CHRISTIANITY'S CONTRIBUTION TO INDIA

by J.N. Manokaran

Christianity came into India, even before it reached the West. There is a strong tradition that St.
Thomas one the twelve disciples of Jesus came to India in 52 A.D. and later died as martyr in
Mylapore (Chennai - Madras). The history of Christianity in the state of Kerala is in its 20th century.
But the Christian faith was limited to the geographical boundaries of Kerala until 15th century. Then a
new surge began as Vasco da Gama reached Kerala in 1498. This was followed by Catholic
missionaries like St. Francis Xavier (1542) who came to India and evangelized coastal areas of South
India. Thus he was able to plant strong churches among the fishermen in the Western and Eastern
coastal regions of the country. The first Protestant global mission was Danish Mission that sent
missionaries to Indian in 1706 A.D. Zeigenbalg and Plauetau came to Tranquebar which is in the
shores of Tanjore in Tamil Nadu. But flood gates of mission opened after William Carey, under the
banner of a para church organization – Baptist Missionary Society reached India in 1792. Thus an era
of modern missions began. Then there were many missionary agencies that emerged in North
America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand who started reaching to many parts of the world. India
was also one of the great beneficiaries of the Global Advance of missions.

Missionaries should have the approach to mission as holistic as evident from their approaches through
out history. Naturally, many Indian Christian leaders who followed their foot steps also were holistic
in their approach. It is obvious from the Bible: When Adam and Eve sinned against God the
consequences or effect was holistic impacting their spiritual, moral, emotional, social, economic and
relational life and Lord Jesus Christ death and resurrection brings holistic restoration of a person who
puts his/her faith in Lord Jesus Christ. Missions could not be other wise by any means.

It would be instructive and exciting to take a bird‟s eye view of missionaries who were transformation
agents making qualitative difference in the lives of millions of Indians. The list here is not exhaustive
but representative of colossal achievement of Christian contribution to India.

Democratization of education

Education in India was a privilege of elite upper classes. It was limited to gurukuls where upper caste
young boys would go to study under the tutorship of a guru. Even women from the upper caste
families were not provided opportunity to learn. Common people were aliens to this elite education
system. When missionaries arrived they began to start schools for common people, generally in the
vernacular language. Moni Bagchee writes critically about “Christian Missionaries in Bengal”.
Though, written with the negative attitude, the author acknowledges the contribution of missionaries
in Bengal to the cause of mass education. Missionaries educated children in local language, raised the
standard of education, trained teachers and improved methods of teaching.

Missionaries were ahead of their times. Women empowerment would be possible only when women
are educated. So, they began to open schools for girls. Upper caste men used to ridicule missionaries
requesting them to educate their cows instead of girls. Some times missionaries had to pay incentives
to families for sending their girls to school. Modern Indian women have entered in almost all fields in
the nation should be grateful to missionaries who created opportunities for their empowerment.
Education that was window to the world, key to knowledge, wheels for progress was made available
widely for all children irrespective of their caste or economic status or sex. Today, India aspires for a
superpower status in the globalized world for which missionaries sowed the seed more than two
hundred years ago.

The tribal people in Northeast India and in Chotanagpur region are prosperous and progressive. S.K.
Barpujari, University of Gauhati writes the teaching of Christ changed the evil practices of Nagas like
practices of head-hunting and bloody warfare.

Literature Development

The first book to be published in India was the Tamil Bible. Zigenbalg who came to Tranquebar in
1706 translated the Bible in Tamil language. Following his footsteps, William Carey translated Bible
into several languages. Missionaries not only translated Bible, but also wrote grammar and produced
dictionaries for several languages like Tamil, Bengali, etc…

Delivering women from oppression

Indian culture did have a “sacred” law, but that law of Manu justified untouchability, oppression of
women and any means needed to retain the social hierarchy which is supremacy of Brahmins. Sati
was a practice in which a widow was burnt alive along with the corpse of her husband while he is
cremated. The practice is believed to have emerged as young widows would be a burden for in-laws
families and may claim property of her husband. The worse scenario would be when the widow
marries again and takes off the property. For them the best way to solve the problem was to burn the
widow in the funeral pyre. It was widely prevalent in major parts of the country. Khushwant Singh
writes that it was common in Punjab also. These inhuman atrocities against women shook the
conscience of William Carey who raised his voice against this practice and created a debate among
the intellectuals in India. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was one such intellectual who became a strong
advocate for abolition of Sati. It was outlawed in 1829 by William Bentick the British Viceroy of
India. Numerous widows who could otherwise get a fiery grave were delivered from the jaws of
death.

Widows had two options either to die along with her husband as sati or live as though dead in a joint
family system. Generally, they were looked down upon as demon who devoured her husband, teased,
ridiculed and treated as curse and banned from all celebrations. Some had to live in „widow
communities‟ but begging for food. Then the practice of child marriage was common in those days
and it continues in a lesser extent still. Many girls became child widows before they could realize they
were married. Pandit Rama Bai was a Hindu Brahmin woman born to a Chitpawan Brahmin couple
near Karkal, in South Karnataka State in 1858. She was one Indian Christian who rose to the occasion
and started “Pandit Rama Bai Mukti Mission” that took care of widows and many among them were
children and young women. This mission helped women physically, mentally and spiritually.
Ramabai also started a school for women and girls in Bombay in 1889. She pleaded with the British
government to train lady doctors who would attend to the medical needs of women. She also started a
hospital for women. Educating them, Empowering them with skills, and thus providing economic
freedom to live with dignity.

Through the CMS (Church Missionary Society), Rev. Charles Rhenius, a German Lutheran, began a
work in Tirunelveli in 1820. In 1830 Rhenius founded the Widow‟s Fund (Dharma Sangam) that was
raised from different congregation and was used for rehabilitation of widows. These pioneering
efforts were met with severe opposition from conservative leaders of other communities.

Another evil practice against women was “devadasi” tradition. Girls, especially young girls were
dedicated to temple – literally meaning they were married to deity. These young girls were exploited
by priests and prominent men of the area sexually. So, they become sex slaves for the community.
Amy Carmichael was a missionary who was appalled by this evil practice. She started protecting such
girls by adopting them and caring for them. There was severe opposition to her work; often false cases
were filed against her but she fought courageously to deliver those girls and give them a life of
dignity. Rescue home for prostitutes were also started by missionaries to rehabilitate women who
were forced into this sinful profession. Some of the women forced into such evil practices were
widows. Madhavi Tata writes that such things happen even now in India: Slave to religious
prostitution, Telangana‟s joginis get to discover there‟s life beyond this wretched life. On advice of
upper Caste Hindus in the village Gangamani aged 13 was dedicated to local goddess, Yellamma. She
was married to a potharaju (priest representative of the local deity and declared a jogini. The same
night, a village zamindar took her virginity. He stayed with her three weeks, after which he declared
her “open” to other men in the village. Not only did she have to sleep with any man who wished to do
so, she also had to dance in front of dead bodies at funerals and beg at each house in harvest season.
Gangamani, 34 today, says she had to accept this form of „religious prostitution‟ as a normal way of
life. But, now after 16 years of being jogini with the help of Non-Government Organization has
become a full time farmer. Thanks to the efforts of local NGOs, jogini initiations have come down
considerably in the last six years. Most joginis are Malas and Madigas, considered the lowest among
the scheduled casted. Their exploiters would sleep with the joginis but not eat their food or drink
water offered by them. There is a local belief that jogini tradition delivers the community of disease
and pestilence, destruction of crop and failure of rains. Laxmi, aged 40 a former jogini contested the
mandal parishad poll and won! Now she ensures no other woman in Humnapur becomes a jogini
again.

Another innovation is the beginning of cottage industries for women. That provided opportunity for
women to use their extra time at home to be involved in productive work and add income to the
family. The economic independence gave women dignity and helped them to bring up their children
better.

In some parts of the country women were not allowed to wear their upper garments. Upper cloth
revolts between the years 1822-1856 happened thrice. Nadar women were not allowed to wear upper
clothes by Nair upper caste people. London missionary society fought against this injustice. A dress
making cottage industry, Dorcas society began to produce cheap clothes for Nadar women. In July 26,
1856 the British Government passed an ordinance stating that Nadar women could wear their jackets
and cover their bosom.5

Medical missions

Missionaries who saw the need for scientific health care began mission hospitals in India. Christian
missions contributed much to the medical scene in India. Mission hospitals were started in several
districts in the country. Modern medicine was made available to all people. Doctors treated patients
with love, concern and care. There was no discrimination against people based on caste. Missionary
doctors would be happy to touch the patients even if they are from low castes while the society treated
them as “untouchables”. Another great contribution was the founding of hospitals for women. Ida
Scudder who witnessed the death of pregnant women who were refused by their husbands to be
treated by men doctors in 1893 founded the hospital for women that grew to be one of the best
hospitals in India – Christian Medical College and hospital, Vellore. This hospital has produced world
class doctors who have served with love, dedication and sacrifice. Christians served the community
by becoming nurses, as of 1940, 90% of nurses in India were Christians. “Nursing” was considered as
mean job and only Christians were willing to take up this job.

Treating leprosy patients with dignity was a far cry in those days. Lepers were considered as enduring
wrath of god according to their karma. So, they were ill treated worse than animals. And in some
places they were buried alive. Christian doctors began ministry among them by caring for them. What
about TB (Tuberculosis) sanitoriums that were created by medical missionaries? All show how social
service was used as tool for transformation.

AIDS is another scare that has hit the world. As per the UNAIDS report, India is home to the second
largest population infected by AIDS. It ranks just below South Africa. The population of HIV infected
individuals in South Africa is 5 300 000. In India it is 5 100 000. If the trend is not reversed, the
epidemic may spread so rapidly that it can become a mass killer. Though many NGOs are working in
this field amidst social stigma and taboo, Christian holistic mission agencies have done yeoman
service. Not branding a victim just as sinner or effect of bad karma, but considering them as human
being created in the image of God and object of God‟s love and candidate for salvation; Christians
have extended their helping hands.

Famines

Famines ravaged much of India from 1870 – 1920; especially Deccan famine in 1877 and Central
India famine in 1897. American missionaries responded in 1901 by supporting 16,000 orphans.
Godfrey Philips said in 1936, “Of the six million Indian Christians, the great majority are of depressed
class origin. Yet no one thinks of the Christian community as a depressed class. The church has
actually uplifted more depressed class people than all other organizations put together.” Feeding the
hungry, taking care of children who were orphaned by famines, providing opportunity for the people
by training them in some skills were the services rendered by missionaries during famines.

Marginalized communities

Mental patients were considered as demon possessed by the people in olden times. They were tied or
chained, beaten, iron rods were heated and applied on their parts of body and controlled by a variety
of methods. Medical missionaries pioneered ways to treat mental patients so that they have an
opportunity to be rehabilitated in the society. Nur Manzil in Lucknow is one shining example of this
contribution to India.

The contribution to the handicapped people could not be overlooked. The schools for the blind, deaf
and dumb are examples for the compassionate service of the church towards the differently abled.
They were given education, provided means for livelihood and rehabilitated in their own society.
Bible is available in Braille in all major languages in India.
Fighting Exploitation

The tribals in Chottanagpur area in the modern Jharkhand state became Christian in large numbers.
During the British Raj, many non-tribals tried to usurp the land of tribals. One Catholic Father Levins
was always available to help these tribals to fight cases in the courts of law and get their land back.
This unique service attracted many to Christianity.

Agricultural institutes

Agriculture was the predominant occupation in India. The new methods of irrigation and crop rising
was introduced by missionaries. Allahabad Agricultural Institute was a pioneer in this area which was
also a contribution of missionaries.

Technical institutes

With the advent of industrial revolution in the West, industries also began in India. Christian young
men who had some education but did not have skills to be employed caused concern in the minds of
missionaries. There were opportunities for young people to be trained and employed in such
industries. But, there were not training centres for young boys. Missionaries started technical
institutes like Nave Institute, Shahjahanpur, Prakash Institute, Wadi and Ingraham institute in
Ghaziabad. These institutes trained young boys from all communities and they were able to build their
career and families thorough this form of empowerment.

Rehabilitation centre for criminals

Criminals who were thrown in jails had almost death sentence for life. It was not possible for them to
again be rehabilitated in the society. Missionaries started rehabilitation centres for such people to help
them to cope up with life. They were trained and provided micro-credits to start a small business and
build their lives. Many who do not have such encouragement and opportunity would go back to the
life of crime. Bethel, in Danishpet and Prison Fellowship of India are some Christian organizations
that provide help and support for prisoners families. The women were trained to manage the family.
Children were provided with education and some times admitted in Christian hostels. When both
parents are in jail the children are taken in hostels.

Homes for the aged

An estimated 1 50 000 people are in queue for admission to old age homes in India. While the total
population is expected to rise by 49 per cent between 1991 and 2016, the number of elderly persons
(above 60 years) is expected to increase by 107 per cent to 113 million. In other words, by 2016, 9 per
cent of the total population will be senior citizens. Historically, old age homes have acquired a
negative imagery in the Indian lexicon. When the need arose, Christians pioneered by opening homes
for the aged. Based on Christian models, currently, there are about 1 600 registered old age homes run
by both Christians and non-Christians.

Contemporary Church being relevant by addressing the challenges

Evangelical Fellowship of India – National Urban Network describes transformation as:

“Transformation is a process by which the whole church takes the whole gospel to the whole city so
that the power, the peace and the presence of God is experienced by every individual who is
reconciled to God, to one another and to the environment that brings economic sufficiency, social
peace, public justice and national righteousness.” Gospel brings transformation in all areas of a
person‟s life.

There are numerous social evils, social structures that obstructs a person from realizing full potential
as God intended, economic deprivation and exploitation, social disharmony, social sins approved by
culture, degradation of human beings, female infanticide and foeticide, illiteracy and several aspects
that could be addressed by the Church in India to bring transformation in India. Will the Church
respond to this holistic opportunity? Let us hope and pray so.