Christianity in South India had an attractive and almost legendary early career. It is stated that St. Thomas, the Apostle, came to South India, first to the Western Coast and later to Mylapore where it is believed he was killed in the Little Mount by Hindu fanatics. His relics were enshrined in the greater Mount which became a place of pilgrimage.
From the days of Cosmas, the Alexandrian merchant, we hear of Christian churches in Malabar. Even in the eighth century one gets evidence of Christian communities in parts of South India. Marco Polo repeats the story of St. Thomas becoming a martyr on the Mount. But considerable Christian influence as a religious force in South India starts with only the arrival of the Portuguese in the 15th century.