Spread of Christianity During Eighteenth Century

Chruches in Krishnapuram and Mudigubba were destroyed by the Palegars of the Region. The same treatment was meted out to Venkatagiri Churches also. Some Christian families of Nellore migrated to Guntur District. Christianity was able to stand in this region due to the influence of French authority. The missionaries could secure 17!4 acres of land as ‘Inam’ in Mutlur village. After the Establishment of English authority in 1788 A.D. the work of these missionaries declined slowly in Guntur district. There were also the American Christians lived in Bundar and they built one Church in 1782 at Bundar. The Anglo-Indians, who were born to European Male and Indian Female couples also used to gather as small groups in areas like Kurnool and Cuddapah whenever they camped at these places.34 SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY DURING EIGHTEENTH CENTURY: Sixty years prior to the year 1810 the Christian Church faced difficult situations due to frequent wars and the normal conditions in the country were disturbed. Consequently the Christian Missionary work received setback in Andhra Region. In 1751 the French after gaining Kurnool area persecuted many non-Christians. This activity of French created hatred in the minds of people towards Christianity. Some

Christians started deserting their dwelling places. In other local wars some Christians who could not bear the persecutions that came from nonChristians left to Nellore and Guntur districts via Anantapur and Cuddapah areas. Among them some could settle at ‘Aler’ and constructed one Church. When these people also received problems from local people they left ‘Aler’ leaving one Dalit family who belonged to ‘Maha Caste’ so as to enable them to lookafter the Church. But this Church was collapsed due to heavy storm struck the area in 1864.35 In Andhra region the Christians faced persecution not only due to frequent wars but also from native Kings. Specifically since 1784 onwards Tippu Sultan started paining the Christians of his region. Consequently many of the Catholic churches were destroyed. Christians were put in dark jails for years together. The Church history of Andhra Pradesh also gives terrific incidents of drought and the epidemic deceases that hit the lives of the people in general in Andhra areas especially during 1802-1810. Due to Cholera which hit the Deccan area, many villages were uninhabited. The drought which hit in Andhra region during this period also caused heavy sufferings to Christians of this region and young missionaries also lost their lives.

During this period ‘Renta Chintala’ was a village in Cuddapah district and few families of Reddy converted Christians were living. Though their ancestors were Christians but as there was no continued evangelic work in those areas after some years they left Christianity. The Christians of ‘Proddutur’ in Cuddapah District during this period deviated from Christian religious principles and started marrying Hindus. Nandyal area of Kurnool District also figured much in the early Christian Church history in Andhra Pradesh. During the year 1810, few ladies from Nandyal travelled to Proddutur in Cuddapah district. When they were witnessing one Church worship organised by Catholics, they were much impressed by the order of service and started enquiring about Christ and Christianity. Later they embraced Christianity and went back to their homes and converted many of the Hindus along with their family members. But these families through strongly attached themselves to Christianity did not make any efforts to propagate the religion. By the year 1847 the Christian population in Cuddapah District was 700, in Kurnool 400 and in Guntur 700.36 During the year 1830’s one person by name ‘Aakula Nancharu’ who belonged to a depressed class from Andhra area was a village youth and he was a cotton merchant. He had a great desire to

know about God. He travelled many places in search of truth and finally he reached famous Temple at ‘Ahobilam’ which is situated near Allagadda of Kurnool district in Rayalaseema region. When he entered the temple, the Brahmins identified him as a Dalit and when they prevented him from entering the temple he protested them. Thus, there was some quarrel and law and order problem. Immediately the police kept him in a jail. One Christian missionary visited his jail and preached him about Christ. After his release he started thinking about what the Missionary preached to him. Later he went to Cuddapah and met the missionaries and requested them to send the teacher to his village. As a result of his efforts, a teacher was sent to his village and he started preaching the gospel of Christ in that village and converted thirty families into Christianity. Thus, this was the way how missionary work for the first time commenced in Telugu area. In the year 1839 the British occupied Kurnool and the Nawab of Kurnool ‘Rasool Khan' was put in Tiruchirapaili Jail on the pretext that this Nawab was webbing a compirasy against the British. When he was in the Jail he was given some biblical literature. He read the literature and later converted to Christianity.37 In 1831 there was a Brahmin by name ‘Veerappa’ who got converted to Christianity by London Missionary Society. He was the first Brahmin convert in Telugu area among Protestants. He became a

Preacher and faced many threats from his caste members. At last he was murdered by his own community people near Cuddapah in a Traveller’s Bunglow.38 One of the Anglo-Indian who did missionary work in Rayalaseema area was William Howell. He was working as a Surveyor in a Government Department. During his leisure time he used to visit nearby villages and preached Gospel. After sometime he resigned from his job, joined in London Mission and worked as Missionary at Cuddapah. He served for nearly twenty years at Cuddapah and surrounding places and established one small Church. History reveals that from this small Church the present major Churches like London Mission and S.P.G. Church were emerged. After few years John Goldinghome served as Collector of Krishna District. He strived for the establishment of Churches in that area. He gathered few preachers and entrusted them the work of preaching gospel among Telugus in that area. He was also responsible to send two eminent missionaries namely Robert Nobel and Henry Fox to Telugu areas to start the work of Church Missionary Society. Afterwards, Mr. Stocks succeeded John Goldinghome as District Collector. He also took lot of interest in Gospel Preaching especially in Kurnool area and made possible for the SPG Mission to start work in those areas. He was also

responsible for inviting Father Higher to start Lutheran Mission in Guntur District. Later he was transferred from Andhra area on the grounds that he neglected his normal official duties. Later General Hike a missionary with two of his associates laid strong foundations for Christianity in surrounding areas of Krishna District without looking into denominational differences like Delta Church, Lutheran Church or Church Missionary Society and so on.39 In 1823-32, George Watkins served as District Judge in Chittoor, one of the districts in Rayalaseema Region of Andhra Pradesh. He preached Gospel in this area and converted ten Hindus into Christianity. When he was transferred to Cuddapah, he took all his converts alongwith him and kept them at Cuddapah and built one Church for them at Cuddapah and also for the London Mission Christians who were already staying at Cuddapah. Another Lawyer by name Mr. Eliot constructed one Anglican Church at Cuddapah spending his own money. Another Lawyer by name Crazier built Churches in Nellore and Vizianagaram. Mr. Walker another Lawyer built Baptist Church in Nellore. Captain Taylor a missionary from London preached Gospel in Eluru and Amalapuram areas of Andhra. Mr. Jackson who was a Military Officer translated the new Testament Gospels of Holy Bible into

Urdu language. Mr. New Well who served as Guntur District Collector translated prayer books into Telugu,40 The above were the few incidents which were brought into light by writers in respect of the missionary work carried out by the Europeans in Andhra Pradesh. Though the instances were few but their services were great. Some of the Christian Missionaries in Andhra region were in the guise of Hindu Saints and preached Gospel secretly. During 18th century, a Goa missionary, to propagate Christianity in the Ceded Districts of Anantapur, Cuddapah and Bellary regions, went in guise of ‘Adi Kandiswami’. Earlier this Propagation was stopped due to the adoption of Ceded districts by the English in 1800 A.D. Earlier, Roman Catholics were the only Christian missionaries who propagated the religion throughout Andhra till 1805. After 1805 A.D. the Protestants started their propagation with the help of London Mission in 1805. They made Visakhapatnam as the Centre of religious propagation. With the help of one person by name ‘Subbarayudu’, a Brahmin Christian they translated the Bible and other books into Telugu. These Missionaries also tried to propagate Christianity in Cuddapah District in 1822 A.D. The Scottish Missionaries of Calcutta

thought that they can create interest in Christianity among the people by means of higher education through English and hence they followed this method. The method was encouraged by'Noble’, a missionary who came to Machilipatnam in 1841 A.D. and established a College namely ‘Noble College; and started to educate the higher communities. Through the activities of Mr. Noble, forward communities like the Brahmins and other Kammas were converted to Christianity. Slowly this spread to lower castes like Dalits. In 1842 the Lutheran Missionaries who arrived at Guntur also followed this method and established educational institutions. Though considerable efforts were made by the Asian Missionaries for the upliftment of lower caste people, they were criticised. In giving education and medical facilities these missionaries have done remarkable service through their continuous efforts in converting the people in Andhra where there was not even a single Christian. In Rayalaseema region the pioneering missionaries during 1860s were Rev. D.S.John Hands and William Howell stationed at Cuddapah. In the year 1868, Rev. R.DJohn Stone stationed at Nandyal and used to visit Tadpatri, who was assisted by a local clergy by name Rev. William Moses. Since the year 1872 the Bellary Missionary Rev. Eduru Lavis was visiting the places like Adoni, Alur, Anantapur, Dharmavaram and Penugonda. From 1868 onwards he made Adoni,

Gooty and Bukkapatnam as his outstations. In 1880 Anantapurwas made the mission station in place of Bukkapatnam and Mr. Enoch Andrew, a National Christian was appointed as the Mission worker at Anantapur. For some time Rev. B. Lucas was the Missionary at Penugonda but later he moved to Anantapur. Rev. Lucas was succeeded by Rev. W. Hinkley at Anantapur. Mrs. Hinkley, Miss M.L. Christ Lib and Mrs. Stephenson worked tirelessly among women, assisted by a national Bible women by name Bhagyamma and two other Bible women. They travelled from village to village teaching women sanitation, cleanliness, sewing and godliness and they established schools for girls in Anantapur, Bukkapatnam and Dharmavaram. In the year 1881, the Missionary Rev. W.W.Stephenson had to leave Nandyal for reasons of health and moved to Gooty, making it his centre of activity. By then the National Christian Rev. Mathew Seth was preaching Gospel of Jesus Christ in Tadipatri. He was followed by Rev. Williams Moses, as already mentioned, and made many converts to Christianity from the Mala Harijans and Sudras. Churches were established in and around Gooty and Tadipatri. The workers from Cuddapah also were helping the work in Tadipatri. Many were embracing the Christian faith not only because of the propagation of the Gospel but also due to the influence of those who had become Christian converts.

Christianity from Cuddapah also spread to Kadiri. About the year 1894, some of the villagers around Pamidi on seeing their relatives and friends in and around Gooty converted into Christian faith went to the Missionary in Gooty asking him to baptize them. So, a School was opened in Pothuru and a Catechist was stationed in the Agraharam there. In the year 1899, through the preaching of one national evangelist Mr. R.Joseph, three Erukulas became Christians. In 1906, sixteen others were also baptized in Gugudu. Nearly 30 families of Erukalas from these villages in Anantapur taluk embraced the Christian faith through this evangelist. The Ceylon and Indian General Missions were working in Madakasira and Kalyanadurg taluks. The L.M.S. handed over their Mission stations in Hindupur, Penugonda and Kadiri to C.I.G.M. in 1906. The G.I.G.M. had a hostel for Boys in Hindupur and for Girls in Kadiri. Many from the surrounding villages joined the Church. Rev. D.S. Scott, Davidson, Silas fox, Henning, Herlop, Russel, Christopher, Mrs. Dickson, Peter and Wilson were some of the Missionaries of the C.I.G.M., who had worked in these stations. About the year 1928 one evangelist Mr. K.P.Agrippa moved to Anantapur and later he was joined by Mr. Silas Fox and others, who like the Pioneer Missionaries did intensive propagation of the Gospel all over this district making many converts from all communities.41