Unlike the popular belief, Islam and Christianity had come to India much before the Muslims and Christians became influential rulers in the Hindu land. Both Islam and Christianity were foreign religions whereas the Sanatan Dharma at a later stage gave birth to reformed native religions like Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. The believers of Judaism (Jews) and Zoroastrianism (Parsis), who were persecuted in their own land, Middle East and Iran respectively, found solace in India as indigenous religions. Hinduism, defined as a way of life, does not believe in converting the people of other religious faith and never ever felt at risk of becoming a minority despite mass scale conversions under the State patronage during Muslim as well as Christian rules.
It is believed that Jesus survived the crucifixion and spent his remaining years in Kashmir. There is an old building known as the Rozabal shrine in the narrow alleys of Khanyar area of Old City Srinagar, where the shrine is only open on the 13th day of every month, according to lunar calendar. American author Suzanne Olson, who claimed to be a descendant of Jesus, came to Kashmir to obtain DNA from the shrine in the late 1990s. Olson's claims increased the influx of tourists. When Olson attempted to dig the shrine to prove Jesus was buried there, it created communal tensions. Kashmiri writer Fida Hassnain, in his book Jesus in Kashmir, claims evidence that Christ is buried at Rozabal is mentioned Kashmir's own history. “Yuzu Asif, the name of the saint buried here, is not an Arabic name or Muslim name. It’s a Hebrew name and the prophet Jesus is buried there (Rozabal). He came to Kashmir after he faced problems there.” Due to the controversy a notice board, which quotes verses from the Quran and the Bible to disprove that Christ was buried at the site, was installed at the site.
Christians believe that the Apostle Thomas reached Muziris, Tamilakam (Kerala and Tamil Nadu in present day India) in 52 AD and baptised several people, founding what today are known as Saint Thomas Christians or Nasranis. Five of the high class Brahmin families of Namboothiris were also baptised and they are called Syrian Christians following even Hindu rituals, including wearing Mangalsutras. The Father of White Revolution in India, Dr Verghese Kurien, was very proud of his Namboothiri ancestors. His wife used to wear the Mangalsutra.
Christianity was as such established in India even before some nations of Europe had been Christianised. The French or Catalan Dominican Missionary Jordanus Catalani was the first European to start conversion in India. He arrived in Surat in 1320. After his ministry in Gujarat, he reached Quilon (now Kollam, Kerala) in 1323. By bringing message of Goodwill from the Pope for the local rulers, he got thousands to Christian fold. Only the people from lower strata of the society in India were baptised, is also a myth since the high class Brahmin Hindus also opted to be Christians not only in Gujarat but also in Goa, Kerala, Bengal and even in Northern States. The first President of the Indian National Congress in 1885 was a Bengali Brahmin Barrister (converted Christian) Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee. The Education Minister in Bhavnagar State Manishankar Ratnaji Bhatt, popularly known as Kavi Kant, became Christian in 1898 and reconverted to Hinduism. Though Christianity does not recognise caste system, even after converting to Christianity from so-called upper castes like Brahmins, the matrimonial alliances are not encouraged with those who are converted from the so-called lower castes i.e. Scheduled Castes. Even among the Scheduled Caste converts, preference is given to the alliances in hierarchy of their original castes.
The Portuguese, Dutch and British came to India for trade and became rulers subsequently. Sir Thomas Roe, who sat in the House of Commons between 1614 and 1644, was an Ambassador to the Court at Agra during Emperor Jahangir’s period. Sir Roe had first met the Emperor at Naginawadi (Kankaria Lake) at Ahmedabad and later at Agra Court he could obtain the licence to trade for the East India Company by establishing the first factory at Surat. The rest is history.
The British rule in India saw some of the Maharajas (Kings) getting converted to Christianity. Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s youngest son Maharaja Dalip Singh became Christian and handed over the precious Koh-i-noor, colourless diamond of 793 carats, to the British Royal family. Even Harnam Singh, the Raja of Kapurthala, who married a Christian Rani (Queen) preferred to be a Christian. His Oxford-educated Christian daughter Rajkumari Amrit Kaur was a Gandhian in the freedom movement and became Union Health Minister in the Nehru Cabinet. There is no doubt the Christian Missionaries have contributed to the field of education and welfare of poor people in India, but their dream to Christianise India has so far not been fulfilled.
Next Column: Raja Ram Mohan Roy: From Village Pathshala to Bristol
(The writer is a Socio-political Historian. E-mail : [email protected])
