Paul Hutchinson

The Spread of Christianity Paul Hutchinson

Book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1922. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXII CHRISTIANITY IN MODERN INDIA Legend maintains that the gospel was first carried into India by Saint Thomas, one of the apostles. Earlytravelers, such as Marco Polo, have left historical evidence of the presence of Nestorian Christians in that country centuries ago. We have already seen how Saint Francis Xavier, and after him other Jesuits, planted Catholicism about the Portuguese settlements on the coast in the sixteenth century (see Chapter XIV). And we have seen the beginning of Protestant work under the Danish missions of the eighteenth century (see Chapter XLX). But it was not until the nineteenth century that Christianity began vitally to affect the life of India. Carey And The Pioneers To understand the way in which Protestant missions gained their foothold in India it is necessary to recall the peculiar manner in which that empire came under western rule. The British East India Company.--The Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach India, but they were soon followed by the Dutch, French, English, and Danes. British interests were mainly in the extension of trade, and were represented by the British East India Company, chartered in the time of Queen Elizabeth, and given extraordinary powers whereby it not only held a monopoly of the Far Eastern trade of England, but was also given what amounted to the right to govern politically. In India the empire of the Moguls disintegrated rapidly after the seventeenth century. On the other hand, the ambition and power of the British and French increased. Finally, at the same time Britain was expelling France from Canada, the British, led by Clive, defeated the French at the battle of Plassey, and so achieved virtual control of India. But it is to be remembered that it was the British East India Company th...