as bishop PulikKottil Joseph Mar Dionysius by the bishop of Thozhiyur Church, Geevarghese Mar Philexenos (Kidangan) (1811–29) on 22 March 1815. After the death of Mar Thoma VIII, who ordained his uncle Iype Kathanar as Mar Thoma IX in the traditional manner of succession, was forced to abdicate his position and hand over charge to Joseph Mar Dionysius as he was made the supreme head of the Malankara Church by a Royal proclamation issued by the ruler of Travancore and later by the ruler of Cochin. These were under the influence of Col. John Munroe. The proclamation required every Syrian Christian of Travancore-Cochin to obey the Malankara Metropolitan. He then took possessions of all insignia from Mar Thoma IX from kottayam. With tears in his eyes Mar Thoma IX left the seminary premises at kottayam and retired to home parish Kadamattom palli, spending rest of the life in prayer and fasting, as a monk. He was given the episcopal title Dionysius (a Graeco-Roman name), the second bishop in the Malankara Church to get this title. Orthodox Theological seminary Pulikottil Joseph Ittoop Ramban travelled to Kottayam and founded the Seminary. The government of Travancore provided tax free land and the foundation stone was laid in February 1813. The work went on very fast and classes began in March 1815. Qualified teachers to teach various subjects were also appointed. They were Maramon Palakunnathu Abraham Malpan (Syriac), Konattu Varghese Malpan (Syriac), Kozhikode Kunjan Assan (Sanskrit), Poet Laureate Chekottu Kuruvilla Assan (Malayalam) and from Kochi Mose Esarphathi (Hebrew & Greek) were the first teachers of this first education institution in Kerala. By AD 2000 Kerala became the most literate state in India. English Missionaries Rev. Dr. Claudius Buchanan (1766–1815) who visited Kerala in 1806, and met Mar Thoma VI. After his return to England, missionaries who were members of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) began to arrive in Kerala. Rev. Thomas Norton arrived in Kochi on 8 May 1816 and began to open schools in and around Alappuzha. Rev. Benjamin Baily arrived in October 1816 and established a printing press at Kottayam. He also began to translate the Bible into Malayalam. Last days At the age of 74, and only nine months as Metropolitan, Pulikottil Joseph Mar Dionysius died on 24 November 1816. He was entombed at Kottayam Orthodox Pazhaya Seminary (Old Seminary). As Dionysius had not named a successor, the fate of the