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Sunday, 9 October 2022

TRACING THE OLDEST EUROPEAN TOMBSTONE IN SOUTH INDIA -SIMEA (SIMEON) DE MIRANDA (8 AUGUST, 1524), St. Francis Church, Fort Kochi. Perhaps the oldest extant European grave marker in India.

In the previous post, we discussed about the 46 tombstones (47 epitaphs) mentioned by Julian James Cotton (JJC, 1905) inside the St Francis Church. Interestingly, he also records 12 Portuguese tombstones outside the church (pp. 272-273). They include 3 tombstones on the compound of the Port Office, Parade Road; 8 tombstones scattered in the streets, used as doorsteps to houses or as platforms to wells; and one tombstone in front of the Cochin Library which is illegible. The oldest of the 12 is Simeon de Miranda, who died on August 8, 1524 and according to JJC, this is also the oldest European tombstone in South India. Interestingly, when Vasco da Gama was buried inside the St Francis Church in December, 1524 (then dedicated to St Antony), Simeon Miranda who died 4 months earlier in the same year was interred somewhere in Fort Cochin, but outside the St. Francis church. Perhaps Vasco da Gama due to his legendary status was the first to be buried in the church. Remember, the oldest tombstone reported inside the church after Vasco da Gama is that of Diogo Dias and is dated to 1546 only. JJC notes that Miranda’s tombstone was brought to light while digging the foundations of the new Port office. In the introduction to his monumental work on the tomb inscriptions in Madras (1905), JJC states (p. vi): “The Cochin slab, dated 1524, recently disinterred near the new Port office, is apparently the oldest memento mori of this nation in the peninsula”. Out of the 8 tombstones scattered in the streets of Cochin, JJC identifies 6 from the 16th century, the oldest in the name of Antonio Mendes is dated to 11th December 1532, the year according to him could also be read 1522. Today, Miranda's tombstone is also conserved inside the St Francis Church along with the actual 46 tombstones. I don't think many are even aware that this rare tombstone has survived and is well preserved in Fort Kochi. Also, we do not know when exactly this 1524 tombstone was transferred to the church, but it is highly plausible that the shifting was done somewhere in the early 20th century.

The Portuguese inscription on the epitaph of Simeon de Miranda reads (JJC, p. 272): “En esta sepultu ra iaz Simea De Miranda ffo do Fyco de Mirada e de Dona Cezilia d’Azambuja q faleceo a 8 d’ Agosto de ISZ4”, which is translated as: “In this tomb lies Simeon de Miranda, son of Francisco de Miranda and Cecilia d’ Azambuja who died on the August 8th, 1524.’’ The inscription on the tombstone is distributed in 9 lines and on closer observation you can see that the year “1524” is the last word, but inscribed in 2 lines, the numbers “152” in end of line 8 and the number “4”, though faintly visible now, is the only character engraved in line 9. Thanks to JJC for deciphering this rare epitaph and like he had commented, the inscription written in a crabbed character is the most difficult to read. Thus the arrangement of the inscription in the tombstone is as follows:

En esta sepultu
ra iaz Simea De
Miranda ffo do Fyco
de Mirada e de
Dona Cezilia
d’Azambuja
q faleceo a 8
d’ Agosto de ISZ
4

Tombstone of Simeon de Miranda (Photo-September 2022)

Enlarged view of the 'Coat of Arms' and the section of the inscription with the date of death



In the archives of the Virtual Museum of Images and Sounds (VMIS), American Institute of Indian Studies is this beautiful image of the tombstone documented by Jose Pereira in 1968. Interestingly, the epitaph of Simeon Miranda is the only grave monument Pereira has documented from St Francis Church, which is somewhat surprising since his collections are usually rich and one would expect more tombstones photographed. Anyway, we are lucky to have this photograph where the inscriptions are very sharp and you can easily read the year 1524. The tombstone was therefore moved into the church before 1968 and since it was specifically photographed, we know the importance was well recognized.

Tombstone of Simeon Miranda (Photo-1968)

Earliest European Funerary Monuments in India 

Are there any surviving European funerary monuments in India that can be dated before 1524? When you consider the different European communities who have colonized India, the Portuguese were the first to arrive (1498 in Calicut), and they got established in the subcontinent by the early 16th century. All the other European communities had their first trading posts in India from the early 17th century only. The 'East India Companies' formed initially to trade in the Indian Ocean region by the British (1600), Dutch (1602), Danish (1616) and French (1664), were ultimately meant to gain political control over the subcontinent. The chronological order of the establishment of their first factories in India would be as follows: Dutch in 1605/06 (Masulipatnam, Andhra Pradesh), English in 1608 (Surat, Gujarat), Danish in 1620 (Tranquebar, Tamil Nadu) and French in 1668 (Surat, Gujarat). This does not mean that an European (non-Portuguese) presence was absent in India before the 17th century. For instance, Dirck Gerritsz Pomp is considered the first Dutchman to visit India, who established himself as a merchant in Goa in 1568; and Jesuit priest and missionary, Thomas Stephens, is probably the first Englishman to set foot on Indian soil, who also arrived Goa in 1579. Nevertheless, I believe it is more meaningful to look for a non-Portuguese European funerary monument from the 17th century onwards- that is when they established a stronghold in the region. 

Now, the more specific question would be if there are any Portuguese funerary monuments dated before 1524 that have survived in India. In the previous post, we saw 7 Portuguese tombstones inside the St Francis Church from the 16th century (1546 to 1578). JJC also lists 7 epitaphs outside the church from the 16th century (1524 to 1593), and luckily the oldest has survived and has been preserved inside the church. My understanding is that none of the remaining 6 tombstones from the Cochin streets have survived. Similarly, JJC (pp. 111-112) records 7 Portuguese tombstones from the Cathedral of San Thome, Mylapore, Chennai dated to the 16th century, but the oldest is from 1557 only. There is no denial that the death of Portuguese before 1524 are reported from Kerala, but the big question is whether their graves exist. For instance, the famous Portuguese-Galician explorer João da Nova died on 16 July, 1509 in Cochin; and Portuguese Marshal Dom Fernando Continho died in a battle fought at Calicut on 4 January, 1510, but the whereabouts of the graves are unknown. JJC concludes (Introduction, p. vi): "If we except the epitaphs at Goa, San Thome and Cochin, no monuments to the contemporaries of Camoens (i.e. 16th Century Portuguese) are traceable." In Goa, 16th century Portuguese graves are not uncommon, but reports of pre-1524 funerary monuments are rare. Historical records reveal 6 Viceroys and 2 Governors of Portuguese India were buried in Goa, but among them only one has a pre-1524 date (Afonso de Albuquerque, d. 1515, and his remains were later transferred to Portugal in 1560). So far, I have come across records of 5 Portuguese graves in Goa that can be dated before 1524: 

Pre-1524 Portuguese Grave Markers in Goa

1) Captain Dom Antonio de Noronha, nephew of the famous Portuguese Admiral and Governor, Afonso de Albuquerque, who died on July 6, 1510 at the age of 24

2) Manuel, brother of Governor, Nuno da Cunha, whom was knighted by Albuquerque during the capture of Goa in 1510, died in 1511

3) Heitor Ribeiro, died in 11 November, 1515 (some read the date as 1575)

4) Afonso de Albuquerque, the second governor of the Portuguese India and often acclaimed as founder of Portuguese colonial empire in India, died on 16 December 1515

5) Gaspar d'Andrade Rego, died in 17 March, 1517

We know the location of these graves from earlier records. The Portuguese inscriptions on the tombstones of 1, 3 and 5 have been  published in a late 19th century report. Nevertheless, whether any of these grave markers still survive is a matter to be investigated.

The Oldest Extant European (Non-Portuguese ) and Armenian Funerary Monuments in India:

1) English-John Mildenhall (d. June, 1614) in Agra, Uttar Pradesh

2) Dutch-Jacob Dedel (d. 29 August, 1624) in Masulipatnam/Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh

3) Danish-Johann Christian Lebrecht Ziegenbalg (d. 23rd May, 1718) in Tranquebar/Tharangambadi, Tamil Nadu

4) French-Jacques L'Huyer (d. 24 August, 1703) in Pondicherry/Puducherry

5) Armenian-Carapiet, the son of Mackertich of Julfa/Ispahan (d. 1557) in Agra, Uttar Pradesh

To the best of my knowledge, these are the earliest known grave markers from the European (non-Portuguese) and Armenian communities. The details are fetched mostly from works written in the late 19th to the early 20th centuries about the European and Armenian tombs in India. Luckily, the Mildenhall's (English) and L'Huyer's (French) tombstones still exist (at least their photographs taken recently are available online), but I am not aware if the original epitaphs of the other graves have survived. This in itself is not surprising when one realizes how badly sepulchral monuments are protected in India, especially if they are from abandoned foreign graveyards. Take for example the 18th century Serampore Dutch Cemetery in West Bengal. In 2021, the Archaeological Survey of India restored 61 graves from the cemetery, but only 4 epitaphs remain legible today, the oldest from 1805 and the most recent from 1964. However, in 1896, Wilson, C. R., recorded 26 tombs with inscriptions from this cemetery, the oldest is Anna Abigael Duntzfeldt, dated to 16th May, 1781. That is only 3 out of 26 epitaphs have survived in a short time span of over one century! Now if this is the condition of a late 18th century cemetery, you can expect how difficult is for a grave from the 16th or the 17th century to survive. Anyway, it would still be interesting to know if grave markers older than the ones listed above are reported. The preservation of tombstones from the 16th  century inside St Francis Church is therefore a remarkable achievement. Next time when you visit Fort Kochi, don’t miss the rare epitaph of Simeon de Miranda inside the St Francis church, which could be the oldest surviving European grave marker in South India if not the whole country.

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INTRODUCTION

The monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam arrived India much before they reached the West. For instance, it is widely believed that Christianity reached the subcontinent only after Portuguese, the first European colonists arrived India in the 15th century. However, long before Christianity reached many parts of Europe, it came to India. According to strong, continuous and unanimous traditions among the ancient Syrian Christians of Kerala, Christianity was introduced to India by St: Thomas, the Apostle of Jesus Christ in 52 AD, who established seven churches in Kerala. Contrary to popular belief that Islam came to India through the 11th century Muslim invasions in the northern parts of the country, it first arrived Kerala via the Arab merchants from 7th century onwards at the earliest. Similarly, Judaism the oldest continuously practiced monotheistic religion has an Indian presence from very early times. If traditional accounts are to be accepted,India had a Jewish colony from the time of King Solomon (10th century BC)! Most importantly, all the three religions trace their arrival in India to the Malabar region of Southern India which is currently the modern State of Kerala. Since ancient times Kerala has been the center of the Indian spice trade where Greeks, Romans, Jews, Arabs and Chinese came for grabbing their part of share. To be specific, the first Jewish, Christian and Islamic settlements of India claim their origin to a place called Cranganore (modern Kodungallur) in Kerala.

Much has been written on Indian Jews, their unique culture and traditions. Among the three major Jewish communities in India, the “Kerala Jews” popularly known as“Cochin Jews” are the most ancient followed by the “Bene Israel” of Maharashtra and the “Baghdadi Jews” of West Bengal. Recently two more communities have claimed Jewish ancestry viz. “Bene Menasheh” (1970s) from North East India and “Bene Ephraim or Telugu Jews” (1980s) from Andhra Pradesh. A small population of Jews had migrated to India during the Mughal, Portuguese, Dutch, French and British rule as well. Perhaps the Jewish refugees from Hitler’s Anti-Semitic Europe were the last Jews to arrive India. In other words, Jews weren’t a single emigration to India. At different times they arrived and settled peacefully in India where they never experienced any anti-Semitism from the native Indian community. Although Jews supposedly reached Kerala as early as 1st century AD, there were many different waves of emigrations later as well. Gradually, Jews of Kerala became organized into three distinct groups, but the different communities interacted very less among themselves. 1) Malabari Jews: the largest and most ancient group considered to have arrived in India as merchants during the period of King Solomon (1000 BC). 2). ‘Paradesi’ (foreigner) Jews: the second largest and recent group (from 16th century onwards) who migrated mainly from Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Spain and Germany. 3). ‘Meshuhararim’ (released): the smallest group believed to be the slaves held by both Malabari and Paradesi communities who were converted to Judaism and later on released from their status as slaves. The Malabari Jews were called the ‘Black Jews’, the Meshuhararim-the ‘Brown Jews’ and the ‘Paradesi’-the ‘White Jews’-terms considered derogatory and racist today. The arguments on who came first and who are more pure were often fought vehemently and each sect defended their claims. The Jewish population of Kerala numbered 2,400 at the height of their “mass” emigration to Israel in 1954. Today (2011), less than 40 Jews remain in Kerala-9 Paradesi Jews comprising of 6 women and 3 men; and less than 30 Malabari Jews.

In a strong caste-based Indian society, fair skinned Paradesi Jews managed to win a privileged position although they were a minority and newly arrived. Their European background, influence and wealth managed to push the majority of relatively poor Malabar Jews into an inferior position in colonial India. Unfortunately, even today for many in the west and to a great extent in India too, the existence of Kerala’s ancient Malabari Jewish community and their heritage is far unknown. The famous Paradesi Synagogue in Cochin is perhaps the only monument that comes into the mind of many as far as Judaism in Kerala is concerned. Often mistakenly acclaimed to be the oldest (built 1568) synagogue in British Commonwealth, the Paradesi Synagogue however, is the only functional one in Kerala today (2011). Did the Jewish community of Kerala leave anything more than this famed synagogue? The answer is a big yes. Judaism in Kerala is not only about the Paradesi Jews of Cochin and their synagogue in Mattanchery. In fact, the Malabari Jews have seven synagogues and six cemeteries, and several aretfacts and monuments that are also part of Kerala’s rich Jewish heritage! This does not include the few existing Jewish homes and the many earlier Jewish residences converted into non-Jewish owned business buildings and private villas.

This blog will be an attempt to help people both inside and outside India to locate and learn about the known Jewish monuments of Kerala, that include synagogues, cemeteries and former Jewish residences. It will be equally pictorial and textual in format. One of the objectives of this blog is to help people in identifying all known Jewish monuments of Kerala through maps and photographs. Their left out synagogues and cemeteries are the physical landmarks that still stand in testimony to the vibrant and glorious heritage of Jews who claim at least 2000 years of strong and continuous bond with India. The big question is about the accessibility and identification of these monuments. Some of the cemeteries for example are so overgrown with weeds and turned into garbage dumping yards that even the locals have no clue about their existence. Most of the sites have no sign boards or maps available to pin point their exact location. The information from internet and other sources are also limited or at times misinformed when locating the monuments are concerned. I will try to get as many photographs as needed to help people understand these monuments and the blog will not be confined to the heritage of Paradesi Jews alone. For those synagogues that are disputed properties or lie in ruined state and are not accessible for the public I will only add photographs of the exterior. Some of the original Jewish artifacts from Kerala are preserved in Israel and what left here are the duplicates. In such cases, I will trace and append online links having the original photographs. Regarding the dates associated with the history of ‘Kerala Jews’, I have tried to incorporate the most popular views and need not always be the scholarly accepted ones. I shall be much glad if any one can contribute or provide details of additional monuments, sites or artifacts you think can be classified as part of Jewish heritage of Kerala.

Being also a photoblog, I will be concentrating more on the photographs taken from various Jewish monuments in Kerala. Not many sites are available online that go deep into the structural and historic details of these heritage units with photographs. However, we are lucky to have a few very enlightening resources. The“Friends of Kerala Synagogues 2011”(Prof. Jay A. Waronker, USA; Prof. Shalva Weil, Israel; Marian Scheuer Sofaer, USA; Isaac Sam, India and Tirza Muttath Lavi, Israel) maintain an excellent site on the synagogues of Kerala. I strongly recommend anyone interested in ‘Jewish synagogues of Kerala’ to go through their highly informative links. Whenever, I refer to their site, it will be acknowledged as ‘www.cochinsyn.com’. The other very important site I recommend is the beautiful photo collection by Jono David in his Ha Chayim Ha Yehudim Jewish Photo Library’. He has photographs from many Jewish monuments of India. Although he has got wrong one of the synagogues (Mattancherry Kadavumbagam Synagogue) the site has largely helped me to identify the Jewish cemeteries in Kerala.

JEWISH MONUMENTS & ARTIFACTS OF KERALA

The most important Jewish heritage structures in Kerala are the synagogues (Juda Palli in Malayalam), cemeteries and residences.

A. Synagogues

Today, there are 35 synagogues in India and 7 of them are in Kerala. The architectural style of Kerala synagogues differs from those in the west. These synagogues are strongly influenced from earlier Hindu religious buildings on its design and construction. They are characterized by high slope roofs, thick laterite-stoned walls, large windows and doors, balcony and wood-carved ceilings. A Kerala synagogue consists of a ‘Gate House’ at the entrance that leads through a Breezeway to the Synagogue Complex. The synagogue complex is made of a fully enclosed Azara or Anteroom and a double-storeyed sanctuary-the main prayer hall. Inside a typical double-storeyed sanctuary of a ‘Kerala Synagogue’ are:

1) A Tebah/Bimah: Located at the center of the sanctuary, Tebah is usually an elevated wooden platform or pulpit from which Torah, the holy book of Jews is read. 2) A Heichal (Ark): Represents the altar. It is a chest or cupboard in the synagogue where the Torah scrolls are kept. It is usually carved intricately and painted/gilded with teak wood. Unlike in the European Synagogues, where the ark is placed on the eastern wall, the synagogues in Kerala have the arks on the western wall facing Jerusalem. 3) A Balcony/Second Tebah: It is unique to the synagogues of Kerala. The balcony has two portions one for men and the other for ladies. Women’s seating area is placed directly above the azara. 4) A Staircase: Leads to the balcony and is generally spiral in shape and made of wood. At times there are two staircases, one for men from the main hall inside the synagogue and the other for the ladies from a staircase room outside the synagogue; 5) A Jewish School: Is actually a classroom for Jewish children usually located behind the women’s section on the first floor.

B. Cemeteries

Resting place of ancestors means a lot to the Jewish community. Sometimes they even carried tombstones from their old settlements while migrating to a newer place. The oldest Jewish tomb in India (dated 1269 AD) preserved in front of Chendamangalam synagogue is one such transferred from Kodungallur. Unlike Christian tombs in Kerala with Malayalam and English engravings, the Jewish graves have mostly Hebrew inscriptions. The Jewish year can be converted into modern Gregorian date if one can read the Hebrew letters. ‘Reading Hebrew Tombstones’ is an interesting site to read the Jewish tombs.

C. Jewish Residences

Today, most of the early Jewish homes sold to non-Jews are substantially modified or refurbished. However, there are a few features that still make them identifiable. Sometimes you can trace Jewish symbols like Menorah (candlestick) and Magen David (Star of David) on the walls, windows and roof tops. For example, a few residences in Mattancherry still maintain the Star of David (Magen David) despite being converted into shops or warehouses. The best way to locate the home of a residing Jew is to look for the Mezuzah on the door post. Nailed to the doorpost of a Jewish home, Mezuzah is a small container made of wood, plastic or metal having a piece of parchment with the most important words from the Jewish Holy Book, Torah. It is customary among religious Jews to touch the mezuzah on entering or leaving the home. A few homes in the Synagogue Lane of Mattancherry with mezuzah are the residences of the remaining 9 Paradesi Jews.

The Jewish monuments and artifacts I will be discussing in this blog are:

I Synagogues

1. Pardesi Synagogue, Mattancherry (1568)

2. Kadavumbagam Synagogue, Mattancherry (1130 or 1539)

3. Thekkumbagam Synagogue, Mattancherry (1647, only the building site known)

4. Kadavumbagam Synagogue, Ernakulam (1200)

5. Thekkumbagam Synagogue, Ernakulam (1200 or 1580))

6. Paravur Synagogue (750 or 1164 or 1616)

7. Mala Synagogue (1400 or 1597)

8. Chendamangalam Synagogue (1420 or 1614)

(The various speculated dates of establishment in parenthesis are taken from www.cochinsyn.com, coutesy Prof. Jay A. Waronker)

II Cemeteries

1. Pardesi Jewish Cemetery, Mattancherry

2. Malabari Jewish Cemetery, Mattancherry

3. Old Jewish Cemetery, Ernakulam

4. New Jewish Cemetery, Ernakulam

5. Paravur Jewish Cemetery

6. Mala Jewish Cemetery

7. Chendamangalam Jewish Cemetery

III Jew Streets

1. Jew Street Mattancherry (Jewish residences with Mezuzah and Magen David)

2. Jew Steet, Ernakulam (today all shops in non-Jewish hands)

3. Jew Street, Paravur (Twin Pillars)

4. Jew Street, Mala (Gate House and Breezeway of synagogue turned into shops)

5. Jew Street, Chendamangalam (used to be a Jewish Market or Judakambolam)

6. Jew Street, Calicut (identified in July 2011 as Jootha (Jew) Bazar)

IV Other Monuments & Artifacts

1. Tomb of Sarah (1269 AD), Chendamangalam

2. Kochangadi Synagogue Corner-stone, Mattancherry

3. Jewish Children’s Play Ground, Mattancherry

4. Clock-Tower, Mattancherry

5. Sarah Cohen’s Embroidery Shop, Mattancherry

6. Jew Hill/Judakunnu/Jewish Bazar, Palayur

7. Jew Tank/Judakkulam, Madayi

8. Koder House, Fort Kochi

9. Grand Residencia, Fort Kochi

10. Jewish Summer Resorts, Aluva

11. Jewish Copper Plates, Mattancherry

12. Syrian Copper Plates, Kollam

13. Torah Finial, Palayur

V Lost Jewish Colonies

1. Kodungallur (Thrissur)

2. Palayur (Thrissur)

3. Pullut (Thrissur)

4. Kunnamkulam (Thrissur)

5. Saudhi (Ernakulam)

6. Tir-tur (Ernakulam)

7. Fort Kochi (Ernakulam)

8. Chaliyam (Kozhikode)

5. Pantalayani Kollam (Kozhikode)

9. Thekkepuram (Kozhikkode)

10. Muttam (Alappuzha)

11. Kayamkulam (Alappuzha)

12. Dharmadom (Kannur)

13. Madayi (Kannur)

14. Quilon (Kollam)

15. Pathirikunnu, Krishnagiri (Waynad)

16. Anchuthengu (Thiruvananthapuram)