Thachil Mathoo Tharakan

Thachil Mathoo Tharakan (1741 - 1814) played a key role in Kerala/Travancore-Cochin History towards the latter part of the eighteenth century and early nineteenth century.

Trader and exporter

Mathoo belonged to Alangad, near North Kuthiathode, in the present Aluva Taluk of Ernakulam District, Kerala, India. He was born into a well-to-do family. His father was the Minister of the King of Alangad, a native state which was later annexed by Travancore, another native state. Mathoo had a comfortable childhood. However, when his father died early, the fortune that he inherited made him a spend-thrift, and he literally squandered everything that he got. Although he thus became a pauper, the friends that he made during that period later took him to a position unimaginable to most people of the day. His powerful friends included Captain Eustachius De Lannoy, the Dutch commander who became head of the Travancore Army, and Colonel Munro, representative of the British East India Company and British Resident and Diwan in Travancore and political agent of Cochin Rajah. Through such friends he not only set up a highly successful trade, but also got introduced to the Kings of Travancore and Cochin.

Mathoo Tharakan thus became a leading trader and influential Christian leader, among the Syrian Christians of Kerala, India. The title 'tharakan' is granted by the King to indicate 'a noble trader'. Mathu Tharakan was a timber and spices merchant and was reportedly the first timber exporter from Southern India. He, along with Dewan Raja Kesavadas, built the Alappuzha port. He controlled the exports from Alappuzha and Cochin ports.

Minister of Travancore

Mathu Tharakan was Commerce Minister to Dharma Raja and Maharajah Bala Rama Varma of Travancore. His best years were during the reign of Dharma Raja, when Raja Kesavadas was the Dewan. However, during the following period of Jayanthan Sankaran Nampoothiri's Dewanship, there was an uprising and revolt engineered by Velu Thampi Dalawa. This led to Velu Thampi becoming the Dalawa (Prime Minister) in 1801. Velu Thampi Dalawa punished Mathu Tharakan considering Tharakan's friendship with the former Dewan. He ordered confiscation of Mathoo Tharakan's landholdings and assets alleging that Mathu Tharakan had to pay huge revenue arrears to the Government of Travancore. This order was later got cancelled by the British Resident. Velu Thampi's subsequent revolt against the British led to Velu Thampi's suicide in 1809 in Mannadi Temple, Adoor.

ocial and religious leader

The Udayamperoor (Diampher) Synod held by the Portuguese in 1599 to Latinize the indigenous Christian liturgy led to the Koonan Kurisu Declaration/revolt Coonan Cross Oath in 1653. As a result, the Jacobite Orthodox Syrians separated from the Syrian Catholics in Kerala. Nearly a century later, Thachil Mathoo Tharakan made attempts at reunion of the Christian communities. But his efforts were apparently thwarted by the Portuguese. His efforts had the support of Bishop Joseph Kariattil of the Syrian Catholics and the support of Bishop Mar Dionysius I of the Jacobite faction. But Bishop Kariattil's death in Goa and Rome's silence, ultimately led to the Jacobites remaining separate as Syrian Christians and the Syrian Catholics accepting the jurisdiction of the Latin Bishops in India.

M. O. Joseph Nedumkunnam wrote a biography of Mathoo Tharakan, and the book is titled 'Thachil Mathoo Tharakan'.

References

* Francis Thonippara, 'Saint Thomas Christians of India--a period of struggle for unity and self-rule, 1775-1787,
* M.O. Joseph Nedumkunnam, Thachil Mathu Tharakan, (Malayalam) Kottayam, NBS, 1962,

External links

* [http://www.thachil.com/ Thachil Family Homepage]