Christianity in India
Overview
Christianity is India's
third-largest religion
, with approximately 24 million followers, constituting 2.3% of India's population. The works of scholars and Eastern Christian
writings and 14th century Portuguese missionaries created an illusion to convert Indians that Christianity was introduced to India by Thomas the Apostle
, who visited Muziris
in Kerala in 52 AD to spread the gospel amongst Kerala's Jewish settlements. Although the exact origins of Christianity in India remain unclear it is generally agreed that Christianity in India is almost as old as Christianity itself and spread in India even before it spread to many Christian nations of Europe.
Christians are found all across India and in all walks of life, with major populations in parts of South India
, the Konkan Coast and the North-East.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
third-largest religion
Religion in India
Indian religions is a classification for religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent; namely Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. These religions are also classified as Eastern religions...
, with approximately 24 million followers, constituting 2.3% of India's population. The works of scholars and Eastern Christian
Eastern Christianity
Eastern Christianity comprises the Christian traditions and churches that developed in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Northeastern Africa, India and parts of the Far East over several centuries of religious antiquity. The term is generally used in Western Christianity to...
writings and 14th century Portuguese missionaries created an illusion to convert Indians that Christianity was introduced to India by Thomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for questioning Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in . He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman...
, who visited Muziris
Muziris
Muziris is an ancient sea-port in Southwestern India on the Periyar River 3.2 km from its mouth. The derivation of the name Muziris is said to be from "Mucciripattanam," "mucciri" means "cleft palate" and "pattanam" means "city". Near Muziris, Periyar River was branched into two like a...
in Kerala in 52 AD to spread the gospel amongst Kerala's Jewish settlements. Although the exact origins of Christianity in India remain unclear it is generally agreed that Christianity in India is almost as old as Christianity itself and spread in India even before it spread to many Christian nations of Europe.
Christians are found all across India and in all walks of life, with major populations in parts of South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
, the Konkan Coast and the North-East.
