and throughout the valley of the Tigris, spreading the Syriac Orthodox faith. With the appointment of the maphrian came large ecclesiastical autonomy from the Church in Antioch. This was done to help improve the position of Miaphysites within the Persian Empire, refuting accusations of favouring the Byzantines. Over time, the relations between the Maphrian and the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch became increasingly strained, and at times lead to schisms and interference into the election of both maphrian and patriarch. In 869, the Council of Capharthutha was held to regulate the relationship and resolve the differences between the two positions. The Council agreed that just as the patriarch consecrated the Maphrian, the consecration of a new Patriarch would be reserved to the Maphrian and that both would avoid interfering in the administration of the other. However, the Maphrians often had disputes with bishops within his own administration, such as the metropolitan of the Monastery of Mar Mattai near Nineveh, who was jealous of the preponderating influence of Tagrit. The maphrianate was based in Tagrit until 1089 upon the destruction of the main cathedral, known as the Green Church and was relocated to Mosul. The maphrian returned to Tagrit where he united the two sees of Nineveh and Tagrit in 1152 before being forced to permanently move to the Monastery of Mar Mattai in 1155 whilst retaining an immediate jurisdiction over Tagrit and Nineveh. From 1533, the title was changed to the Maphrian of Mosul to distinguish it from the new office of Maphrian of Tur Abdin. In time, the number of Syriac Orthodox Christians in Mesopotamia decreased, and the maphrianate lost its original significance. It became largely a titular designation for the Syriac Orthodox Church's second highest office until being abolished altogether in a synod of 1860. In 1975, the title was resurrected for use by the regional head of the Syriac Orthodox Church in India (Jacobite Syrian Christian Church). The current Maphrian is Baselios Thomas I. Ecclesiastical jurisdiction The following dioceses were suffragans of the Maphrianate of the East at various points in its existence: Beth Arbaye Sinjar Maltha Arzen Gomel or Marga Beth Ramman (Baremman) or Beth Waziq (Bawazij) Karma Beth Zabdai, later moved to Jazirat Ibn ʿUmar Beth Nuhadra Peroz-Shapur Shahrzur Al-Hirah Anah and the Banu Taghlib Nineveh and Mosul Baghdad Monastery of Saint Matthew Kufa Narsibad Kurum Qronta Beth Arsham Hassasa Tirhan Balad Beth Saida Sistan