Conversion and Social Equality in India

The London Missionary Society in South Travancore in the 19th Century

Inbunden, Engelska, 2025

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Beskrivning

Conversion in India should not be narrowed down to an individual moment of divine grace or a Gandhian change of heart. It is closely linked with the social aspirations of groups that suffer from discrimination and oppression. Since religion is supposed to cover all aspects of life, the author argues that for untouchable caste communities a change of religion may serve as an idiom of social mobility, in some respects closely resembling the more general process of Sanskritization.From the beginning of the nineteenth century the Christian missionaries' preachings attracted a large number of poor untouchables who tended to understand the Gospel in terms of their immediate needs and interests. These missionaries were in search of 'pure' converts and often felt disappointed when they found that material considerations played a large part in conversion movements. However, learning by experience they came to show a growing awareness that concern for the material welfare of the people constituted a legitimate part of their calling.The book analyses the confrontation between Evangelical missionaries from Victorian England and low caste communities in the Hindu social order, in the social setting of Travancore, an Indian native state tucked away in the south-west corner of the Indian peninsula. However, the problems like social stratification and cultural change dealt with by the author in the book concern a much wider field than Travancore or India alone.The author has used an impressive amount of missionary source material hitherto largely unexplored, both in England and India.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2025-06-15
Mått:150 x 230 x undefined mm
Vikt:700 g
Format:Inbunden
Språk:Engelska
Antal sidor:264
Förlag:Manohar Publishers and Distributors
ISBN:9788185054780

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Mer om författaren

Dick Kooiman studied Asian history and Sociology in Amsterdam. His Ph.D. thesis was on the emergence of labour organizations in the Bombay textile mills before the First World War (1978). As associate professor he has been teaching Asian history in the Amsterdam Free University, publishing widely on plantations, christian missions and ceremonial traditions at the Indian princely courts. He retired from academic life in 2007.

Innehållsförteckning

List of Tables, Maps and Pictures vii Preface ix I. Introduction 1. The Problem 1 2. The Source Material 4 3. The Research Questions 7 II. A Short History Of Travancore 1. Society And Religion 13 2. Political Events 20III. Colonialism And Missionary Activity 1. The Company's Charters 262. The London Missionaries' Backgrounds 323. Personal Strains And Conflicts 44IV. Missionary Advance In Travancore 1. Entering The State 52 2. Districts And Agency 59 3. The Local Response 69 4. Material And Immaterial Considerations 79 V. EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT 1. Village Schools 87 2. The Nagercoil Seminary 95 3. Employment Opportunities 100 4. The Commercial Value Of Language 109 6. Emergence Of Coffee PlantationsPolitics of Travancore Government 117Foreign Planters 124Indian Participation 127Labour Questions and Cooly Mission 1357 The Fight Against Civil DisabilitiesThe Threat of Annexation 144The Dress Controversies 148Socio-Economic Backgrounds of the Conflicts 154Interpretations 1608 Conversiton And Cultural ChangePerception of Change 168Remaining Caste Feeling 172Problems About Marriages 178The Influence of Folk Religion 185The Observance of the Sabbath Day 1939 Conclusion 197Glossary 220Bibliography 222Index 231