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I'm a Christian from Kundamkulam, Trissur, Kerala, India. It is said (there are no written evidences) that we once were Brahmins, got converted to Christianity in the 1st century AD (there are records of St. Thomas visiting the place), and got mixed up with Jews settled in local area (Arthat, near the place). Is there any way to trace our ancestry?

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This question is very broad in scope, though it does raise a number of interesting issues. Perhaps splitting it into several questions would have a better chance of eliciting answers – Sue Adams Oct 25 '12 at 22:14
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I suggest: 1 How could I trace the ancestry of current and recent Christians from Kundamkulam, Trissur, Kerala, India? 2 Were Brahmins in India converted to Christianity in AD 1st century and is this connected with St Thomas? 3 Was there a Jewish settlement near Arthat, [insert state/province], India? – Sue Adams Oct 25 '12 at 22:20
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It's a bit of a leap to go from the present day to the first century AD without following the twists and turns in-between. It's more "origins" than "ancestry", like saying maybe the Celts came from present-day Bohemia a millenium ago. So, taking it step by step, how far back have you traced within India so far? Where does the paper trail run out? A lot of those records are in the UK now. For an introduction, see bbc.co.uk/history/familyhistory/next_steps/… – Rob Hoare Oct 25 '12 at 23:49
@SueAdams REALLY like those questions. They have definite answers that can really help future researchers. – Canadian Girl Scout♦ Oct 26 '12 at 4:41
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I like Sue's questions too, but I think #2 and #3 might be more appropriate on history.SE? – bstpierre Oct 26 '12 at 11:45

1 Answer

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I suspect to understand your ancestry that far back, you would have to resort to DNA testing but I have no idea how feasible or informative this would be in the context of south-west India.

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