Koshy Koshy also spelled as Koshi Koshi (1825–1899) was an Indian Anglican priest and Malayalam novelist.
Koshy was born in the Kingdom of Travancore, to a Nazrani family, part of the Malankara Syrian Church. However, when he was 11 years old (1836), his family converted to Anglicanism, under the influence of the Church Mission Society.[1]
Koshy desired to enter his Church's ministry and studied at the Pazhaya Seminary, Kottayam.[2] By 1844, he was a scholar in Sanskrit, Latin and English languages.[2] In 1856, he was received into the diaconate. In 1859, he was ordained as a priest in the Anglican Church.[3] In the nineteenth century, the highest office attained by Indians within the Anglican Church was that of an archdeacon.[4] In 1885, Rev. K. Koshy became the first Indian to be raised to the rank of an archdeacon.[3]
Archdeacon Koshy was one of the original Malayalam litterateurs. He wrote over 10 books, including Pulleli Kunju, Bhasmakuri and Thiruvavatharamahatmyam.[2][5] Pulleli Kunju (1882) is regarded as the first novellike original work on a local theme, in Malayalam.[6] He also translated John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress (Paradesi Mokshayathra, 1845) and The Holy War (Thirupporattam), to Malayalam.[5][6]
Adn. Koshy was the editor of Njananikshepam (published since 1840), the first Malayalam periodical.[7][5] His most important religious contribution was with respect to the revision of the Malayalam Bible (1872–1898). The Archbishop of Canterbury Edward White Benson conferred on Koshy, a Lambeth Doctorate, for his pre-eminent role in that.[8][2]
Saint Thomas Anglicans
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