Who brought Christianity to Sri Lanka..?

2019-08-06 14908

Was it by Portuguese in 1505.. ?

There were Christians in ancient Anurdhapura era..!

A Cross was discovered in 1913 from an excavation, belonged to ancient Anuradhapura era..!

On 15 November 1505 a Portuguese fleet, commanded by Lourenço de Almeida, having been driven by a storm to the shores of Sri Lanka, landed in Colombo. Later on he entered in to a trade agreement with King Dharma Parakramabahu IX. Almeida erected a trade station and a small chapel in Colombo. The chapel was dedicated to St Lawrence.

This is the first record of a Catholism being established in our country most notably on the western and northwestern coast In 1913 Mr. Edward R. Ayarton , Commissioner of Archaeology found a Cross made of granite which is the key symbol of Christianity from an old house in an excavation carried out in Anuradhapura. This was 3 ¼ in height and 2 1/8 in width according to the Annual Report furnished by him. According to Edward, since stones were amply available for construction in Anuradhapura, there was no need to move this creation from somewhere else. Hence it would have belonged to a Christian religious place situated in Anuradhapura.

Many Crosses which are similar to Anuradhapura Cross by appearance had been found from southern India which are in display at the Museum of St Thoma’s Basilica. This Cross reveals that there was a Christian society in Anuradhapura before Portuguese introduced Christianity to Sri Lanka.

Anuradhaura was an established capital city of Sri Lanka from time to time. It was a commercial hub through the Mathota harbor. The locals as well as foreign literal sources reveled Anuradhapura was appreciated by foreign Explorers, Merchants and Priests. The strategic situation of our country in Indian ocean also would have influenced this links with other countries.

A considerable percentage of foreigners who came to Sri Lanka for various purposes stayed back while maintaining their religious and cultural identity. Were there Catholics in Anuradhapura at that ear..? can be answered on this basis. The first archaeological evidence to prove that there were Christians in Anuradhapura is the Cross found at this excavation. We have to depend on the foreign literal sources to establish that there were Christians before 1505 in Sri Lanka. “Christian Topography”, a book authored by Thomas Indicoplutis who was a Priest belonged to Nesto Section , reveals that there was a Christian Colony in Sri Lanka.

Thomas who visited Sri Lanka on his way to Alexandriya around 540 said that there was a Church here which was headed by a Persian Priest. The important revelation of Thomas is that the King and the mass belonged to a different religion. The falling of Rome Empire and Baisathiyan’s selection of Konsthanthinopal as the Capital City, made big changes in East as well as West international trading.

Konsthanthinopal as well as Rome did not have any control over the shipping rout, fell towards India through Red sea. Bisanthian leaders had to totally depend on Axsumites, an Ethiopian nation, who acted at middlemen in trading, to collect Chinese cloths and stuffs from east. Sri Lanka was the center of Persian trading. The Persians were the only middlemen on trading between Sri Lanka and India.

Hence we can see the influence the Persians had towards Sri Lanka. Whether the statement made by Thomas was true or falls, it is quit evident that some of the Persians who came to Sri Lanka for trading purposes would have stayed here and started inhabitancy. When they quited Catholic Church and started a new faction called Nestorian, they were renamed as Nestorian Christians.

Since it was Persians who established the inhabitation in early Anuradhapura, this Cross was called as Nestorian Cross. But there is no sufficient evidence to prove this. Another evidence that there were Christians before Portuguese invasion is the “Story of Sigiri” authored by Professor Senarath Paranavithana according to which King Dhathusena (459 – 477 ) got down Captains and Solders from Manglor of South India who were Christians.

Hence there were Christians even before Persians which was discovered by Thomas. Minister Migara, Brother in Law of King Dhathusena along with this spouse moved to Southern India and started living there after converting to Christianity. Hence the existence of Christianity in the Southern part of India is reconfirmed.

For you to decide..!