In 1542, St. Francis Xavier came to Kanniyakumari District.During the 16th century, he converted thousands of fishermen between Ramanathapuram and Kanyakumari to Catholicism. Between 1543 and 1544 Francis established forty-five churches in the coastal areas of Travancore.
Church of South India
The British East India Company, helped Protestant churches to grow in the Kingdom of Travancore and Madras Presidency. Conversions took place in Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli from among the Nadar and Paraiyan communities by the work of the Church Missionary Society and London Missionary Society. In 1818, 3000 members of the Nadar caste were said to have embraced Christianity. During the 18th century, on the request of German missionary Rev. J. C. Kohlhoff, William Tobias Ringeltaube came to Travancore. Over a period of ten years, Ringeltaube succeeded in building his mission. The first church was built at Mylaudy in September 1809. Many churches and schools were established in many more villages. A large church was built in Nagercoil that later became the home church for the CSI diocese in Nagercoil. The mission moved from Mylaudy to Nagercoil. Boarding schools were started for girls and education for women gained momentum. Even non-Christian students received education. A printing press was started by his mission in 1821. By 1838 a medical wing of the mission was established.
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
In 1996, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church created its first `Diocese of Thuckalay`in Kanyakumari district, which was under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Changanassery in Kerala until then. The same year the newly established `Diocese of Marthandam split from the Archdiocese of Trivandrum in Kanyakumari district.
Caste system
During the period of Kingdom of Travancore, the present day Kanyakumari district was under the control of the Kingdom. It was caste-based. Those who belonged to lower castes were denied education, choice of occupation and basic dignity. The women of the lower castes and untouchables were not allowed to cover their breasts and they had to pay the mulakkaram to the Brahmin king if they wanted to cover their breasts. The tax was amount depended on their breast size. A woman baring her chest to Nambudhri brahmins was considered a sign of respect, by both males and females from the lower castes. Higher-class women covered both breasts and shoulders, whereas lower castes including Nadar and Ezhava women were not allowed to do so, to show their low status. Uneasy with their social status, many Nadars embraced Christianity, and started to wear long cloths. When many more Nadar women turned to Christianity, many Hindu Nadar women adopted the Nair breast cloth. From 1813 to 1859 laws were enacted and repealed by the Kingdom regarding the upper cloth issue. During this period waves of violence and agitation continued between the higher and lower castes. Due to the rebellion of lower castes, on 1859 the kingdom permanently permitted lower caste women to wear garments on their torsos. The missionaries and the church helped the lower castes to break some of the shackles that had bound them for centuries. Through the help of the Church and missionaries, the breast tax and the system of Oozhiyam was abolished by the Kingdom.
