Christian Missions and Conversion (A Historical, Sociological and Anthropological Study of the Depressed Castes of India, 1850-1950)

Christian missionary-mediated empowerment and attainment of greater social consciousness among the subaltern communities was a phenomenal factor of social transformation in India since the middle of the 19th century. This book is a reconstruction of the conversion movement and social change among two depressed castes-the Malas and the Madigas-in coastal Andhra, greatly owed to the evangelisation work of the Western Christian missionaries during the period from 1850 to 1950.

The book discusses in detail, the response of the Malas and Madigas to Christian evangelisation through conversion and their subsequent social transformation in many aspects of life. The missionaries engaged in social, religious, educational, occupational and economic upliftment. programs for the people of coastal Andhra, principally among these two communities. This study examines in detail, the factors and causes of conversion of the Malas and the Madigas and their post-conversion socio-cultural, religious, occupational, educational and economic upward mobility,

The book skillfully weaves the lofty precepts and liberative values of the Christian religion as translated in the work of the missionaries. More importantly, the book highlights how the missionaries facilitated the processes of liberation from the multiple bondages-social, religious, cultural, economic and so on, which these communities had been suffering for centuries. Also, the book brings forth how the convert communities themselves took initiatives to reconstruct a different self- image based on Christian values and dignity of the human person on one hand, and to assert a social space at par with any other community in the wider ambient society, on the other.

Delving deep into numerous historical sources, the book unearths the processes of construction of a new social consciousness among the two castes, besides the dynamics of social transformation as a consequence of it.

Dr. Santha Kumari Varikoti-Jetty is from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India and completed her schooling from the Bishop Azariah High school for Girls, Vijayawada and took her undergrad degree from the Maris Stella College, Vijayawada. The author did her M. A and M. Phil in History from the University of Hyderabad, India and Ph.D from the Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, India. The present book is based on her doctoral dissertation. Dr. Varikoti-Jetty has a passion for World Christianity Studies and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences themes. She has written articles on the History of Christianity in India and has presented papers in a number of International conferences. Currently, the author is taking an active role in publishing and writing on World Christianity themes.

This book entitled, Christian Missions and Conversion: A Historical, Sociological and Anthropological Study of the Depressed Castes of India. 1850-1950, by Dr. Santha Kumari Varikoti-Jetty, documents the operation of six mission organizations which worked in six different locations in colonial coastal Andhra during the chosen period of study.

The narrative is clear, and is descriptive of the evangelization work of the missionaries, including their service in the fields of education, healthcare, social upliftment, humanitarian care, etc. The beginning, development and spread of the Christian religion among two Depressed Class (now termed as Scheduled Castes or popularly known as Dalits), communities-the Malas and Madigas--in Andhra make a substantial part of the narrative in the book.

The Depressed Classes as a category of caste communities were only nominally mentioned in the writings on Indian society, for they belonged to the subaltern people groups, and in many places were considered as slaves. They remained as deprived people for centuries in India. Though there have been attempts at their liberation by many social and religious reform leaders in India, they were noticed and their plight was brought to fore during the period of colonial modernity. It is a fact that the true story of these two Dalit communities was first narrated by the missionaries and thereafter the colonial government and later the society in general began to take note of them. This has been narrated in the book.

Missionary-mediated transformation of the consciousness of the Depressed Castes in Andhra in a colonial context forms another important aspect of this book. Missionary-mediated transformation and social consciousness of the Depressed Castes in Andhra in the colonial context forms an important aspect of this book. The foreign missionaries who came to work among the Malas and Madigas not only noted the peculiar customs, traditions, rituals and everything of their people, but were also shocked by the discrimination and oppression they suffered under the caste system. The plight of the Depressed Classes attracted global attention through voluminous writings of the missionaries, particularly Protestant ones. Their passionate enquiries into the nature of caste oppression were instrumental in changing the fortunes of the Depressed Classes. This book is a studied document of that sharp perception of the missionaries and their attempts at changing the situation of the Dalits.

The mediation of the missionaries was not just creating infrastructure for material empowerment of the Dalits, but also in instilling a stimulus for changing the self-image and self-perception of the Dalits themselves, by providing adequate socio-religious superstructure such as ideas, ideals and indoctrination. In missionary terms,it was 'salvation' of the convert, who otherwise would remain as a 'doomed' person that was offered to him/her. They seem to have facilitated the natives to have a critical understanding of the complexities of the consciousness of the Dalits. For the missionaries, liberation from the bondedness of the Malas and Madigas was intimately connected with the liberation teachings of the Gospels. Christianity was found as offering of an alternative worldview to the oppressed communities.

The author has skillfully woven this aspect into the narrative of the book. This is accomplished by giving a detailed description of the context, on the founding of the missions, preaching of the Gospel and demonstration of practical Christianity, besides narratives on the participation of the natives, and eventual devolution of responsibility and authority for constructing indigenous Christian communities. In fact, this is the cardinal argument of the book.

The author has skillfully tried to bring out the aspect of social transformation among the converts mediated by the mission agents, be it foreign or indigenous ones. The author has discussed in detail the pre-conversion contexts (social, religious, economic, political, and so on, of the Malas and Madigas and has woven the story beautifully, the apparent change (social, economic, educational, occupational, religious, etc) mediated among these convert communities.

The author has amassed a lot of sources from mission archives and libraries, and has created a narrative substantiated with historical sources, citing them almost at every sentence. Reliance on sources is her forte. I congratulate the author for presenting a source-rich narrative, but at the same time, weaving the mission perspective with a scholar's perspective.

**Contents and Sample Pages**