Mar Thoma Darmo, a native of Mesopotamia, was Metropolitan of the Church of the East in India from 1952 to 1968, based at Trichur. In schism against the Catholicos Patriarch Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII because of issues of calendar and succession, he was named head of the Ancient Church of the East in October 1968 and relocated to Baghdad. He died there the following year.