Saint Thomas Christians
（重定向自Christians of Saint Thomas）
![](/Images/godic/202501/04/Nasrani_cross1642.jpg")
![](/Images/godic/202501/04/Mar_Thoma_Sliva1643.jpg")
![Roman trade with ancient Coastal South West India according to the Periplus Maris Erythraei 1st century AD](/Images/godic/202501/04/Indo-Roman_trade1643.jpg")
![Tharisapalli Copper plate grant (9th century) - One of the reliable documentary evidences of the privileges and influence that Saint Thomas Christians enjoyed in early Malabar.[44] The document contains signatures of the witnesses in Pahlavi, Kufic and Hebrew scripts.[45] It is the oldest documentary evidence available to attest the presence of a Persian Christian community in South India.[46]](/Images/godic/202501/04/Tharisappalli_copper_plates1643.jpg")
The Saint Thomas Christians or Nasrani, popularly called in India as Syrian Christians, is a community of Christians from Kerala, India, who trace their origins to the evangelistic activity of Saint Thomas in the 1st century, and is one of the oldest Christian communities of the world. The community was historically united in leadership and liturgy, but since the 17th century has been split into several church denominations and traditions.