Mani and the decline of the christian community

It is believed that in the years between 250 CE and 270 CE, the Persian religious thinker and poet called Mani arrived in Mylapore, preaching a new syncretistic doctrine that combined within it aspects of Buddhism, Zoroastrianism and Christianity.  Mani won many converts to his new religion, among them rulers and those in authority.  This led to dissentions and confusion among the Christians, and when they began to be persecuted for not adopting Mani’s doctrines and practices, they fled to the west-coast where they took refuge in the cities of Kollam and Thiruvithamcode.  The Christians who arrived from the east-coast and those in these cities together at this point constituted 160 families, and they stood firm as Christians, but before long, because of the absence of priests, the dearth of knowledgeable and influential people to hold the community together, and the attractions of the pagan milieu in which they lived, that number began to dwindle significantly, until they were reduced to just 64 families.  This small community of Christians who confessed Christ and stood firm in their faith in face of persecution and apostasy were pejoratively called Dhariyakkal (= ‘non-wearers’) because they refused to wear the sacred ash of magical properties which Mani offered them as a symbol of his religion.  The majority party of 96 familieswho believed in Mani and adopted his religion came to be called Manigrammakkar (Mani+ grammakkar = The village or community of Mani).  At this point when the Christian community of St. Thomas was under threat of becoming altogether extinct in Malayala-country, it is believed that there occurred a  a divine intervention, as a result of which a source of strength and help was sent to them.It is believed that in the years between 250 CE and 270 CE, the Persian religious thinker and poet called Mani arrived in Mylapore, preaching a new syncretic doctrine that combined within it aspects of Buddhism, Zoroastrianism and Christianity.  Mani won many converts to his new religion, among them rulers and those in authority.  This led to dissensions and confusion among the Christians, and when they began to be persecuted for not adopting Mani’s doctrines and practices, they fled to Malayala-country where they took refuge.  The Christians who arrived from the east-coast and those in Kerala at this point constituted 160 families, and they stood firm as Christians, but before long, because of the absence of priests, the dearth of knowledgeable and influential people to hold the community together, and the attractions of the pagan milieu in which they lived, that number began to dwindle significantly, until they were reduced to just 64 families.  This small community of Christians who stood firm in their faith in face of persecution and apostasy were pejoratively called Dhariyakkal (= ‘non-wearers’) because they refused to wear the sacred ash of divine properties which Mani offered them as a symbol of his religion.  Another group who believed in Mani and adopted his religion came to be called Manigrammakkar (Mani+ grammakkar = The village or community of Mani).  At this point when the Christian community of St. Thomas was under threat of becoming altogether extinct in Malayala-country, it is believed that there was some kind of a divine intervention and a source of strength and help was sent to them.