Protestant Missionary Activities in Andhra

Christian literature. After sometime Rachappa's wife begott one male child. Then for more than four years not even one Christian preacher passed through his area. Thus he travelled to Pondicherry by foot and got himself baptised. After coming back to his area he converted as many as forty families into Christianity. In this manner the Roman Catholic Churches were established in Andhra Pradesh starting from Mysore to Guntur. But till 19th Century effective missionary work was not carried out in northern part of Krishna river.29 PROTESTANT MISSIONARY ACTIVITIES IN ANDHRA: The history of Protestant Missionaries in Andhra presents special features when compared to the history of the Catholic Missionaries. First Catholic Missionaries were active when Portuguese and French were strong in India. Once these powers declined, the Catholics lost their importance. Secondly, the Catholic Missionaries were not very successful in the area of proselytisation or social services. Lastly, Protestant Missionaries took up their work with much zeal and enthusiasm. But such qualities as devotion to duty and sincerity of purpose could not be found among the Catholics in greater degree. Thus the history of Protestant Missionaries presents some interesting features.

Before 1805 there was little Protestant Missionary activity in Coastal Andhra Desa. This was the situation inspite of the fact that the area was close to Madras and easily accessible from the sea. In 1804, when the London Missionary Society was established in Andhra, the activities of the Protestant Missionaries were quickened. Bartholomeu Ziogenblag was the first Protestant Lutheran Missionary to visit the Andhra Desa.30 He was sent by King Frederick IV of Denmark in 1706 on behalf of the Royal Danish mission to work among the Tamils.31 During his course of work at Tranquebar, he made a short visit to Tirupati in 1716. But it was his successor, Benjamin Schultz, who started work among the Telugu people shortly after his coming to Madras in 1726. He learnt Telugu and translated the Catechism and the New Testament. As to the point of conversions, the early reports of Schultz do not distinguish between Tamil and Telugu converts. Schultz's successor John Philip Fabricious continued to work among the Telugu people in Madras.32 The Dutch Missionaries who stayed in India were people with strong will power. They were the Protestant Missionaries who lived in areas like Pullikota, Bundar (Musilipatnam) and Khammammet in Andhra. The tomb of Jacob Dedil is the oldest of Tomb of Dutch in India.

There is also a story on Abdul Hassan, the youngest Nawab of Golkonda. In 1676 he visited Bundar. There the Dutch traders invited him to Sunday Church service and after the Church service, as mark of respect all the Dutch traders who attended the church arranged sing and dance programme. Some historians also say that Christianity entered Andhra region through Karnataka Mission during 1700 A.D. In 1701 A.D. Missionary Father by name Mr. Matwing succeeded in converting one ‘Velama’ family at Punganur in Chittoor District, Rayalaseema Region. Gradually Punganur became the Centre for the spreading of Christianity. From there with the help of rich families like Velama Kapus spread the religion to Venkatagiri (Nellore District) and Perakuru villages.33 Ranga Reddy, a rich man of ‘Mudigubba’ village in Anantapur District suffered with chronic disease. He was healed by the prayers of one Missionary from Krishnapuram by name Mr.Reegak. with this influence the reddies of Mudigubba and Almur villages converted into Christianity. During the period between 1743-1776 Christianity declined in other regions except Guntur district. In 1743 the armies of Nizam destroyed the Churches of Kambala Dinne in the District of Cuddapah.