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Preface
I am very much aware that what I am
presenting is something that is diametrically opposite to most of
the traditional understanding. I was pleasantly surprised when I
discovered that I am not the only one that came to this conclusion.
This realization led to the First International Conference on Early
Christianity in India in New York last year, where this was the
central theme of discussion. The sequel to that comes in the Second
International Conference on Early Christianity in India at Chennai,
India next year.
This book is an attempt to present
the reasoning in simple terms for lay men and for easy reading.
Since it is not an academic study, some rigor will be missing and
references and links will be missed. The major reasoning is given
in the body of the text while details and alternate views are given
in boxes so that those who want to skip them can do so.
This book will set before you facts
based on objective scientific researches in history, archaeology,
architecture, linguistics, and written documentations about the
facts of Indian History during the period immediately after the
Mission of St.Thomas in India. While in the ongoing research in
sciences, and correlating the scientific data with history there is
always room for alternatives. However all alternatives must be able
to explain all known facts. There are obvious immovable markers in
history. This obvious markers are ignored or simply masked by
arbitrary definitions and assertions, which has little or no truth.
One of the ways in which truth is
masked and perverted, is to mix it with untruth and transmit it
through the powerful use of myths, legends and sheer repetition and
exaggeration. These are essentially the tools of memorization used
widely in Education. As generations go by the lies are transmitted
as truth. In every generation, this attempt to pervert truth goes
on, and we have come to a point where we no longer know what exactly
happened in history even a few centuries ago.
Here are a few statements which
everyone has come across and have come to accept as truth. These are
statements taken directly from the World Wide Web.
- The Vedic
religion is the oldest religion in the world, dating back to at
least 1.7 million years.
- Hinduism is
50,000 years old
-
The Vedic scriptures are the
oldest known to man, dating back to at least 1.7 million years.
- Sanskrit is
at least 3,500 years old.
-
Rama lived over twenty thousand
years ago.
The fact is that, none of these
claims can, even remotely, supported by any objective evidence. It
is one thing to claim big, and altogether different to substantiate
with evidences.
I do make several claims
which seem outrageous. But they are all based on sound verifiable
facts of history, archealogy, architecture, linguistics and clear
written documentations. These conclusions are inevitable results of
the evidences. Myths and legends are interpreted in terms of these
available data. The following are essentially the facts:
1. Hinduism did not
exist before the second century, A D.
2. Sanskrit did not
exist before the second century AD,
3. There were no “Hindu
Temples” before the second century AD.
4. The name Krishna did
not even exist before the third century AD.
5. Idols (Vigrahas) did
not appear in India before the third century AD and in Kerala until
the eighth century AD.
6. St. Thomas, - Judas
Thomas – one of the disciples of Jesus known commonly as the
doubting Thomas came down to India and had a successful ministy all
over India and China.
My conclusions from all
these basic realities are:
1. Earliest forms of
Hinduism was indeed Thomas Christianity with Isa as the center of
worship.
2. Gnostic infilteration
from Syria, the syncretic forces of the then existing religions of
India (viz. Vedism, Budhism, Jainism and the local fertility cults)
created the Gnostic religion of India. Later the Theosophical
Society from America and the Indian Indpendence Movement gave
impetus to redefine and form the present day form of religion known
as Hinduism.
Hinduism
as it exists today has its origin from the Thomas Ministry and it is
simply the Gnostic form of Thomas Christianity. This takeover of
Historic Christianity by the Gnostics under the Persian Gnostics
occurred around the third century in the Inner India and took much
later (eighth century) in Kerala Coast. In Kerala Christianity
survived longer in power, just because of its constant contact with
the rest of the Christendom. After the third century the two
religions, Historic Christians and Gnostic Hinduism grew further and
further apart. The Hinduism of today is the result of a long
process of Gnostic growth as is repeated in the New Age phenomena in
America today.
These are inevitable
conclusions of the historical realities.
My gratitudes are to the Institute
of Asian Studies, Chennai, which encouraged me, especially its
director Dr. John Samuel. I must mention six names whose research
stands as firm grounds on which I could build: Prof.
M.Witzel of Cambridge
University, Dr. Alexander Harris (on Sanskrit), Dr. Deva Kala, (Savism
&Vaishnavism) Dr. Deva Nayakam, Prof. George Menacheri (Kerala
Christians) and my cousin brother Late Dr. T. V. Phillip. I am
indebted to them.
M.M.Ninan
San Jose CA
July 2006
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