When Muslims are killing Hindu students in their hostels in Bangladesh and the world is distracted by events in Israel and Gaza, Kerala is a unique reminder that multicultural cohabitation can work peaceably well. But perhaps the secret is to mix trade, commerce, business with religion – it seems to temper ideology and even engender respect. Here’s a rough sketch of the connections between the southwestern coast of India (Kerala) and the Middle East. But before we go there, this image is of a Synagogue built in Kochi in 1586. The two ‘aunties’ reading the wall and being thoroughly respectful, are devout Hindus.
Long before Jesus turned up trade between India and old Israel existed. Tradition has it that Solomon traded with this part of the world, and beyond. There is strong circumstantial evidence supporting the idea that Ophir, referenced in the Bible as a source of exotic goods and great mineral wealth, is Kerala. But Egypt, Babylon, Greece, Assyria and Rome all traded here and, given Israel sat between those regions but also on the Phoenician doorstep which fed exotics to what is now Europe Jews found themselves in a natural trading hub. It would make sense that perhaps a Jewish trading community existed in India from Solomon’s time. What is known is that a large number of Jews arrived here in 72AD after the Romans sacked Jerusalem. That’s a long haul to make on a whim but it seems they knew they could come here and be welcome. But they arrived here twenty years (so tradition goes) after doubting Thomas found himself in Kerala. His intellectual pitch convinced many, including influential Brahmins. A church with its own characteristics was quickly established which not only coexisted with the Hindus but which led to a syncretic cultural blending. Arabs too were well established on this coast, trading goods which landed from China and were moved on to the Middle East and Europe. Pepper and nutmeg and other spices were the strategic goods of the day. But the Arab traders kept Europeans away from India when they got established here around 300AD, a blockade reinforced 400 years later with the advent of Islam.
1500 years later Vasco de Gama landed on this coast. Europe had allowed legends about this part of the world to fester in their imagination given the lack of access to the subcontinent. The Garden of Eden was located here. Along with Unicorns. And buildings made of solid gold. You get the idea. But most fertile was the legend of a lost Christian civilisation led by a ‘Prester John’. de Gama arrived with treasure on his mind but his sailing brief was to find this lost Christian church. A Christian church was indeed very well established in southern India and had flourished and happily coexisted with the Hindu community and leadership, but also with their Muslim brothers. And all happily coexisted with the Jewish community who were especially respected for their trading prowess. They just didn’t know they were lost, and had no interest in de Gama’s subtext – unite with us (Roman church) against the Islamic enemy. This Syrian Orthodox branch of the Christian church had no interest in fighting with people they happily traded and lived with, and certainly had no interest in being subject to Rome. Regrettably that led to the inevitable violent conflicts the Roman church was keen to ignite in its zeal to defend its ideology of one political organisation, a narrative lost in this part of the world against the backdrop of the Portuguese fighting to get established on this coast, then in conflict with the Dutch, then commercial competition with the English East India Trading Company.
Kerala remains a remarkably benign religious environment. But first and foremost it is still a trading hub. It exports its people with their higher education all over the world but especially into the Middle East. It’s 100 percent business and the massive port trades world wide. (Kochi port also hosts India’s indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant, which was also built in the local Cochin shipyards.) Kochi, where de Gama died and was buried (his body retrieved by a son a few years later and returned home) remains a multicultural blend of religions, with temples, churches and even synagogues sitting cheek by jowl with no hostility, but rather a benign respect and tolerance. Nothing is perfect of course but this trade based dependency and respect is a healthy model that seems to work.
