The church where the rich merchants of Armenia sleep

“This tablet is placed as a tribute of affection by JA Johannes Esquire of the firm of Johannes Brothers, merchants of Madras, over the mortal remains of Zechariah Johannes, his eldest and beloved son, who died on 26th September 1859, aged 17 years and four months,” reads a white marble tablet placed below the belfry of the 251-year-old St Mary Church on Armenian Street in Chennai, the one and only Armenian church in Tamil Nadu. Even though Chennai was a major centre of the Armenian traders in the 17th and 18th centuries, many left the place after India got independence due to various reasons. Today, only two Armenians live in the city. There are barely 200 Armenians living across India with Kolkata housing the highest number of Armenians at about 75.

The population of Armenians may be dwindling, but their history is flourishing. A church and a street in the name of Armenians in Chennai stand testimony to it. Madras is where many significant historic events of Armenia took place. Constructed in 1772 in Georgetown in Madras, the St Mary Church stands testimony to many historic events. The first Armenian journal ever printed in any part of the world was published in Madras in 1794. As you enter the church, you see a decorated burial of Haruthiun Shmavonian (1750-1824), an Armenian priest and editor and publisher of the first Armenian journal called Azdarar (Intelligencer).

Considered the father of Armenian journalism, Shmavonian published Azdarar for 18 consecutive months until 1796. “I saw a copy of Azdarar at the central library of Armenia when I visited the country in 2007. We don’t know how he printed it and where in Madras he did it. We couldn’t locate it anywhere in the city,” said Michael Stephen, who was caretaker of the church between 1992 and 2004.

Why did Shmavonian choose Madras? There was a reason. While living in Shiraz (Iran), Shmavonian lost his two sons in a week. The sudden demise of the two sons took a toll on him. With some Persian mystic poets, he went to seek solace on top of a nearby hill. He lived there for seven years, and the poets taught him Persian during this time. Even though he returned to Shiraz, he was not able to live there. He soon left the place and came to Madras as a priest at the Armenian church. The Armenians in Madras, who were mostly traders of silk, spices and pearls, welcomed him.

“In 1789, he (Shmavonian) started a printing press at Madras for printing and publishing books in Armenian language. In the absence of any trained workmen, he acted as compositor and printer. Not only that but the type used was cast by himself from materials prepared by his own hands. The first publication from his press in 1789-90 was a reprint of the Martyrology of the Virgin Marianeh,” wrote Mesrovb Jacob Seth in his book, History of the Armenians in India from the Earliest Times to the Present Day.

Michael Stephen said he brought a huge piece of tuff (stone that is formed as a result of melting ash and pumice during volcanic eruption) from Armenia to decorate the burial of Shmavonian inside the Armenian church. “In Armenia, all churches are constructed using tuff. It is a national symbol of the country. We get the tuff in different shades. I chose the best one,” said Stephern, pointing towards the stone block placed at the burial of Shmavonian. The church had its annual mass on Sunday in which some Armenians who currently live in India and a priest and altar boys from Armenia participated. Stephen said his forefathers came to Madras from New-Julfa. “Many were traders of silk, spices and jewels. Some worked as translators of the British as they were proficient in Persian, Armenian and English,” he added.

Scholars believe that from the days of Macedonian king Alexander (327 BCE) to the time of Vasco de Gama, who was the first European to reach India by sea, Armenians carried out trade with India by the land route via Iran. However, it was during the time of the Mughal emperors that Armenian merchants rose to prominence in India. Emperor Akbar (1542-1605) was fond of Armenians and he invited them to come to Agra and settle down. Many merchants from Armenia flocked to Agra and a church was also built there in 1562. The Armenains had a good time during the heydays of the Mughal emperors and cities like Surat, Delhi, Madras, Kolkata became their prominent centres. However, many Armenians lost their business hugely after the fall of the Mughal empire. Even though many continued the trade, the war between the British and the French in 1783 gave a death-blow to the commercial pursuits of the Armenian merchants in India, according to scholar and historian Mesrovb Jacob Seth.

The St Mary Church on Armenian Street was constructed on a burial ground. As you walk, you see tablets inscribed with tributes to the dead in Armenian placed one after the other. “An eminent, highly esteemed and public spirited Armenian merchant through whose magnanimity the Marmalong Bridge (Saidapet) and the steps to St Thomas Mount were constructed and endowed,” reads a tablet erected in memory of Kojah Petrus Woskan inside the church. Born in 1681 in New-Julfa Isfahan (Iran), Kojah Petrus was a rich merchant who maintained a good relationship with the then nawab of Arcot. When the nawab visited Madras, it is said that Kojah Petrus draped the entire streets that the nawab passed with silk. A happy Nawab rewarded him with the title of sole monopoly of the import trade in Madras. Kojah amassed great wealth. But when the French captured Madras in 1746, they destroyed 33 houses of Kojah in the city. He lost all his wealth. Interestingly, this Armenian merchant left Rs 7 lakh as cash when he died in Madras in 1751. Nobody knew how.

Agah Shameer, a pearl merchant, was another prominent Armenian trader who amassed huge wealth in Madras. There were around 2,000 Armenians in Tamil Nadu alone when India got independence. However, many fled the country, mainly due to political and social uncertainty. “There was a huge flow of Armenians after independence. In the 1970, and 1980s, the remaining ones also left. There was uncertainty and they never thought India would progress as it eventually did,” said Mihael Stephen when asked about the dwindling population of Armenians in India.

There are more than 300 burials inside the church. Each memorial tablet erected in memory of the Armenians who died here has a story. There are many and the list never ends. The mass is held once a year, said Jude Johnson, caretaker of the St Mary Church. A belfry near the church carries six bells on three lines. Each line has two bells. “Two are made in London. The other bells were made in Madras. We ring the bells every day,” said Johnson.