The importance of Kodungallur declined after a flood silted the port in 1341 and a new port was emerged in Kochi. The natural disaster was followed by internal conflicts, invasions from Moors and later by the Portuguese (16th century), resulting in Shingly Jews adopting Kochi as their new safe haven. Gradually in Kochi their number increased so rapidly that the Portuguese historian De Barros (1496-1570) refered to the King of Cochin as the "King of the Jews". In fact Jewish warriors became so prestigious that the King (Raja) of Cochin and the Zamorin of Calicut, each had a brigade of Jewish soldiers in their forces! The Portuguese period starting in 1498 was the Dark Age for Jewish settlement in Kodungallur. They destroyed the Jewish population in Kodungallur, damaged their synagogue as well as historical documents. Around this period, Jews established colonies and synagogues in Paravur (Parur), Mala, Chendamangalam (Chenot) and Muttam-all near their first settlement in Kodungallur. Nothing remains from Muttam, but the other three synagogues prevail. Muttam was also known as Muttom, Muttath or Madatankil. Jewish Muttam is often identified with Muttom near Cherthala in Alappuzha District. The famous St.Mary's Forane Church in Cherthala has a tradition that Jews established Muttam and later St. Thomas came there for evangelization. Interestingly, Kokkamangalam where St: Thomas established one of the seven churches in Kerala is only 5 km east of Cherthala. There is also a Muttam on the banks of Arabian Sea midway between Uppala and Kumbalam in the northernmost district of Kerala called Kasaragod.
In and around Kochi, Jews had 9 synagogues from different periods! However, four of them Kochangadi (1344 to 1795), Saudhi (1514 to 1556), Tir-tur (1750/1756 to 1761) and Fort Cochi (1848) are now extinct and even their locations are unknown. The first synagogue in Cochin, the Kochangadi Synagogue, was built under the leadership of a Jew Joseph Azar most likely after the Jews abandoned Cranganore. The synagogue was destroyed initially by the Portuguese (16th century) and then later by the army of Tipu Sultan (1780s). Some even identify the Jewish settlement Kunja-Kiri described by the medieval geographer Ibn Battuta (1304-1369) with Kochangadi. Thus the word Kunja-Kiri is a derivation from the Indian name ‘Konchi Ghari’ (Town of Konchi’) which in turn is said to denote Koch-angadi. The synagogue in Tir-Tur Island near Cranganore was built by a Paradesi Jew, Ezekiel Rahabi for the 10 Jewish families and was probably abandoned while Tipu Sultan attacked the area. I believe Tir-tur is the modern Thiruthur or Thuruthoor-a border village in Ernakulam District located very near Kodungallur (1-2 km south). In such case, Tirtur is the farthest synagogue among the nine. The synagogue at Fort Cochin was a private home in the ‘Lily Street’-an initiative by the Meshuhararim Jews to secure equal rights with the Pardesi Community, but the synagogue building remained incomplete and religious services were never held there (most of the details on the lost synagogues of cochin are taken from www.cochinsyn.com, courtesy Prof. Jay A. Waroker).
Jewish colonies are also reported in Chavakkad and Cherthala, perhaps a broad area referring to the nearby Palayur and Muttam. Blogger Jay Kotek claims here that his ancestors were Ethiopian Jews who settled in Anjuthengu (Anjenco) in 1624 and the family name Kotek (Kotekkazhikom) is of Jewish origin! He identifies Anjuthengu with the first century port city of Balita. Modern Anjuthengu ('five coconut palms’) is a coastal town between Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram near Varkala. It is a historic place tagged with the Portuguese, the Dutch and finally the British. It is still debatable if there was Jewish presence in Anjuthengu, as no convincing evidences have emerged. The relatively modern (20th century) Jewish settlement of Aluva was mainly used as a summer resort by the Hallegua and the Koder families of Kochi’s Pardesi Jews. I shall be much delighted to have information on any other Jewish colonies that I have not included.
Tipu Sultan's army never crossed Aluva.The statement that his army destroyed the Muttom synagogue in Cherthala does not seem to be correct.In one of article in the series 'Parayathini Vayya' in the Malayalam weekly 'Keralasabdam',Dr. C V Ananda Bose describes about a Jewish landlord of Muttom.He also describes how this family-recent immigrants from Palestine found favour with the Maharaja of Travancore after presenting him with a full length floor mirror.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. We know very little about the Jewish colony in Muttom other than its existence. Even the location of Muttom is disputed as there are multiple sites in Kerala known by the same name. It's indeed a valuable information about a Jewish landlord from Muttom!Can you elaborate on the issue and publishing date of the reference?
ReplyDeleteMuttom is in tn near kanyakumari
DeleteIt is true that there are several places in Kerala which bear the name Muttom/Muttam.
ReplyDeleteBut,there was definitely a Synagogue and a colony of Jews in Muttom,Cherthala(Alappuzha district).This was located in the northern part of the erstwhile princely state of Travancore.
This is what Lt. William Henry Horsley had to say about the Jewish colony of Muttom, Cherthala in his Memoir of Travancore published in 1839 :(He refers to Muttom as MOOTUM and Cherthala as SHARRETALLAY)
"About the centre,on the west side of the town,is a Syro-Roman Church,one of the largest in the country,and is said to have been built about 370 years ago.A colony of black Jews once settled at this place, but the stagnation of trade and want of employment induced in them (it would seem) to quit it;their synagogue, a short distance from the church on the opposite side of the street , has fallen to ruin.. "
William Henry Horsley, Memoir of Travancore, Historical and Statistical compiled from various authentic records and personal observation(Trevandrum: Government Press, 1839)p.33
Thank you for bringing this interesting reference to my attention. Indeed, its a rare piece of information where you find the location of Muttom synagogue given, opposite to the St. Mary's Forane Church. We have other reports that indicate the existence of the site in early 19th century, so the dates also match.
DeleteProbably this synagogue was located opposite the St. Mary's Forane Church (Muttathu palli)in Muttom
ReplyDeleteDuring the reign of the Rajas of Kochi, the Cherthala region was known as Karappuram. The Raja gifted tracts of fertile land in the village of Vettakkal(8 Kilometres from Muttom)in the Karappuram area to a Jewish Kocha. Later, during the reign of Marthanda Varma ,Karappuram fell into the hands of Travancore. However, Vettakkal continued to be under the Jewish Kocha landlords. The lives of the tenants under these landlords were often oppressive.
ReplyDeleteAfter the formation of Israel, the members of this family made Aliyah.Currently, the Vettakkal Public Health Center operates from the former Kocha residence in Vettakkal.
https://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B4%B5%E0%B5%86%E0%B4%9F%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%9F%E0%B4%95%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%95%E0%B5%BD
True. The Vettakal Jewish angle is not much studied, I have recently uploaded a post on Vettakal Jewish Bungalow. Would be happy to know if u find any more information on the topic.
Deletehttps://jewishmonumentskerala.blogspot.com/2020/03/1-former-jewish-bungalow-current.html
Sir, coule you let me know the year in which jews left vettakkal? My great grandfather was living in vettakkal and he left there due to discrimination from jew landlords or so. I don't know the authenticity of this story. But still curious to know about facts.
ReplyDeleteI understand there were no Jews living in Vettakkal after 1940s, but they still owned the land for a few more decades.
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