History of Christian Missions: North India Perspective

The large scale advent of Christian Missions in India at the beginning of the nineteenth century had given a powerful push to the wheel of social change in the country. Consequently, the socio political system built during the Mughal period was found too weak to withstand the sweep of the utilitarian Western thoughts and practices. In these circumstances, supported by their state, trade and philanthropy, the Christian Missionary Societies of Europe flooded this country with a large number of evangelical workers ‘to win India for Christ’. The fertility of land, martial traits of its population and proximity to Delhi were some of the factors that invested the Yamuna-Ganga Doab with a considerable significance. No wonder, therefore, that almost all important missions set up their establishments in the region. Incidentally, the Christian missionary not only preached a new faith but also propagated a different way of life. His methods comprised new techniques like the bazaar and fair preachings, village perambulations and distribution of books and tracts as also founding of institutions for education, medicine and charity. Despite the feeble opposition of Hindus and Muslims, a good many people from the social elite found the rationalistic approach of the new faith quite attractive. Also, the missionaries endeared themselves to the depressed classes, whose cause of emancipation they chose to fight for. The violence witnessed by the year 1857 only enhanced the zeal of the two sides instead of deciding the issues once and for all. Once the dust of the event settled down, the government of the day started siding with missions, though not openly. On their part, the missionaries also remained loyal to the Government. The involved and dedicated work of these missions set apace a great social reaction throughout the country bringing forth a host of reformative and revivalistic movement which eventually laid the foundations of modern India. It is significant that the revised second edition of the book is being brought out when Christian missions and missionaries as well as the subject of conversions have been in the limelight for the last two decades giving it a new topically.