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papal decree that established the Vicariate Apostolic of Kottayam in 1911
49
exclusively for the Southists called the community Gens Suddistica.
3.4.2.2 Knānāya Community

From the turn of the twentieth century, another term, Knānāya, came
into vogue to designate the Southist community. This name is not seen in
any document in pre-twentieth century sources. According to Church
historian and canonist Jacob Kollaparambil, this name was first used as the
50
name of the community by the Southist Jacobites. Now the Southist groups
(Catholics as well as non-Catholics) generally use the term Knānāya or
Knānites to designate their community. This recent appellation of the
community is coined from “Cananeo” given as the surname of Thomas
Kinayi by some authors. Some others had it derived from the Canané given
as the place of origin of Thomas Kinayi. The term is now commonly
interpreted as a form deriving from “Canaan”, the name of the Promised
Land. Another possible interpretation is that Knānāya can very well be a
51
derivative of Kynai in Bét-Aramayé.
3.4.2.3 Owners of Five and Half Churches

Before the synod of Udayamperoor in 1599, the Southists had five
churches of their own: Udayamperoor, Kaduthuruthy, Kottayam, Chunkom
and Kallissery. In some other churches they had one half the shares along
with the Northists. So the Southists were called Ancharapallikkar (owners
52
of five and half churches).

49 Cf. KOLLAPARAMBIL, J., The Babylonian Origin of the Southists Among the St
Thomas Christians, Pont. Institutum Orientalium, Roma, 1992, p. 85.
50 Cf. Ibid., p. 85.
51
Cf. Ibid., p. 85.
52 Cf. VELLIAN, J., Knānite Community History and Culture, Syrian Church Series Vol.
XVII, Jyothi Book House, Kottayam, 2001, p. 2.

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