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{{more citations needed|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
|honorific-prefix = Governor of all India
| name =Mar Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar
| honorific-suffix =
| title = Administrator of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cranganore|Archeparchy of Kodungalloor]], father of Indian nationalism
|image=
|imagesize=
| church = [[Syro Malabar Catholic Church|Syro Malabar Church]]
| successor =
| diocese = [[Kodungallur]]
| ordination = 1786
| enthroned = 1786
| ended = 1799
| predecessor=[[Kariattil Mar Ousep]]
| birth_name =Thoma
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date = 1799
| death_place = [[Ramapuram, Kottayam|Ramapuram]]
| buried = Ramapuram
| nationality =Indian
| signature =
}}

'''Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar''' (1736–1799) is the author of ''[[Varthamanappusthakam]]'' (1790), the first ever [[Travel literature|travelogue]] in an Indian language. Also known as 'Roma Yatraa Varthamanapusthakam', it postulates that the foundation of Indian nationalism rests on the basic principle that India should achieve civic self-rule.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nasrani.net/2013/01/28/nazrani-history-and-discourse-on-early-nationalism-in-varthamanapusthakam/|title=Nazrani History and Discourse on Early Nationalism in Varthamanapusthakam|date=27 January 2013}}</ref> Long before the debates on nationalism shaking the intellectual circles of Europe, Asia, and Africa, Thoma Kathanar offers a distinctive positionality as a minority Syriac Christian priest and subsequent administrator of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cranganore|Archdiocese of Cranganore]] with transnational ties to Portuguese ecclesiology who nevertheless argues in favor of autonomous civic Indian governance.

He was also a polyglot, an efficient administrator and priest of the ''Malankare Kaldaya Suriyani Sabha'' (known officially as the [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Church]] since 1923), who tried to bring about unity in the Church and also to maintain its unique heritage.

Paremmakkal Thoma was born as the fourth child of Paremmakkal Itty Chandy and Anna of [[Kadanad]] in [[Kottayam]] district on 10 September 1736. Initially he studied [[Sanskrit]] and [[Syriac language|Syriac]] from teachers nearby. Then he joined [[Alengad]] [[Seminary]] to learn [[Latin]] and [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] and for priesthood. In 1761, he was ordained as a Kathanar (priest). He served as vicar in different churches up to 1778.

Thomma Kathanar made tireless efforts to bring about unity in the Church in Kerala which had split following the [[Coonan Cross Oath]]. He also strived to get bishops from among the members of the Catholic Church in Kerala, and also to retain the rich heritage of the Malabar Church. In order to achieve those goals he undertook a hard and perilous journey to [[Rome]] in 1778 along with [[Kariattil Mar Ousep]] Malpan.

The description of this journey is recorded in his book ''Varthamanapusthakam'', considered to be the first travelogue among all Indian languages. The historic journey to Rome to represent the grievances of Kerala's Syrian Catholics started from the boat jetty in [[Athirampuzha]] in 1785. From [[Athirampuzha]] they first proceeded to [[Kayamkulam]] by a country-boat. The journey then took them to Chinnapattanam, as [[Chennai]] was then known. From there they went to [[Kandy]] in [[Ceylon]] ([[Sri Lanka]] of today). From [[Ceylon]] they sailed to [[Cape of Good Hope]] at the tip of [[Africa]]. They were to sail to [[Portugal]] from there but adverse winds drifted their ship in the [[Atlantic Ocean]] taking it to the coast of [[Latin America]]. A further journey from the Latin American coast took them to their destination.

The journey to the destination took more than a year. While they were in [[Europe]], [[Kariattil Mar Ousep]] was ordained in [[Portugal]] as the [[Bishop]] of [[Kodungalloor]] Archeparchy. The two representatives of the Kerala Catholic Church succeeded in convincing the church authorities in [[Rome]] and [[Lisbon]] about the problems in [[Kerala]] Church. On their way back home they stayed in [[Goa]] where Mar Ouseph Kariattil died. Upon realizing that his end was near, Mar Kariattil appointed Thoma Kathanar as the ''Governador'' (governor) of [[Kodungallur|Cranganore]] [[Archdiocese]] after him,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/bishop.php?id=76 |publisher=The Syro-Malabar Church |access-date=28 September 2013 |title=Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar}}</ref> and handed over the cross, chain and ring, the tokens of his power, which had been presented to him by the Portuguese queen.

Although the headquarters of Archdiocese of Kodungallur was at Pookkaatt, Aripalam muri of [[Mukundapuram taluk]] before their journey, the new Governador administered the affairs of the church establishing his headquarters at [[Angamaly]]. In 1790, the headquarters of the [[Archdiocese]] had to be shifted to [[Vadayar]] because of the attacks of [[Tippu Sultan]]. In the last four years of his life, Thoma Kathanar managed church administration from his own parish, [[Ramapuram, Kottayam|Ramapuram]].
{{quote|The history of travelogues in Malayalam is short but exciting and absorbing. The first work in the genre Varthamapusthakam was written by P. Thoma Kathanar (1736–99) in the latter part of the eighteenth century but its existence was totally forgotten by later generations. It was discovered in 1935 and was printed next year. Sankaran Namboothiri informs that Kathanar accompanied K. Yausep Malpan in his journey from Parur to Rome. They went by foot up to Madras from where they sailed. They took along route via Cape of Good Hope, South America and Lisbon. The voyage lasted nearly eight years." It is-certainly one of the most valuable travel accounts available in any Indian language.<ref>{{cite book |title=History of Indian Literature: 1911–1956, struggle for freedom : triumph and tragedy |first=Sisir Kumar |last=Das |page=253}}</ref>}}

Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar remained the Governador for thirteen years. He died on 20 March 1799.

''Vathamanapusthakam'' was first published in the 18th century<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100801012522/http://www.keralahistory.ac.in/literaryadition.htm Literary Tradition]. keralahistory.ac.in. Retrieved 28 July 2013.</ref> but was forgotten for centuries, being re-discovered in 1935 and first printed in Malayalam in 1936 by Luka Mathai Plathottam at Athirampuzha St Marys Press.<ref>{{cite book|last=Menon|first=A. Sreedhara|title=The legacy of Kerala|year=2008|publisher=D C Books|location=Kottayam, Kerala|isbn=9788126421572|edition=1st DCB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Varthamanappusthakam|url=http://nasrani.net/2010/08/23/the-varthamanappusthakam-cathanar-paremmakkal/|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130427073541/http://nasrani.net/2010/08/23/the-varthamanappusthakam-cathanar-paremmakkal/|archivedate=27 April 2013}}</ref><ref>[http://enchantingkerala.org/kerala-monuments/arnose-padiri-house.php Kottyam]</ref> The manuscript of the book is kept at the St Thomas Christian Museum in [[Kochi, India|Kochi]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smcim.org/liturgical_researcch3.htm |archive-url=https://archive.is/20071029115805/http://www.smcim.org/liturgical_researcch3.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 October 2007 |title=Museum |publisher=The Syro-Malabar Church |access-date=28 September 2013}}</ref>
== See also ==

[https://www.nasrani.net/2010/06/05/the-story-of-joseph-the-indian-with-a-historical-appraisal-of-the-affairs-of-st-thomas-christians/ Joseph the Indian]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar, Varthamanappusthakam, transl. By P.J. Podipara, Rome, 1971

{{Christianity in Kerala}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kathanar, Paremmakkal Thoma}}
[[Category:1736 births]]
[[Category:1799 deaths]]
[[Category:18th-century Indian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Malayalam-language writers]]
[[Category:Writers from Kerala]]
[[Category:Christian clergy from Kerala]]
[[Category:Indian travel writers]]
[[Category:Syro-Malabar priests]]

Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar - Revision history

imported>Ira Leviton: Fixed a typo found with Wikipedia:Typo_Team/moss.