GURUKUL LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE

AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE - CHENNAI

HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA

ASSIGNMENT: PROTEST CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA: THE IMPACT OF

PROTESTANT MISSION ON ST THOMAS CHRISTIANS –LMS

SUBMITTED TO: REV.DR.BABU C

SUBMITTED BY: GIFTSON F
CLASS : BD -II
INTRODUCTION

This paper is intended to study the background of Christianity in India , arrival of St Thomas to India , conversion
to Christianity and the impacts of London missionary society on St Thomas Christians of Kerala

Let us discuss in detail below

ST THOMAS CHRISTIANS

The Saint Thomas Christians, also called Syrian Christians or Nasrani, is a community of Christians from Kerala,
India, who trace their origins to the evangelistic activity of Saint Thomas in the 1st century, and is one of the
oldest Christian communities of the world. 1 They are also often called Syrian Christians because of their ancient
connection to the Church of the East and thus the use Syriac as their liturgical language. Syriac is a derivative of
Aramaic, the language of Christ, and is, for my purposes, divided here between East Syriac and West Syriac
(example pronunciation: East - mAr, West – mOr). Yet another term for them is Malabar or Malankara Mar
Thoma Nasranis, as Kerala was also known as Malabar or Malankara.

The London Missionary Society (LMS)

The London Missionary Society (LMS) was a non-denominational missionary society founded in England in
1795 by evangelical Anglicans and various nonconformists. It was the first evangelical missionary society in the
world, and was one of the largest in the Victorian Era. The LMS began with the vision of bringing the gospel to
"the heathen" in lands that were not yet evangelized. It was also committed to social reform, and to the abolition
of slavery and the slave trade. The LMS had a significant impact on the St Thomas Christians of Kerala, India. It
was the first missionary society to send missionaries to Kerala, and the first to establish a mission station there.
The LMS also played a key role in the development of the Church of the East in India.

ARRIVAL OF ST THOMAS

St. Thomas, one among the 12 apostles of Christ, after visiting Socotra came to Muziris or Kondungallore, north
of Cochin in about AD 52. He converted natives of sound social and religious positions and established Christian
communities at seven places. He also appointed leaders from the leading families from whom he had converts to
look after and lead the church. From Kerala, St.Thomas proceeded to the eastern parts of south India where also
he had converts and then on he moved as far as to Malacca and China. Later returning to India he was martyred
and buried at Mylapore in AD 72.2 His mortal remains are entombed at Mylapore now known as St. Thomas
Mount. This above said is the substance of the tradition presented and transmitted by the living community of the
St.Thomas Christian of India about their apostolic origin. Details of this can be found in apostolic fathers’

1
Leslie Brown The Indian Christians of St Thomas: An Account of the Ancient Syrian Church of Malabar,P 11

2
C.M. Agur, (1901), Church History of Travancore, SPS Press, Madras,
writings, ancient traveller’s writings, pattanam excavations, a few folk songs like Ramban Pattu, Veeradiyan
Pattu, Margam Kali Pattu etc. These folk songs used to sing during festival occasions and these songs now exist
in written records. Authority for the St. Thomas tradition of Kerala Christianity, i.e. its historicity, is a matter of
dispute among the historians, to a great extent, for want of sufficient, direct archaeological evidences or backing
of contemporary written documents. The indigenous narrative tell the story of Saint Thomas: landing on the small
island of Malankara or on the coastal side of Malabar; living there for many years; sailing to Mylapore before
going to China; returning to Malabar and settling at Kodungallur where he strengthened the original seven
congregations he founded when he first came; training leaders from the high-caste families; and then departing
back to Mylapore where he was martyred by Brahmin for refusing to participate in worship of the goddess Kali.

The Thomma Parvam is the earliest record (supposedly 48 generations earlier than the first written version of
1601). It is still sung at special occasions such as weddings among Saint Thomas Christians. The song relates
how Saint Thomas arrived in December of the year 52, converted Jews at Kodungallur, how the king allowed his
nephew to be ordained a kattanar (priest) before the Apostle went to Quilon where he baptised 1,400 people and
set up a cross. Afterwards he went to the Chola Rajas in Mylapore where the same story of the building of the
royal place and the raising of the king’s dead brother found in the Acts of Thomas is recounted. When he was out
walking from his hermitage on Little Mount he encountered Brahmins processing the goddess Kali to a scared
grove. Upon refusing to worship her and the subsequent mysterious fire that destroyed the grove he was martyred.

The best known poetic version of the story gives a complicated demographic and social breakdown
(varnashramadharma) of the hereditary castes of the early Thomas Christians: 6,850 Brahmins; 2,800 Kshatriyas;
3,750 Vaishiyas; 4,250 Shudras; and Dalits (untouchables) and Adivasis (aboriginals) are not mentioned at all.
The lists go further in mentioning exactly how many miracles and of what kind occurred.

Other oral traditions, copper plates, stone inscriptions and palm leaf manuscripts (many still in the hands of
hereditary Nasrani families) give a myriad of details about travels, and the places visited or lived at by Saint
Thomas. From these immerges the fact that many Nasrani families and communities trace their particular
conversion to the time of the Apostle, or to one of the waves of immigration of Christians to Malabar long before
the arrival of the Portuguese. Many vamshvalis and puranas also claim hereditary authority even of the kattanars
or metrans (bishops or elders) who descended generation after generation from uncle to sister’s son (Kerala is an
area of matriarchal descent). This hereditary ‘apostolic succession’ allowes some families to trace back the office
holders up to 70 unbroken generations. There are four senior Nasrani families of Namboodiri Brahman origin
who trace their conversion to the Apostle - Sankarapuri, Pakalomattam, Kalli, and Kaliyankal. There are many
more elite Christian families
Some 6 of whom can back up their claims with ancient artefacts preserved by the family. Many of these artefacts
extend the story of Saint Thomas’s evangelisation of India further by giving many other details left out by the
Tomma Parvam such as giving the year of his martyrdom as 72AD

LMS AND ITS IMPACTS

The South India work of the LMS dealt with four districts of which the principal distinguishing characteristic
was the Indian language prevalent in each district. This is shown by three of the districts being named by the
dominant language therein: Telugu, Tamil and Canarese (Canarese referred to the language now called Kannada).
There was, however, significant Tamil work beyond the Tamil district, notably in the Canarese. The fourth district
was given the name of the kingdom with which it was more-or-less co-terminous, Travancore. Geographically,
missions were concentrated in the Madras Presidency, the Bombay Presidency, and the Native States of Mysore
and Travancore. The mission to Southern India can be seen as particularly successful in terms of the number of
Church members; there were 126,000 members in Travancore alone by 1939.3

The first mission to be established in South India was the mission to Telugu in the Madras Presidency, which was
formed at Vizagapatam [Vishakhapatam] in 1805 by George Cran and Augustus des Granges. The mission to the
Telugu speaking peoples was expanded to include Cuddapah (1822), Nundial (1855), Gooty (1889) and
Anantapur (1890).

THE TRAVANCORE MISSION

The Travancore [Kerala] mission, perhaps the most successful of the LMS missions in South India, was set up by
William Ringeltaube in 1806 at Mayiladi. An additional mission was established at Nagercoil in 1819, and this
station was later to become the centre of LMS educational work. Indeed, Nagercoil was the centre of training for
much of the indigenous clergy that was to become so important in the success of the missions in South India.
Significant stations in the Travancore district include Trivandrum (1838), Quilon (1821) and Neyyoor.

The different areas of LMS activity in South India were not always well-defined by language, and often different
linguistic groups could be of significance in a particular linguistic area - for example, there were missions to
Tamil and Malayalam speaking peoples in Travancore.

Activities of the London Missionary Society

3
J.A. Jacob, (1930), History of the London Missionary Society, Banglore, p.56.
The LMS was formed in 1795 as an inter-domination body for spreading the gospel of Christ. In India, the
activities of the LMS started on 5 December 1804. Col Macaulay granted permission for the introduction of
Protestant missionary activities in Kerala. The LMS missionaries' activities spread to areas between Kanyakumari
in the south and Quilon in the north. The LMS was widely accepted by the locals because in the southern parts of
Kerala, low castes, especially the Nadars and Parayas suffered from several social disabilities and burdens from
the orthodox feudal society. The LMS activities created a new consciousness among the oppressed classes. They
preached against the social discrimination and the oppressive social practices. Their efforts helped to protect the
human rights of the low castes and strongly challenged the oppression and exploitation by the higher castes and
the authorities. With the help of the missionaries, the low castes realized their age-old social disabilities and
discriminations. The missionaries wrote that ' our work is to promote the eternal interest of the people and if we
can procure for them some relief from their temporal distress, it will be our delight to do so'

THE EFFORTS OF THE MISSIONARIES

The Christian Missionaries while preaching the love of God, came in touch with the slaves and knew the social,
political and economic disabilities of the slaves and their sufferings. They felt that the slaves should be liberated
at the outset. To make them to understand the predicament of the slaves, the Missionaries started to educate the
people first.

Ringeltaube

William Ringeltaube, the first missionary was a Prussian who was invited by Col Macaulay to work in Kerala
(Yesudas 1980:27). The arrival of Ringeltaube on 25 April 1806 gave an impetus to the acceleration of the
Protestant missionary activities in Kerala. He started his missionary activities in Kerala (Agur 1990:40). He wrote
that 'our society is indebted to Col Macaulay, without whose determination and fearless interposition, any of the
mission-naries would have been able to set a foot in this country' (Agur 1990:40-41).

Ringeltaube was the first LMS missionary who redeemed several slaves from their bondage and was always
mindful of the poor. He arrived at My lady and received permission from the government to build a church there.
This first Protestant Church in Kerala was built in 1809. Ringeltaube started his campaign among the natives,
particularly among the Nadars because the Nadars were the real victims of suppression and inhuman cruelty from
the higher castes and the government (Ponnu 2000:35). Large number of low castes joined the evangelical
activities of Christianity. They belonged to different sections of artisans, small traders, and schoolteachers who
carried their class sympathies with them (Kooiman 1984:35). Ringeltaube started several schools for the
oppressed classes. During this time, the Christian churches acted as schools and the catechists as teachers. He
used two important tools - education and Christianity - for the emancipation of the oppressed classes from their
age-old sufferings. In these institutions, languages and vocational courses were taught.
Rev Charles Mead

After the death of Ringeltaube, Rev Charles Mead arrived in Kerala in 1817 and continued the missionary
activities of the LMS. He also encouraged the education of slave women of the state. For this purpose, he started
several schools for the oppressed classes. Mead believed that education could disseminate truth, overturn errors,
and uplift the downtrodden sections of the society. He also started several technical training centers for women
(Johnson 2008:129). For the development of the education of the oppressed classes, under his leadership, the
missionaries started several schools in villages with teachers who were appointed in these schools. Hundreds of
low caste children were admitted to these schools.

In the educational activities of Mead, Johanna Horyst helped him to take off and implement the scheme of
establishing schools or seminaries for boy students at Nagercoil. Mead married Horyst in 1819. She became the
first missionary woman in Kerala and took the first step for offering education to the girls in Kerala. She also
started boarding schools and orphanages. She opened a boarding house attached to the seminary, where a few girl
students were admitted during their studies. It was the first systematic attempt at women' s education in Kerala
(Pillai 1996:692). They also offered free food and clothing to the students. In 1818, Mead was appointed as the
judge in Nagercoil, where he established the center of missionary activities.4

The LMS missionaries decided to start vocational courses for the girl students in the schools, like lace making,
embroidery, crotchet, and spinning. The missionaries set up schools in different parts of the state, like in
Santhapuram, Parasala, Nedumangad, and Marthandam. Special Sunday schools were also opened in different
parts of the state to educate children of the oppressed classes.

ABOLISHMENT OF OOZHIYAM

Definition

The meaning of the term oozhiyam is 'labor without any remuneration', which was a type of compulsory labor.
Therefore, the oozhiyam service was an exploitive institution which totally neglected the rights of the low
caste oozhiyam servants of Kerala Among the most oppressive institutions, oozhiyam occupied a system of
harassment in the society. The oozhiyam servants were mainly from the lowest sections of the society of Kerala,
such as the Ezhavas, Nadars, Parayas, Pulayas, and the hill tribes.

TYPES OF OOZHIYAM

There were two kinds of oozhiyam services in Kerala. The servants of oozhiyam were forced to perform manual
services like carrying loads in connection with the government, and building roads, bridges, canals, and thatching
sheds for public purposes. They also made certain arrangements with the royal tours and were used to carry the

4
Triple Jubilee Magazine, Scott Christian High school, Nagercoil, October,1970,p.5
luggage of the people of the royal palace. The rowing of the pallitevaram (a royal boat) was another personal
service rendered by the oozhiyam servants. Second, the oozhiyam servants were used to forcibly supply provisions
and vegetables to the uttupu-ras (free feeding houses of the Brahmins) and the palaces. All the services were
rendered without remuneration. Therefore, the higher castes freely utilized the labor capacity of
the oozhiyam servants and exploited them in many ways

The living conditions of the oozhiyam servants in Kerala were even more deplorable. As a segregated group, they
were totally excluded from the mainstream of the civic life of the society. The European missionary, Abbe Dubois
who visited Kerala between 1792 and 1823 for missionary activities, explained the miserable condition of the
slaves, whom he called 'pariahs'. He compared their social conditions with the serfs of France and other parts of
Northern Europe He also added that it was the worst form of bondage system in Kerala5

ABOLISHMENT

The efforts of the missionaries were unique for the abolition of slavery and bonded labor system in Kerala. It was
their drive and initiative, which shook the conscience of all; it was their enthusiasm and zeal which were later
championed by the British Resident. With the pressure of both LMS and CMS missionaries, the government
introduced several notifications and proclamations for the improvement of socio-economic and religious
conditions of the oozhiyam servants of Kerala. The government issued a proclamation in 1829 that relieved the
Christian converted people from doing bonded services on Sundays in the temples of the Hindus. In August 1864,
the government issued a notification which exempted oozhiyam services to be delivered on the properties of
tenants of government. According to another notification in 1885, the oozhiyam servants were totally exempted
from supplying provisions and vegetables, and from rendering bonded services to the uttupuras. Finally, in 1893,
the oozhiyam system, one of the most baneful systems of caste slavery in Kerala, was abolished, although some
remnants of it were still found. Finally, in 1905, the government issued a proclamation which permanently
abolished the oozhyiam or bonded labor system in Kerala. It is therefore clear that the activities of the LMS and
CMS missionaries contributed to the abolition of the oozhiyam system in Kerala. Their restless efforts helped the
emancipation of the lowest sections of the society from their age-long bondage.6

5
Nagam Aiya, V.. The Travancore state manual. Vol. 1. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services. 1891 P 472
6
Dr. R. Stella The London Missionary Society And Abolition Of Slavery In South Travancore, 2018 IJCRT(Vol 6, Issue 2) April 2018
CONCLUSION

It is clear and evident that the role of missionaries in South India is not only promoting Christianity their mission
was not limited to religion but they have put more efforts on establishing education institutions and promoting
equality and in a way strived hard to abolish the caste system that was age old prevailed in India. Therefore the
result of modern society now is all because the foundation that was laid by missionaries.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. J.A. Jacob, History of the London Missionary Society, Banglore, (1930)

2. Agur, C.M.. Church history of Travancore. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services (1990).
3. Kusuman, K.K., Slavery in Travancore, Trivandrum, (1973)
4. Yesudas, R.N. History of the London Missionary Society in Travancore 1806-1808.
(1980.) Trivandrum: Kerala Historical Society
5. Triple Jubilee Magazine, Scott Christian High school, Nagercoil, October, (1970)
6. Dr. R. Stella The London Missionary Society And Abolition Of Slavery In South Travancore, 2018
IJCRT(Vol 6, Issue 2) April 2018

WEBLIOGRAPHY

Description of 'South India, 1796-1950. Council for World Mission Archive. School of Oriental and African
Studies (SOAS) Archives, University of London. GB 102 CWM/LMS/10' on the Archives Hub website,
[https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb102-cwm/cwm/lms/10], (date accessed :14/11/2022)