The Christian Missionaries in Coastal Maharashtra (Encapsuling their Historical, Social, Educational, Medical & Literary Endeavours)

The Missionaries were instrumental in establishing the pioneering Educational, Medical and Social Institutions across India. However, a systematic review of their activities in Maharashtra and more specifically along the coastline of Maharashtra including Mumbai shows a complete lack while those available are of very general nature and, hence, this book. The present work tries to touch upon a majority of Missionary Institutions along coastal Maharashtra (Konkan) right from the advent of Missionaries to their progress and finally their impact on our society. It systematically explores the dedicated and timely help rendered by the Missionaries and their families in field of education, medicine as well as on other social fronts. The surgical techniques used were far ahead of its times.

The Missionary habit recording day day events and publishing them in newspapers, weeklies and other bulletins of those days greatly helped in shaping this project. This meticulous exhibition of work done by the Missionaries is supported by the original letters of correspondence written by Missionaries themselves who worked at these stations and also by evidences of cross-links with other important Missionary stations. Exhaustive account of Educational, Medical and Religious Missions, Literary works, Indian contribution, Process of Inculturation, Major issues of the 19th Century and Christian voluntary movements have been thoughtfully presented. The Author also provides maps, figures, pictures, charts & tables, and a comprehensive list of the primary and secondary sources of information for readers' better understanding.

Equipped with a detailed Bibliography and supplementing Appendices, the book is a must read for the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students of Modern History, Research Scholars, Christian Religious Scholars, Historians, Educationalists, Social Workers, and all those who wish to look into the distinguished work done by the Missionaries in Maharashtra, specifically along its coastline.

Dr. Mrs. Neeta M. Khandpekar is an active teacher and researcher of international repute. She was the former Chief Co-ordinator of Centre for Gandhian Studies at KISAC. For her pioneering work on Christian Missionaries she was awarded D.Litt degree by the University of Sambalpur, Odisha. She holds a Doctorate of University of Mumbai and her interests include Modern/Maritime History and Christian Missionary History. She has shared her research work across several countries, including USA, Canada, Italy (Rome), Malaysia and Indonesia. She is a recipient of certificate of merit by Government of Maharashtra (1986), Mumbai University History Department Scholarship (1989), UGC Teacher Fellowship Award (1999) and UGC Post Doctoral Research Award (2004). She is a member of more than 13 professional academic bodies and was in the Board of Studies of University of Mumbai (2004-10).

She has recently joined the PG Department of History at the University of Mumbai after having served as the Head of the Department of History, K. J. Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce (KJSAC, Autonomous), Mumbai, for about two decades.

She has presented more than 100 articles in International and National Conferences including Journals. She has recently authored a book titled, Konkan Coast: A Socio-Economic Study (16th & 17th Centuries).

The coastal region of Maharashtra can be broadly classified as North Konkan and South Konkan. My M.Phil dissertation (1995) covered Seventeenth Century history of specific ports of Chaul, Dabhol, Rajapur and Vengurla. The Socio-Economic study of the entire Konkan coastline (Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century history) was undertaken as a doctoral project. My study in this region for about a decade brought forth frequent evidences of humanitarian work done by Christian Missionaries in diverse fields. The three year postdoctoral research award of UGC, New Delhi went a long way in fulfilling the motive of undertaking it as a major project. The review of reference material in this direction showed complete lack of specific Missionary works in the Konkan region while those available were of very general nature.

The present work covers a majority of Missionary stations along the coast line of Maharashtra (Konkan) with evidences of cross-links with Missionary stations of Ahmednagar as well as those as far as Madras, Gujarat, Calcutta and Agra. In this process, some of the left out stations do deserve some attention and may be taken as future projects.

The timely help rendered by the Missionaries in the field of medicine and education remains unmatched. The techniques used especially in surgery were far ahead of its times. The Missionary habit of recording the day to day events and publishing them in newspapers, weeklies and other bulletins of those days go a long way in shaping this project. The dedication of the Missionaries to various fields is noticeable.

It is an honor to introduce Dr. Neeta M. Khandpekar's work on Christian Missions in the Coastal Maharashtra (Konkan) region of India. Readers will find that it is a valuable telling of the story of men and women who devoted themselves to the care of Indians in need. and the consequences of their works.

The main focus is on the work of Catholic and Protestant Missions. The Presbyterian Mission happens to be one of the Chief Protestant Missions and many of their extant records are stored in the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This is a work well worth reading because it brings to light their stories with personal touches. It also shows the manner in which their story fits into the larger picture of modern Indian history.

Readers should appreciate the fact it is valuable to have the story of Christian Missions in India told by scholars from different religious traditions. Works such as this one provide readers with a different perspective than those written in British colonial times or that a Christian worldview would provide. And a book such as this one also adds to a more diverse historical understanding of India.

When Dr. Khandpekar visited the United States I was able to offer some guidance about where to go for resources and to arrange contacts to help with research. It is always a delight to see younger colleagues one aids along the way accomplish good things such as this book. So it is with an almost parental pride that I commend this book to you the reader.

The material world has extended to us abundant opportunities to develop our inner as well as outer formation and living. However, often human endeavor turns in a futile circle as we fail to become mature enough to discover the true self and to live on earth in love, in peace, in harmony with oneself, with fellow human beings, and with the totality of our being. What is that prison wall that prevents us from discovering and experiencing oneness with the Divine which we always lived without being aware of it? What are those that make the humans' lives limited, fragmented, broken and pulled on all sides? The contemporary issues of globalization, religious fundamentalism and violence reflect the affliction of the inner spirit because humans deny its upward urge towards the highest fulfillment. Social and political ideologies show narrow aspiration without any lasting effects. In such a setting Integral Yoga points out that the origin of humans' disappointments and problems lies not outside but inside. Human experience of the Divine is the answer given to free from self-centeredness and realize our true center in God. Life is a search for being and becoming, transforming one's way of seeing and living when there is the discovery of one's real Self, a return to the center being.

**Contents and Sample Pages**