Thachil Mar Matthoo Tharakan (1741–1814) was a

Saint Thomas Christian The Saint Thomas Christians, also called Syrian Christians of India, ''Marthoma Suriyani Nasrani'', ''Malankara Nasrani'', or ''Nasrani Mappila'', are an ethno-religious community of Indian Christians in the state of Kerala ( Malabar region) ...

merchant, social leader and minister who played a key role in

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

, especially in its

Travancore The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvanan ...

and

Cochin Kochi ( , ), formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala. The city is also commonly referred to as Ernaku ...

regions, in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

towards the latter part of the 18th century and early 19th century. He relentlessly worked to bring about a reunification in his community which was divided into Catholic ('' Pazhayakūr'') and Jacobite ('' Puthenkūr'') after the

Coonan Cross Oath The Coonan Cross Oath (alternatively spelled Koonan Cross Oath), also known as the Great Oath of Bent Cross or Leaning Cross Oath, was taken on 3 January 1653, in Mattancherry, by a significant portion of the Saint Thomas Christian community ...

of 1653. He organized his community against the colonialist attempts of Portuguese and played a prominent role in the assembly of Catholic Saint Thomas Christians at Angamāly that paved the way for the establishment of independent Syro-Malabar hierarchy. Nonetheless, he also engaged in corruption across Travancore and became lifelong enemies with

Velu Thampi Velayudhan Chempakaraman Thampi of Thalakulam (1765–1809) was the Dalawa or Prime Minister of the Indian kingdom of Travancore between 1802 and 1809 during the reign of Bala Rama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal. He is best known for being one ...

Trader and exporter

Matthoo belonged to Alangad, near North Kuthiathode, in the present Paravur Taluk of

Ernakulam Ernakulam () is the central business district of the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. It is the namesake of Ernakulam district. The eastern part of Kochi city is mainly known as Ernakulam, while the western part of it after the Venduruthy Bridge ...

District. He was born into a prosperous

Syro-Malabar The Syro-Malabar Church, also known as the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic church based in Kerala, India. It is a '' sui iuris'' (autonomous) particular church in full communion with the Holy See and the worldwide Cathol ...

Christian family in 1741 as the son of Thachil Thariath and Ukken Itti Anna. He did business successfully, with the help of his father's friends, Ranga Shenoy and Narayana Shenoy, prospered, and the friends that he made during that period later took him to great heights. His powerful friends included Captain

Eustachius De Lannoy Eustachius Benedictus de Lannoy (also sometimes called 'Captain De Lannoy') (30 December 1715 – 1 June 1777, Udayagiri Fort) was a skilled military strategist and commander of the Travancore army, under Maharaja Marthanda Varma. De Lannoy ...

, the

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

commander who became head of the Travancore Army and

Raja Kesava Das Raja Kesavadas born Kesavan Raman Pillai of Kunnathur, also known as (17 March 1745 – 21 April 1799; Sanskrit ') was the Dewan of Travancore during the reign of Dharma Raja Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma. He is well known for his military ta ...

. Through such friends, he got introduced to the Kings of

and

.It was on 943 M.E. that Mathoo Tharakan began his royal service. Matthoo Tharakan thus became a leading trader and influential Christian leader, from among the Indian

Syriac Christians Syriac Christianity (, ''Mšiḥoyuṯo Suryoyto'' or ''Mšiḥāyūṯā Suryāytā'') is a branch of Eastern Christianity of which formative theological writings and traditional liturgies are expressed in the Classical Syriac language, a var ...

of Kerala. He awarded a 'Thankakompan' that earned the king's appreciation and the king then awarded him the title' Mathoo Tharakan Muthalali Avarkal' . The title ''Tharakan'' was granted by the King Dharma Raja of Travancore to indicate 'a noble trader'. Matthoo Tharakan was a merchant of timber, spices, salt, and tobacco, and was reportedly the first timber exporter from Southern India.

Minister of Travancore

Matthoo Tharakan was Commerce Minister to Maharaja

Balarama Varma Avittom Thirunal Bala Rama Varma (c. 17827 November 1810) was a ruler of the Indian princely state of Travancore from 1798 to 1810, succeeding his uncle Maharajah Dharma Raja on 12February 1798. His reign was a time of disturbances and int ...

. His best years were during the reign of

Dharma Raja Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma (1724–17 February 1798) often referred to as Rama Varma I or Dharma Raja, was the Maharajah of Travancore from 1758 until his death in 1798. He succeeded his uncle Marthanda Varma, who is credited with the title o ...

. He loaned a large sum of money to the Kingdom to help fight its wars against

Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (, , ''Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu''; 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799) commonly referred to as Sher-e-Mysore or "Tiger of Mysore", was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery ...

. However, during the following period of Jayanthan Sankaran Nampoothiri's Dewanship, there was an uprising and revolt led by

against British corruption, which had been aided by Tarakan. This led to Velu Thampi becoming the Dalawa (Prime Minister) in 1801. Velu Thampi punished Mathu Tharakan (his ear was cut and later he was imprisoned). He ordered confiscation of Matthoo Tharakan's landholdings and assets alleging that he had to pay huge revenue arrears to the Government of Travancore. This order was later cancelled by the British Resident Macaulay. Velu Thampi's subsequent resistance to the British led to his suicide in 1809 in Mannadi Temple, Adoor.

then symbolically gave Tharakan a golden ear.

Social and religious leader

Thachil Matthoo Tharakan made attempts at reunion of the Christian communities separated by the

. But his efforts were apparently thwarted by the Portuguese. His efforts had the support of Mar Joseph Kariattil of the Indian Syriac-Rite Catholics, and of

Mar Dionysius I Mar Thoma VI, also known as Mar Dionysius I, was the 6th Metropolitan of the Malankara Syrian Church, serving from 1765 until his demise on 7 April 1808. His original name was Iype, and he was born as the only son of Mathew (Mathan) Tharakan, the ...

of the Indian Syriac-Rite Orthodox faction, known as the Jacobites. But Bishop Kariattil's death in Goa and Rome's silence, ultimately led to the Indian Jacobites remaining separate and the Indian

Syriac Catholic The Syriac Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic ''sui iuris'' (self-governing) particular church that is in full communion with the Holy See and with the entirety of the Catholic Church. Originating in the Levant, it uses the West Syriac R ...

accepting the jurisdiction of the Latin Bishops in India. He was actively involved in organising the historic journey of Mar Joseph Kariattil and

Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar (1736–1799) is the author of '' Varthamanappusthakam'' (1790), the first ever travelogue in an Indian language. Also known as ''Roma Yatraa Varthamanapusthakam'', it postulates that the foundation of Indian nationa ...

to Rome in 1782 for representing before the Pope the grievances of the

Syriac Catholics The Syriac Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic ''sui iuris'' (self-governing) particular church that is in full communion with the Holy See and with the entirety of the Catholic Church. Originating in the Levant, it uses the West Syriac R ...

. Tharakan was instrumental in organising an assembly of the Catholic Saint Thomas Christians (''Pazhayakūttukār'') in Angamāly Saint George's Great Church, that enacted the ''Angamāly Padiyōla'' on 1 February 1787. This assembly protested against the colonial subjugation of the native Christians and strongly urged for the consecration of native bishop among them.

Trader and exporter

Minister of Travancore

Social and religious leader

References

Sources

Further reading