Malankara Metropolitan was a legal title given to the head of the Malankara Church by the Governments of Travancore and Cochin in South India. This title was awarded by a proclamation from the government of Travancore. It was first recommended in 1815, by Colonel Munro, (the British Resident in Travancore and Cochin) that continued till 1877. After 1877, every denomination in the Malankara Church started claiming their prelate as the Malankara Metropolitan
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On 1 December 1808, Marthoma VII handed over a sum of 3,000 Poovarahan as a trust to the then British Resident of Travancore and Cochin Colonel Macaulay. This amount is known as Vattipanam.
The receipt issued by Colonel Macaulay stated that,
The first instalemnt of the interest was paid in 1809to the Metropolitan Mar Thoma VIII (1809-1816). In 1810, Major Munroe arrived in Travancore as the British resident. Soon Pulikottil Ittoop Joseph Ramban, of the Malankara Church met him and complained about Mar Thoma VIII. So Col. Munroe withheld the interest from 1810 to 1813.
In 1814, the interest for the four years (1810 -1813) was paid to Pulikottil Ittoop Joseph Ramban who was not the Metropolitan of the Malankara Church. Because of this gross mistake the Madras governor reprimanded Col. Munroe . For this there were only two solutions. Either Ramban Joseph refund the whole amount to the Government or be ordained as a bishop. The first was impossible. So he took the second choice. Then there were other difficulties. Mar Thoma VIII would not consecrate him and the Church will not accept him. So he went to Malabar, a place outside Travancore and Cochin and was ordained by Mar Philoxenos II, Kidangan.(1816–1829) of the Thozhyoor Church. At that time neither Thozhyoor Church nor its bishops were recognised by the Malankara Church.
Realizing that neither Mar Thoma VIII nor Malankara Church will accept him as a properly ordained Metropolitan, the Government of Travancore and Cochin issued a Royal proclamation (under the recommendation of British Resident Colonel Munroe) stating that all Syrian Christians should obey Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysious I (Dionysious II). This was the first time a government interfeared in the internal affairs of the Malankara Church.[2][3].[4]
Following Metropolitans received the title and the interest of the ‘’Vattipanam’’. This title was life long, or till they abdicated.
| Year/s received | Names of recipients |
|---|---|
| 1815 – 1816 | Mar Thoma X. Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysious I (Dionysious II) |
| 1817 – 1829 | Mar Philoxenos II, Kidangan, of the Thozhyoor Church |
| 1829 – 1852 | Cheppad Philipose Mar Dionysius (Mar Thoma XII) |
| 1852 – 1877 | Mar Thoma XIII, Mathews Mar Athanasius Metropolitan |
The first three were consecrated by a Thozhyoor bishop and the last one by the Patriarch of Antioch.
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