Marathi Christians
Marathi Christians are an ethno-religious community of the Indian state of Maharashtra who were proselytised during the 18th and 19th centuries through the East India Company and later, the British Raj. Conversions to protestantism were a result of Christian missions such as the American Marathi Mission, Church Mission Society and the Church of England's United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.
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![]() Crucession of Marathi Christian in Mumbai | |
Regions with significant populations | |
---|---|
Languages | |
Marathi | |
Religion | |
Predominantly Protestant (Anglican Methodist, evangelical), Roman Catholic (minority) | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Marathi people |
History
Around the turn of the 18th century, British Baptist missionary William Carey was instrumental in translating the Bible into the Marathi language.[1]
Along with several lower-caste Hindus, some of the upper-castes and Muslims converted to Christianity,[2] examples being the conversion in 1842 of Ramkrishna Modak, a Chitpavan Brahmin and ancestor of Marathi actor Shahu Modak, who became Reverend. Modak, Pandita Ramabai, Narayan Waman Tilak and Shaikh Daud.
Culture
Ahmednagar
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As of 2000, the Christians of Ahmednagar district account for nearly 10% of that district's population, a significant number of whom are located in the eastern part of the district in places such as Nevasa, Pathardi, Shevgaon, Rahuri and Ahmednagar itself.[3]
Palghar
European and American missionaries established missions in Palghar and Dahanu in Palghar district. Most of the converted Christian community from these areas are local native belong to the Second District of the Church of the Brethren (F-257 Bom).
Aurangabad
Aurangabad is head city for Catholics as it has its Cathedral and Bishop house in Cantonment area work is monitored of whole of Marathwada mainly in field of Educational, health, and social work [4]
Notable people
See also
References
- "William Carey". Languageinindia.com. 2 April 2001. Archived from the original on 7 December 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
- Dandekar, Deepra. "The subhedar's son : a narrative of Brahmin-Christian conversion from nineteenth-century Maharashtra - Union Presbyterian Seminary Libraries". link.upsem.edu.
- Anderson, Gerald H. (1999). Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions. New York: Macmillan Reference USA. ISBN 9780802846808.
- Kate, P. V. (1987). Marathwada Under the Nizams, 1724-1948. Delhi, India: Mittal Publications. ISBN 9788170990178.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Redirect Notice". www.google.com. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
- "Ramabai, Dongre Medhavi [Pandita Ramabai Sarasvati] (1858-1922) | History of Missiology". www.bu.edu. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
- "Tilak, Narayan Vaman (1862?-1919) | History of Missiology". www.bu.edu. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
- Macnicol, N. (1924). "Narayan Vaman Tilak". International Review of Mission. 13 (3): 373–382. doi:10.1111/j.1758-6631.1924.tb03897.x. ISSN 1758-6631.