02-14-2007, 04:30 AM
Shanghunny Menon's "History of Travancore from the earliest times".
South Travancore was one of the earliest outposts of protestant evangelism in India.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Soon after the Governor's [George Harris, Governor of Madras] departure [from a visit to Trivandrum in 1858], the deputy Peishcar Shungoonny Menon [author of this account] rejoined his division in the south, but he had the mortification to find, that, during his absence fresh misunderstanding had arisen between the Hindus and the Shanar converts. The spirit of hostility between these two sections of the inhabitants had lain dormant for some time chiefly-through the interference of the Sircar authorities, but it seemed to have been again roused up, and the disputes this time were of a more serious nature. The Peishcar's efforts to throw oil on the troubled waters and bring matters to a satisfactory conclusion proved in the long run abortive; although he succeeded in restoring harmony between the parties temporarily.
The misunderstanding had originated entirely from the Shanar Christian females assuming the costume of high caste Hindu females. They had been doing this from the early days of their conversion, and instead of endeavouring to suppress what might eventually cause serious complications, the Missionaries encourÂaged them and fostered among them a spirit of hostility against the high caste Hindus. The Sircar had been necessitated, in 1814, to interfere and legislate for the future guidance of the Shanars, but notwithstanding this during a period of fifteen years there were quarrels on various occasions between the parties. Matters now looked serious and the interference of the Government seemed to be again called for. There had been a legislative enactment in 1829, at the very commencement of the reign of the greatly renowned Maha Rajah who died in 1022 M.E. (1847 A.D.) In this enactment, it was clearly laid down that the female Shanar converts were at liberty to cover their bosoms with a jacket, and a strict proÂhibition was laid down against their adopting high caste Hindu costumes; but the aim of the converts had been persistently to defy the higher class Hindus and to despise their brother Shanars, who professed Hinduism (certainly with a hidden motive), and the converts were supported all along by the Missionaries whose intention apparently was to introduce English customs as if they were in civilized England instead of Travancore. They also claimed perfect toleration and liberty for their converts, without taking into consideration the time, the country, the nature of the Government, and their own position in foreign land and the consequence was that it was difficult to settle the dispute at once, while on the part of the Shanars there was an open defiance of the laws of the land, which, on account of the encouragement they received from the Missionaries, it was difficult to curb. And the Travancore Government, being reluctant to come in contact with the Missionaries, owing to its regard for the paramount power, desisted from taking active measures, and the result was that the Hindus and the Shanar converts and their respective supporters openly assumed hostile positions against each other.
Such a feeling existed between the parties from the earliest period of the Mission works in south TraÂvancore, but by the strong protection and toleration afforded to the promotion of the Christian Missions by the Travancore Government, the work of the Missionaries progressed most rapidly, and in the course of the next thirty years conversions to ChristiÂanity increased, and in the villages in Nanjenaud and the adjacent districts numerous Chapels, Churches and Schools were built.  These places were crowded with large numbers of Shanar converts, and Catechists commenced to itenerate through all Hindu villages with their tracts and books and began preaching to the Hindus.  This circumstance must naturally have roused the jealousy of the Hindus, while the converts instead of keeping themselves within bounds, took advantage of their support by the Missionaries and began to prove themselves a source of annoyance to the Hindu portion of the people, by openly defying them whenever there was an opportunity and the result was the complication above alluded to.
It is a matter worthy of particular remark, that the Mission work of conversion in south Travancore was mostly, if not exclusively, confined to the Shanars, Parayars, and other low caste people, who form but a minor portion of the population of the districts, while conversions among the higher orders were seldom effected. At the same time, while the Church Mission Society in the north did its work quietly and without endeavouring to introduce reforms violently, the London Mission in the south seemed to pursue quite a different policy for nearly half a century.
The system adopted by the London Mission savoured more of the undue and illegitimate exercise of power than persuasion and well meant endeavours to impress upon people the truth of the principles of religion, and hence, the chief cause for the Hindus to be dissatisfied with them and to consider their proceedings offensive.
This fact can be seen from a fact connected with the founder of the London Mission in Travancore, the Reverend Mr. Ringeltaube, who, on paying a visit to the then Dewan Valu Thamby, for the express purpose of endeavouring to obtain a footing for the London Mission in Travancore, in 1806, being asked by the minister what religion he professed, the Reverend gentleman answered " Colonel Macaulay's Religion,"* instead of saying the Christian religion or the religion established by Christ, who He was, when and how Jesus Christ was born, what wonders and miracles Christ had performed in the world, how He became the Saviour of mankind, how He suffered, and how His resurrection took place aftex His crucifixion and burial and so on. Let the reader note the severe rebuke implied in the following remark which that great Hindu Statesman made on hearing what Mr. Ringel-taube said about his professing " Colonel Macaulay's religion," " I never knew that there was such a religion" said the Dewan, meaning of course, a religion invented or professed by a private individual, for Christianity was in existence in Travancore for more than a thousand years before that period.
Acting under such selfish principles, it is no wonder that the Missionaries considered themselves to be entitled to respect from the Hindus. Why the Society did not think of proceeding in a more conciliatory manner with the Hindu portion of the population, and why they endeavoured to create in the Hindus a spirit antagonistic to the Christian religion are points for inquiry.
* See Revereed Mateer's Land of Charity, page 262.
The very illustration in Mr. Mateer's work, page 277, will show plainly how the females of the Shanar conÂverts were taught to imitate the costume of the higher class Hindus, while there are numerous modes of costumes adapted for Christians which would be more desirable from a European point of view. It is clear that this style of costume adopted by the Shanar converts was with the express object of annoying the Hindu section of the population of the districts.
The costume in question was not the only cause for offence which the Shanar converts gave to the higher classes; but in various other ways they rendered themÂselves obnoxious to the Sudra community.
For instance, one Shanar Puthathan Cutty and his wife, Eshakee, were the cultivators of Madom Pillay, a Sudra landed proprietor. These became converts and left Madom Pillay's service, and Puthathan Cutty subsequently became a Catechist under a Missionary, and his wife assumed a costume similar to that of Madom Pillay's wife.  Now, both the Catechist and his wife came to Madom Pillay's house and began to converse with him, on terms of equality, commencing a discussion with Madom Pillay on the subject of religion and calling him "an ignorant man" and a sinner (as all the heathens are put down by the Mission people in the vernacular, in the category of " Agna-nikul" ignorant men).  Was it possible for Madom Pillay not to resent the impertinence of those who were but lately his dependents; and their sole obÂject in coming to his houseâthe wife dressed in a costume similar to that of Madom Pillay's wifeâmust have been to cause him annoyance ? It is also worthy of note that on a quarrel ensuing between the Shanar converts and Madom Pillay, the Missionary who used to support him, espoused the cause of the CateÂchist and appeared himself before the authorities and adopted measures for the punishment of Madom Pillay in which favored by the advantages of his color and position he succeeded.  Here is a solution of the question why the Missionaries are considered by the Hindus as acting partially towards the converts and prosecuting the Hindus. Besides if even a reasonable
complaint were made by Sircar official, he would be represented by the Missionaries as partial and in a communication to the Resident denounced as corrupt, unprincipled, and so forth. The Missionaries at the same time did not hesitate to drag the Government into the discussion. The Missionaries by their writings can make the world believe that terrible persecutions against Christianity are carried on in Travancore, and the British Government invariably gives credence to statements thus disseminated, and being the paramount power, they can come down upon the Travancore Sircar with rebuke and strong disapproval,* ignoring the fact that Christianity as professed by the Syrians and Roman Catholics existed in Travancore from time immemorial. A convincing instance in support of this statement shall be given presently.
* Mr. Whitehouse reported the case of Aroomanayagum, a converted slave, who was beaten by his master Madom Pillay, and another Sudra for attending Christian worship. Although the serious injuries inflicted on the poor man were certified in detail by the Court physiÂcian, Dr. Reed, a mere nominal fine of only 5 Rupees each, was inflicted by the Magistrate on his assailants. But an appeal being made to the Madras Government, the fines were increased to seventy Rupees and the Travancore authorities were reproved for their unjust lenity.â Mateer's " Land of Charity," page 296.
Though the matters connected with the upper cloth dispute between the Shanar converts and the Hindus were temporarily adjusted by the exertions of the deputy Peishcar, yet the disputes broke out again in a short time and several quarrels and disturbances took place between the parties in the markets and thoroughÂfares where the females of Shanar converts appeared in Hindu costumes. Just at this time, the Dewan Madava Row paid a visit to the south and finding the serious nature of the rupture between the parties, he issued a proclamation on the 27th December 1868, as a precauÂtionary measure and with the view of preventing furÂther disturbances. The tenor of the proclamation was that, it was clearly wrong to violate ancient usages ; that the law laid down for the observance of the parties concerned, by a royal proclamation in the year 1829, should be respected; that whoever infringed the law â would be liable to severe punishment, that Shanars were to bear the same in mind and act accordingly; that Sudras and people of the higher caste were not to do anything themselves against the Shanars and cause a breach of the peace, and that should they commit anything contrary to the law, due riotice would be taken of their conduct.
This proclamation had nothing new in it. It was entirely founded upon the enactment passed under the judicious advice and counsel of Colonel Munro in 1814, and in 1829, with the full concurrence of the able Resident, Colonel Morrison, C.B.
The rules prescribed by the Circular Order of 1814, and the proclamation of 1829, were precisely the same, and were calculated to prevent collisions and preserve peace between the contending parties. The sum and substance of those rules were that Shanar females, converted to Christianity should wear the costume worn by other Christian females, i.e., jackets similar to those used by the lace-making Shanar females, as represented in the " Land of Charity," page 272, but no prohibition whatever had been issued against the convert females covering their bodies. Those rules were observed and matters went on smoothly for about thirty years. The Missionaries, for the time being, were contented with these rules, and preferred to wait for an opportunity to get them amended in a manner favoring the aims and fancies of the Shanar and Parayar converts.
Under these circumstances, Dewan Madava Row's judicious proclamation was considered by the MissionÂaries as a proof of his " gross and unconcealed parÂtiality," and they therefore at first petitioned the Maha Rajah and then the Madras Government praying for the cancelling of the Dewan's proclamation, the Circular Order of May 1814, and the proclamation of February 1829.
By this time, Lord Harris, the Governor of Madras retired, and was succeeded by Sir Charles Trevelyan, before whom the question was laid for decision. His Excellency seemed to have taken a one-sided view of the question, and without giving the matter calm and deliberate consideration, and reflecting on the real meaning of the Circular Order and proclamation alluded to, came to the conclusion that the privilege of covering their bosoms had been denied to the females of the Shanar converts by the Travancore Government, and under this impression wrote in the following decisive terms to General Cullen :â
" I have seldom met with a case in which not only truth and justice, but every feeling of our common humanity are so entirely on one side. The whole civilized world would cry shame upon, us if we did riot make a firm stand on such an occasion. If anything could make this line of conduct more incumÂbent on us, it would be the extraordinary fact that persecution of a singularly personal and delicate kind is attempted to be justified by a royal proclamaÂtion, the special object of which was to assure to Her Majesty's Indian subjects, liberty of thought and action so long as they did not interfere with the just rights of others. I should fail in respect to Her Majesty, if I attempted to describe the feelings with which she must regard the use made against her own sex of the promises of protection so graciously accorded by her.
" It will be your duty to impress these views on His Highness the Rajah, and to point out to him that such prohibition as those conveyed in the Circular Order of May 1814, or in the proclamation of the 3rd of February 1829, are unsuited to the present age, and unworthy of an enlightened Prince."
This communication from the new Governor startled the old General, and he pressed upon the Maha Rajah to pass an act in accordance with the views of His Excellency but by adopting such a sweeping measure, the Maha Rajah apprehended still greater evils, and, consequently, after due and long deliberation and con- , sultation with the able Dewan, a new royal proclamaÂtion was prepared and published in July of the same year 1859, making further concessions to the Shanar females in the matter of their dress. But this conÂcession did not imply any permission to the convert females to assume the costume of Brahman women. The Missionaries were not quite satisfied with this proclamation, but it sufficed to check further disturbÂances on the score of dress.
The spirit of the Missionaries in this matter is evident from the Rev. S. Mateer's work entitled " Land of Charity;" Chapter XII, pages 295-306. In his quasi-sensational writings, the Reverend gentleman animadverts rather strongly, and it must be said, with a good deal of unfairness, on the proceedings of a Government which had tolerated Christianity hundreds of years before protestantism came into existence and which had protected the very London Mission itself from its cradle, so to speak, and this in a country whose people and sovereign prof ess orthodox Hinduism.
The unfair animadversions of the Missionaries cast a reflection on .the reputation of the Maha Rajah and of his Government and created an unfriendly feeling between them and the Hindus, who charge them with want of gratitude, after they had been allowed to work freely and open Missions in their land.
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