Telugu Christians
Total population | |
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1,567,784 (2011) Baptist but also significant number of Roman Catholics and Evangelicals |
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Christianity |
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Telugu Christians or Telugu Kraistava are a religious community who form the third-largest religious minority in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.[2] According to the 2001 Census of India, there are over a million Christians in Andhra Pradesh, constituting around 1.51% of the state's population.[2] This is a decrease from the 1971 census figure which put the percentage of Christians in state as 2%, and this decrease is mainly a result of low birth rates and emigration.[citation needed]
Most
The first
History and spread
Northern Circars and Coastal Belt regions
The first convert to Christianity in Andhra Pradesh was Thumma Hanumantha Reddy, also known as Manda Reddy.[8][9] Manda Reddy, along with thirty Reddy families of Muddiguba and some other Reddy families in Alamuru, embraced Christianity in 1715.[10] In the Rayalaseema region, many Reddys began visiting churches and converted to Christianity (Catholics).[11] By 1735, in South Andhra, there were thousands of Christians, most of whom belonged to the Reddy and other traditional weaver communities. Many reddys in Guntur district have converted in to Roman Catholisim, Reddy who converted to Roman Catholics still kept some the Hindu traditions like thali, bottu, some the Catholic reddys have migrated Telangana via krishna river in Telangana they named their village names has Guntur pally, Reddypuram or Reddypallem.[12] By 1750, Christianity further spread to the Circar Districts due to the migration of Christian Reddys into those areas.[12] In the early 18th century many Catholic Reddys had migrated from Rayalaseema to some parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra and Telangana. They started Catholic churches to support Christian missionaries.
Beginning in the nineteenth century, missionaries from most major denominations started arriving in the
Baptist missions
The American Baptist Mission and Godavari Delta Mission established their stations in 1836. They were followed by Church Missionary Society in 1841 and the then American Lutheran Mission in 1842.
The Canadian Baptist Mission (CBM) was established in 1850. Lyman Jewett in 1848 and John E. Clough in 1865 joined the mission stations at Nellore, Ongole and south Kanigiri.[13] Canadian Baptist Missionaries quickly identified the possibility of holistic transformation of the Telugu society through education, and they found women to be potential agents of change. Missionary Mary McLaurin, in 1875, founded a school for boys and the next year founded one for girls. Missionaries of the Canadian Baptist Mission founded the Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars (CBCNC) as the mission's successor in Andhra Pradesh.[16][17]
Lutheran missions
He travelled to India a second time in 1847, spending a decade, mainly in the
The history of the
The famous British officer Arthur Cotton worked alongside missionaries like Rev. Henry Fox of the Church Mission Society, Mr. Bowden (SPG) of the Godavari Delta Mission, the Lutherans and Baptists. On Sundays the labour camps where Arthur Cotton supervised resounded with the singing of Christian hymns, songs in various languages such as Telugu, Tamil, and Tribal dialects. Major Cotton himself spoke in many such meetings. He and his staff worked to set a personal example of service and Christian living to the new converts. Therefore, the spread of Christianity in the coastal Andhra area could be attributed to the efforts of Arthur Cotton.[19]
Telangana regions
Wesleyan Methodist missions
Sir
William S. Burgess was the founder of the Wesleyan Mission in Hyderabad. The Tamil congregation of the Church of Scotland Mission was handed over to them in 1880 and it became the first native Indian Wesleyan Congregation in Secunderabad, which later moved into its new building in Clock Tower. He laid the foundations of missionary work by organising the migrant Telugu Christians as well as new converts in centres like Chilkalguda, Musheerabad, Market Street as part of the main church in Clock tower as Wesley Church pastorate, Secunderabad.[citation needed] The first congregation in Secunderabad being of Tamil origin, the Church of Scotland Mission, Madras continued to provide Pastors to serve in the Clock Tower Church for a couple of decades. In Hyderabad the Missionaries appointed a Telugu Christian by name Joseph Cornelius in whose house in Boggulagunta, Ramkote Telugu service was held with the help of the Indian Evangelist Benjamin Wesley December 1879. The present Wesley Girls School in Secunderabad with its attached missionary bungalow was purchased in 1884.
William S. Burgess stayed with his family in a dak bungalow as there was no house ready for accommodation. There were no churches to receive him. He began his work first with British soldiers. He was assisted in his work by his Indian counterpart Mr. Joseph Cornelius. The first baptism was administered by Burgess on 25 January 1880.[citation needed] His first convert was Andrew, son of Chakkariah, who is one of the forerunners of many Christians in the Medak Diocese. Burgess rode on horse-back, much like John Wesley, preaching in the Telangana regions. As the Telugu congregation was growing a church was constructed in the Sultan Bazaar area in 1910. Later in 1927 a foundation stone was laid to construct a large church in Ramkote which is the existing Wesley Church, Ramkote which was dedicated by Rev. Charles Walker Posnett in 1931.
The Madras Synod sent Rev. Benjamin P. Wesley to help the Burgesses. He came from Cuddapah and was a well-educated man. Benjamin P. Wesley was ordained as a Wesleyan Minister in 1882. Rev. Benjamin P. Wesley along with Mrs. Burgess set about establishing educational institutions in and around
Anglican missions
The
Catholicism
The Franciscans of the Catholic Church brought Catholicism to the Deccan Area in 1535. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Hyderabad was only formed in 1886.[3] A study of the social background of the Telugu Christians of the 18th century reveals that the majority of Telugu Roman Catholics came from two great communities of farmers. According to the French Jesuits, the Telugu Christians were fervent Christians. Christians and Hindus got along fairly peacefully.
The Christian sanyasis[dubious ] of Andhra worked with the permission of the local authorities, which enabled them to spread the gospel with the greatest possible freedom. The relations between the French and the Nizam and his nawabs were on the whole cordial enough.
The Muslim authorities tended to favour and protect the 'Roman Fakirs' and their disciples. The Christian contribution to culture and scientific studies was considerable. Apart from preaching the gospel, the French priests evinced keen interest in scientific study, especially in the field of mathematics and astronomy. Most of them were trained mathematicians, and some even in astronomy. They knew Telugu well, and some even knew Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi and Hindustani. A fairly large number of Christian writings in Telugu belonging to the 18th century have survived. In c. 1735, one of the priests gave a text of the Gospel of St John to the Palayakar of Kottakotta. A history of the Old Testament called Purva Vedam, Rajula Charitra, Amrutham Bhavan, and a life of Christ were among the writings that were revered by the Telugu Roman Catholics. There were some apologetic, catechetical and theological writings such as Nistara Ratnakaramu (Ocean of Salvation), Anitya Nitya Vivastam (Difference between the Temporal and the Eternal) and Vedanta Saramu (Essence of Theology). Sanskrit prayers were translated into Telugu; so also many popular poems were produced. There were many writings on linguistics. Fr G L Coeurdoux (died 1799) is the author of a Telugu-Sanskrit-French dictionary, and of a French-Telugu and Telugu-French dictionary. Fr Pierre de la Lane (died 1746) wrote a Telugu grammar in c. 1729, and also a Telugu dictionary entitled Amara Sinham. A number of Jesuit missionaries studied Sanskrit[25] as it contained all the philosophical writings of Hinduism. A number of Jesuit missionaries were keen on observations and experiments in astronomy, among whom the names of Le Gac, Ducros, Duchamp, Gargam and Calmette stand out. Geography and Geology were included in their field of scientific interest. The description of Gargan's journey of September- November 1730 through the southern districts of Andhra and information on geology, such as the quarries of Cambam and the diamond mines of the eastern side of Terramula, were of special interest.[25]
Post independence
Following the Indian Independence in 1947, all properties that belonged to the erstwhile missions and churches that were part of British cantonments in the region of Andhra Pradesh were bequeathed to Telugu Christians. Several major denominations were also formed during this period.
The Church of South India, the result of the union of churches of varying traditions Anglican, Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian, and Reformed was inaugurated in September 1947, after protracted negotiation among the churches concerned. In the Telugu regions, the London Missionary Society, the Society of Propagation of the Gospel, the Church Mission Society, the Church of Scotland Mission, and the Wesleyan Methodists along with several other denominations and missions came together to form part of the Church of South India. Medak Diocese was formed during the same period. It is one of the biggest dioceses in the Church of South India, comprising 1100 congregations in 71 pastorates and spread over five revenue districts of Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh state namely Adilabad, Medak, Nizamabad, Rangareddy and the cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The first Bishop of Medak Diocese was Rt. Rev. Frank Whittaker.[26]
The existing Church of South India dioceses in the state of Andhra Pradesh are as follows:
- Dornakal Diocese
- Karimnagar Diocese
- Krishna-Godavari Diocese
- Medak Diocese
- Nandyal Diocese
- Rayalaseema Diocese
The Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church was formed in 1927. At present it spreads over 500 miles (800 km) of the Coromandel Coast (east coast of India) covering the important cities and districts in Andhra Pradesh and having a congregational membership of around 3 million in 400 parishes.[27] It is the third largest Lutheran church in Asia.
The year of Indian independence, 1947, was also the birth year of South Andhra Lutheran Church. Since 1949 the church became independent and got all the properties and institutions from foreign missionary societies. In the present day scenario the church has 90,000 members in 44 parishes.[28] The church runs five secondary schools, five boarding homes and hostels, couple of technical schools and institutes and a hospital.[29]
The Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars (CBCNC) is a Christian denomination in north coastal Andhra Pradesh.[16] Missionaries of the Canadian Baptist Mission founded this denomination as its successor in Andhra Pradesh.[17] Canadian Baptist Mission (CBM) was established by the Baptist Missionaries of Canada c. 1850. One of the well known Telugu Christian leaders, Rev. Dr. A. B. Masilamani served as the president of the CBCNC for several years.
The Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches, formed in 1962, is a registered organisation consisting of 1,214 independent Baptist churches. American Baptists started missionary work in South India among Telugu-speaking people in 1836. In 1887 the existing churches were organised into the Convention of Telugu Baptist Churches. In 1962 the convention became the Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches, with a unanimously adopted constitution. The organisation was registered in 1963.[30] The Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches runs educational institutions, hospitals, health centres and one theological seminary, in Ramapatnam. There are five-degree colleges, eight junior colleges, 14 high schools and 14 primary schools. The interdenominational theological college at Hyderabad is affiliated with the Serampore University, Kolkata. The Samavesam has 4,500 Sunday schools with an enrolment of some 72,000 children. They claim to have a congregation of around 840,000.[30]
Art and architecture
The greatest of the cathedrals in Andhra Pradesh is the Church of South India Medak Cathedral. It was consecrated on 25 December 1924. Built by the British Wesleyan Methodists, the cathedral is now under the jurisdiction of the Church of South India (CSI) diocese of Medak. It took ten years to complete the cathedral. With its massive dimensions – 100 ft (30 m) wide and 200 ft (61 m) long – the church can accommodate about 5,000 people at a time. The roof of the church is made sound-proof by means of hollow sponge material and has an impressive style of vaulting. When the Nizam of Hyderabad came to know that the height of this cathedral was going to be far more than that of Charminar, he made a vain bid to order that its height should be brought down. The floor of the cathedral is laid with tiles brought in from Italy. The bell-tower of the cathedral is 175 ft (53 m) high. There are three magnificent stained-glass windows depicting the Nativity, Crucifixion and Ascension of Jesus Christ. The stained-glass windows are a major tourist attraction.[23]
-
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Holy Trinity Church, Bolarum It was commissioned by Queen Victoria of United Kingdom
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Altar of Christ Lutheran Church, Narsapur
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Ephiphany Cathedral, Dornakal Diocese
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Diocese of Vijayawada
Culture
The culture and traditions of Telugu Christians in urban areas can best be described as an increasingly westernised Indo-Anglican culture. Telugu Christians today are considered to be one of the most progressive communities in the state.
The mother tongue of Telugu Christians is Telugu, the most widely spoken Dravidian language in India. However, with mission schools being the first to teach using English as the primary medium, English is widely used among Telugu Christian communities for both religious and secular purposes. Most major churches offer religious services in both Telugu and English. Some churches such as St. John's Church, Secunderabad and St. George's Church, Hyderabad offer services exclusively in English. English is also the preferred lingua franca of urban Christian youth.[citation needed]
Telugu Christian women do not wear the bindi or bottu (red dot on the forehead) and can therefore be easily distinguished from their Hindu counterparts. Culture among Telugu Christian women has been greatly influenced by missionary activity. Both feminine assertion and missionary zeal bound the missionary women with their Telugu sisters.
Religion plays a significant role in the daily life of Telugu Christians. Most life events hold religious significance such as births, baptisms and christenings, confirmations or Nirdharana, marriage (which is referred to as Holy Matrimony or Parishudda Vivahamu), funerals, burials and memorial services. The Protestant Bible is referred to as Parishuda Grandam whereas the Catholic Bible is referred as Pavitra Grandam.
Wedding is referred to as Holy Matrimony or Parishudda Vivahamu which is usually celebrated in a church. It is also common practice among the Telugu Christians to have the marriage solemnised before sunset. This practice is supposed to have its origins in the
The practice of
The death knell or the tolling of the church bell is a popular practice among rural congregations. It is often a means of letting the community know of the demise of a church member. Memorial service is another important event among Telugu Christian communities. It is usually celebrated in close proximity after a person's death. The service includes eulogising the deceased, scripture reading, singing of hymns, sermon followed by a dinner.
Christmas is the most important festival. One festivity that is a distinctive part of Christmas celebrations among Telugu Christians is the singing of
Names
The most common naming convention among Telugu Christians is the combination of the Telugu surname with an English or
Music
The music of Telugu Christians consists mostly of hymns. The Andhra Kraistava Keerthanalu (Andhra Christian Hymnal) is the single most important collection of hymns used in Telugu Christian congregations. It includes translations of English
Institutions and organizations
Notable institutions and organizations run by the Christian church in Andhra Pradesh include:
- Andhra Christian College
- Andhra Christian Theological College
- Andhra Loyola College
- Baptist Theological Seminary
- Charlotte Swenson Memorial Bible Training School
- Eva Rose York Bible Training and Technical School for Women
- Little Flower Junior College
- Loyola Academy, Secunderabad
- Rosary Convent High School
- Saint Ann's High School
- Saint Patrick's High School, Secunderabad
- St. John's Regional Seminary
- St. John's Regional Seminary (Philosophate)
- Stanley Girls High School
- Sacred Heart High School,Mothkur
Diaspora
Telugu Christians can today be found in various countries. Telugu Christian Associations can be found in all major cities in the United States of America. These expatriate communities strive hard to keep the distinctive Telugu Christian culture alive.[40] Many Telugu Christians have emigrated to other countries in the English-speaking world with significant populations being present in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.[41]
Notable Telugu Christians
- Anthony Poola, Catholic Archbishop of Hyderabad
- Noel Sean, Rapper, singer and composer
- Johnny Lever, actor.
- Victor Premasagar, bishop.
- Jayasudha, actress.
- Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy, current Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh since 2019.
- Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh from 2004 to 2009.
- K. A. Paul, A Political leader, Evangelist and a Humanitarian
See also
- Reddy Catholics
- List of churches in Secunderabad and Hyderabad
- Church of South India
- Christianity in Tamil Nadu
- Secunderabad
- Lutheran Churches in Andhra Pradesh
References
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- ^ a b "Census Reference Tables, C-Series Population by religious communities". Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
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- ^ History of Christianity in India: With Its Prospects : a Sketch Compiled ... 9 September 2008.
- ^ a b "Census of India, Religious composition by gender". Finder.geocommons.com. GeoCommons. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011.
- ^ a b "National Minority Status For Jain Community in India". Theindiapost.com.
- ^ a b "Census of India : Salient Features". Servinghistory.com.
- ^ The Quarterly Review of Historical Studies. Institute of Historical Studies. 2002. p. 14.
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- ISBN 9789854420769.
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- ^ ISBN 9788172144579.
- ^ a b c d "Canadian Baptist mission work among women in Andhra, India, 1874–1924: Baptist women evolved a role for themselves in an otherwise male-dominated mission enterprise and a patriarchal Telugu society. – Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. 1 January 2006.
- ^ Gopal, B. Madhu (26 July 2004). "CHURCH with a HISTORY". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 31 January 2016.
- ^ "Liberative Motifs in the Dalit Religion". Religion-online.org. 15 November 2001. Archived from the original on 15 June 2010.
- ^ a b "baptistene.info". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011.
- ^ a b "Baptist Churches' office-bearers". The Hindu. 16 January 2006 [Monday]. Archived from the original on 14 February 2012.
- ^ "Christian Articles — Collection of Telugu Christian Songs". uecf.net. New Jersey: United Evangelical Christian Fellowship(UECF).
- ^ "Nplus Network". Archived from the original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
- ^ Reddi, Ravi (21 December 2014). "Garrison Wesley Church with a hoary past, Secunderabad". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023 – via Navrang India blog (reprint).
- ^ Iyer, Lalita (7 January 2018). "Church sans bell". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 10 June 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Medak Diocese". Archived from the original on 8 May 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
- ^ a b "Indian Treasures". splendourindia.org. June 2009. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011.
- ^ a b Chatterton, Eyre (1924). "XXV. The Diocese of Dornakal, 1912. A Diocese of Mass Movements.". A History of the Church of England in India. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK).
{{cite book}}
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- ^ "Luxettipet CSI — Church Ministry". Csichurch-luxettipet.blogspot.com. 19 August 2007.
- ^ "Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church". The Lutheran World Federation. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ "South Andhra Lutheran Church". The Lutheran World Federation. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ "United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India". wayback.archive.org. Archived from the original on 7 June 2009.
- ^ a b "Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches — World Council of Churches". oikoumene.org.
- ^ Martin Kretzmann (1906–2000) was a missionary to India and was also instrumental in affiliating the Concordia Theological Seminary, Nagercoil with the Senate of Serampore College (University). [1] Internet, accessed 23 April 2006.
- ^ "History of St John". Church of St John the Baptist, Secunderabad. 20 August 2008. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008.
- ^ Lasania, Yunus (3 April 2018) [Updated from 16 September 2017], "Church of St. John's the Baptist", The Hyderabad History Project – via Medium
- ^ "INTACH". intach.ap.nic.in. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012.
- ^ "Welcome to Holy Trinity Church Bolarum". Htcbolarum.org. Archived from the original on 3 October 2013.
- ^ "Indian Christians Treat Their Women Better, Sex Ratio Highest". medindia.net. Medindia.
- ^ "Christian Schools Hyderabad — Anglo Indian Schools Hyderabad". Yellowpages.sulekha.com. Sulekha.
- ^ "Keerthanalu English" (PDF). uecf.net.
- ^ "Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Passionate about the pipe organ". The Hindu. 22 December 2005. Archived from the original on 17 May 2007.
- ^ "Telugu Christian Fellowship". teluguchristianfellowship.org. Telugu Christian Fellowship. 16 January 1999.
- ^ "History of UECF Christian Website". UECF.net. New Jersey: United Evangelical Christian Fellowship(UECF).