pope asked to stop endogamous marriages among Indian Catholics (September 2015)
• Knanaya Church 'no' to ending endogamy (Jan. 20, 2018)
• Knanaya Church says 'no' to ending endogamy (Janury 2018)
• Rome refuses to soften stand on Knanaya endogamy (Feb. 27, 2018)
• Knanaya Christian DNA Test 

Related Items:

• Endogamy in India (Aug. 31, 2013)
• 'Genetic ailments among Indians due to endogamy' (Sept. 25, 2009)