BAPTISM RECORD OF JACOB RAMAVARMA FOUND

A valid record still preserved

The baptism record of Jacob Ramavarma, the first Christian convert from the Cochin royal family has been unearthed by a research scholar of the Central University, Kasaragod, at the St Francis Church, Fort Kochi. This record has been mentioned in my debut novel, Papasnanam, published in 2017, which is based on the life and travails of Jacob Ramavarma. The novel says (Page 112) that the baptism register no 4 of the Church records the baptism of Ramavarma as no 112. It was preceded by the baptism of a Konkani Brahmin, Ananthan.

Baptism register

I had been to the Church and had met the vicar of the church. He had told me that he will get me the register a couple of days later, for me to take the photograph. I could not do it then because, by that time I had withdrawn the novel from Kalakaumudi, which had offered to serialise it- S Ramesan, the poet gave me an alternate offer of publishing the novel by SPCS, to which I had agreed.

The novel was published and I had left it there. Last month, a research scholar, Ammu Venunath called me for an interview. Her PhD thesis is going to be on Microhistory in Malayalam Novels, she said. It was a pleasant surprise to hear that one of the novels she has taken up for her research is, Papasnanam. M K Sanoo and I had spoken about the novel once at the C M S College, Kottayam. 

Ammu came and interviewed me twice after Vishu, during which I explained the background of the protagonist and the history of conversion in Kerala and India. She had no idea whether Ramavarma was a true or fictional character. It was then I told her of the existence of the baptism record. She went to the Church the next day and met the vicar. He kept the record ready for her after a couple of days. She clicked the record and sent me the photos today.

The record mentions the name, Constantine Ramavarma in the fourth line and in the next line, it says that his father was the late king of Cochin Wirakeralan. Jacob Ramavarma was known as Constantine after baptism and became Jacob during his priesthood.

Baptism record

The baptism register that Ammu found belongs to 1830-1942. Ramavarma was baptised by the protestant missionary, Samuel Ridsdale, on April 5, 1835. It was a Sunday. Ramavarma was 19 and Ananthan, who was baptised as John (John Ananthan) was 25. John committed suicide later, and Ramavarma died of smallpox while living at Thalassery, with Herman Gundert, a missionary and grandpa of the reputed German writer, Herman Hesse, who wrote the novel, Siddartha.

Yacob (Jacob) Rama Varman was the second of the eight children of King Vira Kerala Varma (period of reign:1809-1828), popularly known as Virulam Thampuran or Karkadakathil Theepetta Thampuran. The second name refers to his death in the Malayalam month of Karkadakam.

It was a period of great political turmoil. Just before Vira Kerala Varma took over, Paliath Govindan Achan, the Commander of the King had rebelled against the British. He was exiled first to Madras and then to Bombay. He died in 1832. After the rebellion, the military was deployed in Mattancherry, Alapuzha and Tripunithura, till 1809. When Ramavarman was born (1814) Fort Cochin was handed over to the British.

We get much of the information on Ramavarman from his speech which is considered the first autobiography in Malayalam by some. It is the story of his conversion. It was first published in the journal, Keralopakari in 1874 and was published as a book by Basel Mission Press in Tellicherry, the same year. It was written for a public reading in the hastharpanam (anointing by placing the right hand over the head) ceremony on September 3,1856 when he was anointed a priest, in the presence of Chirakkal King and Herman Gundert. It was read after the sermon by Rev Samuel Hebich, before the anointment. Yakob had been living with Gundert, since 1849.

A detailed post on Jacob Ramavarma:

https://hamletram.blogspot.com/2014/02/prince-ramavarama-becomes-jacob.html

© Ramachandran