SEMINAR PAPER ON BENGAL RENAISSANCE AND CHRISTIANITY

Submitted to: - Rev Dr Rajeevan Thomas

Submitted by: -Prince Thomas

1.1 Introduction

As far as the history of Bengal is concerned, the 'Bengal Renaissance' is considered to be an important event or
milestone of the mid-19th century. It was a luminous phase which was marked by revivalism in all aspects.
Setting aside the model of 'European Renaissance' if one attempts to looks at the 'Bengal Awakening' as a
separate event then its main facets could be examined by historians independently and similarities could be
found. This renewal could be traced to have begun with Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1775-1833) who is ascribed as
the 'herald' of Bengal Renaissance which continued until the death of Rabindranath Tagore in 1941.1The
Renaissance was a revival of the positives of ancient past and appreciation of the western elements. The impact
of Christianity in this regard can in no ways be overlooked. The present writer finds some nexus between the
renaissance and the active presence of Christianity in the province. In this paper an attempt has been made to
understand the Bengal Renaissance and Christianity

1.2 Early Socio-Political Condition of Bengal

Bengal in the early 18th century had become an important place for foreign trade. Prior to it, by 1579
Portuguese had already established their base. Hooghly became the most important and the most
prosperous of the Portuguese settlements in Bengal.2 With this settlement, Catholic mission began to
establish its root. In 1765 the East India Company took possession of Bengal Bihar and parts of Orissa.
As a result, Bengal and its surrounding lands became the first regions in India to experience the direct
impact of British rule. For the remainder of the eighteenth century and throughout the early decades of
the nineteenth century, the British laid the foundations for civil administration. They established
communication and Transport systems, modern bureaucracy, army and police. In 1877, the British
declared Calcutta the capital of the British raj.

The condition of the people of Bengal was pitiable during the 18th century because the prevailing social
system was filled with the evils like sati. child marriage, infanticide, caste system, untouchability and the
low status of women. And after the long years of harassment from the mugal rulers the native people went
under the British as the demoralized multitude lacked in courage and unity. The people hoped that the British
would offer a better deal along with education. But the foreigners were interested in exploiting and
economic domination. Trade and manufacturing industries declined under the East India Company. They
took the raw material from India and sold the manufactured goods to the people of India at expensive
price. for example, the company encouraged the manufacturing of raw silk in Bengal but the manufacturing of
silk fabrics was discouraged. Thus, this resulted in the abandoning of many industries in Bengal.3

1
Joseph Thekkedath, History of Christianity in India: Volume II (Bangalore: Theological Publications in India, 1982),
2
A. Jayakumar, History of Christianity in India (Kolkata: SCEPTRE, 2013), 59-60.
3
A. Jayakumar, History of Christianity in India…,63.
1.3 The Bengal Renaissance

In the mid-19th century, Bengal had witnessed an intellectual awakening that could be ascribed the
nomenclature "Renaissance" in European style. The new intellectual storming of European knowledge
particularly history, philosophy, literature and science through the medium of education in English may be said
to have affected the contemporary mind and life very radically. Rajaram Mohan Roy was the morning star of
the Bengal renaissance. His contribution towards social and cultural sphere was massive. Apart from him
the likes of Debendranath Tagore, Akshay Kumar Dutta, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Michael
Madhusudan Dutta, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and so on were some of the prominent figures of
Bengal Renaissance of the 19th and early 20th century.4

1.3.1 Etymology of the word

Etymologically, the word renaissance means re-birth or revitalism. The term was coined by Jacob Bruckhardt in
the context of the Italian Renaissance of the late 14th or early 15th century. The Italian Renaissance, in short,
saw the blending of the pagan old and the new of the emerging Europe. In the same way the Bengal
Renaissance retained the positives of the ancient past and welcomed novel ideas in the domain of science and
politics.5

1.3.2 Bengal Renaissance in backdrop of Hinduism

The Western liberal and rationalistic ideas imparted through English education and Christian social activities
played an important role in the nineteen century I ndian renaissance. The reaction of Hindu society to
Western and missionary influence varied from blind imitation of the West to unthinking hostility and opposition
to it. English education was considered by Christian agencies as a preparation for evangelism. A number of
young Indians who came under the influence of Western education separated themselves from Hinduism.
Among them an identity crisis was felt. Some of them became Christians. This movement of educate Indians to
Christianity continued throughout the nineteen century and the post of the twentieth century.

The western impact did not make the educated class to consider Christianity as a substitute for Hinduism, but
rather take it as a challenge to consider the plight of their religion and society in the light of the new knowledge.
To such national leaders, several of them educated in Christian schools Christianity which was closely tied up
with the British raj, did not offer an alternative to their ancestral faith, but rather they saw in Christianity an
effort on the part of the foreigners to make them subservient to colonial rule. The role of the missionaries of this
period as apologists for the empire proved to be fatal for the cause of Christianity. It was not surprising then that
the Indian educated class turned away from Christianity and in several cases became anti-Christian6

4
Subrata Dasgupta, The Story of the Bengal Renaissance (New Delhi : Random House Publishers,2011),11-13.
5
Sumit Sarkar, Writing Social History (Delhi: Oxford University Press,1997),104.
6
Sumit,Sarkar, "Calcutta and the Bengal Renaissance (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press,1990),23.
1.3.3 Nexus between Bengal renaissance and European renaissance
The Bengal renaissance was inspired by the European Renaissance of the 14th century. It not only
encompassed a resurgence of learning, the development of the arts, and transformation of education, but
also included crucially, key elements of the religious Reformation, which led to a spirit of scientific
enquiry and the age of Enlightenment in Europe during the 16th through 18th centuries. For this upheaval
to have taken place at all, three essential, interrelated conditions were necessary such as
i) freedom of reason (from dogma),
ii) economic freedom needed to pursue intellectual vocations, and
iii) freedom of thought. Which could be seen in Europe 300 years earlier7

Bengal was the first to experience the paradox of the best aspects of enlightenment in Britain, and the worst
aspects of its colonial rule at home. Gopal Krishna Gokhale was among the first pan-Indian leaders to recognise
this:

The Bengalees are in many respects a most remarkable people in all India...their faults...    lie on the
surface, but they have great qualities which are sometimes lost sight of. In almost all the walks of life
open to the Indians the Bengalees are among the most distinguished. Some of the greatest social and
religious re-formers of recent times have come from their ranks. Of orators, journalists, politicians,
Bengal possesses some of the most brilliant.    ...but take science or law or literature:    Where will you
find another scientist in all India to place by the side of Dr. J. C. Bose or Dr. P. C. Ray or a jurist like Dr
Ghoshi or a poet like Rabindra Nath Tagore?    ...    They are the highest products of which the race is
regularly capable; and a race of such capability cannot, I repeat, be put down by coercion. (Gokhale
1920: 309)8

1.4 Developments in different arenas

1.4.1 Social Reforms

This period was marked by many new social reformers coming into the forefront. It was the west which
profoundly impacted the eastern people, particularly the elite group around the Calcutta metropolis. In response
to the western notions of rationalism, liberalism the prominent Bengalees like Rammohun Roy, Ishwar
Chandra Vidyasagar attempted to liberate the society from the clutches of darkness. Rammohun Roy
attempted to fight against the sati system. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar worked hard to eradicate child
marriage. These two corrupt practices were destroying women's life. Another radical reformer was Henry
Louis Vivian Derozio, a Eurasian professor of English and History at Hindu college. His followers were
known for radical temperament. Under his guidance, students were encouraged to debate freely and
question authority. In the year 1830, the orthodox society was taken aback when the Derozians recited Illiad
instead of slokas and mantras. They even greeted goddess kali as 'good morning, madam'. The positive aspect of
this 'young Bengal' team was that rationalism and a candid appreciation of ideas happened which was

7
Robert Travers, Ideology and Empire in Eighteenth-Century India: The British in Bengal (Cambridge : Cambridge University Press
(2007),55.
8
W. R. Mujawar, Speeches And Writings Of Gopal Krishna Gokhale (Kochi: Mangalam Publications,2009),34-36.
generating from the west.9

1.4.2 Literature

The renaissance period after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 saw a magnificent outburst of Bengali Literature.
Rammohun Roy and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar were the pioneers, while Bankim Chandra
Chattopadhayaya widened the literary path. The first significant nationalist contribution to the Bengal
Renaissance was given by the brilliant writings of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. Patriotism became one of
the most prominent and loved theme for the literary writings. Many of the writings highly provoked nationalist
sentiments. Bengali prose developed during this enlightened phase. Three popularly ascribed stalwarts of
literature were Ishwar Chandra Vidyasar, Akshay Kumar Dutta and Rajendra Lal Mitra who took
Bengali literature to a certain height. Bengali poetry rose to a new height with the writings of Michael
Madhusudan Dutta's 'Meghnad Badh Kavya'. The noble-prize winning book Gitanjali bears testimony to the
fact.10

1.4.3 Dramas

Bengali Stage drama under the impact of Russian dramatist Gerasim Lebedeff had its first modern initiation in
as early as 1795. Adaptions of sanskrit and even Shakespeare plays were being made all along. The writing of
Ram Narayan Tarkaranath in the year 1854 marked the birth of new Bengali drama as an instrument of social
reforms. Bengali stage drama reached its zenith in 1856 when Kali Prasanna Sinha's Jorasanko house stage
came into being. The domain of drama witnessed a new lease of life with the appearance of Dinabandhu Mitra's
Nil-Darpan and Madhusudan Dutta's English translation of the drama Ratna-bali. Moreover, he took to writing
bengali dramas. Bengali journals and newspapers were already in a force. Sambad prabhakar and Soma-Prakas
are important examples. The press was the nursey of the new-born literary aspirants.11

1.4.4 Science and Technology

The Bengal renaissance also saw the emergence of pioneering Bengali scientists like Jagadish Chandra
Bose, Satyendra Nath Bose, Meghnad Saha, P.C Ray. So, this period was fruitful as far as science and
technology is concerned. J.C Bose was a polymath who contributed towards physics, chemistry,
technology-based subjects and archaeology. He is one of the fathers of radio science and is also considered
the author of Bengali science fictions. He was the first from the Indian sub-continent to get a US patent in
1904. Satyendra Nath Bose was a physicist and specialized in mathematical physics. He is best known for
his works on quantum mechanics in 1920s, providing the foundation for Bose-Einstein statistics and the
theory of Bose-Einstein condensate. Upendranath Brahmachari was a noted Indian scientist and an able
medical practitioner. Meghnad Saha was an well-known astro-physict, who founded the saha equation
that explained the physical and chemical condition in the star. He was nominated four times for Noble

9
Hesketh Pearson, Modern Men and Mummers (London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd,1921),18.
10
Rabindranath Tagore, Gitanjali and Fruit Gathering (London: Macmillan & Co Ltd,1927),45-46.
11
Subrata, Dasgupta,The Bengal Renaissance: Identity and Creativity from Rammohun Roy to Rabindranath Tagore (Hyderabad :
Orient Black Swan,2009),46.
Prize.12

1.4.5 Art

In the arena of art, the painters came out of the medieval tradition, they developed a distinctive style. Nature's
inspiration and discoveries emerged as the new genre of painting during the entire phase of Bengal Renaissance.
Abanindanath Tagore was the herald of the movement, while he was accompanied by Gajendranath Tagore,
Durgasunkar Bhattacharya and Nandalal Bose. They took inspiration from the mughal, rajput and ajanta
paintings. The Bengal School of Painting and Academy of Fine Arts became the new institutes of art and
exhibition. The present writer presents his argument by looking at the one of its major founders who was Ernest
Binfield Havell, an English art historian, teacher and author. The Bengal painters gave the indigenous art a new
meaning.13

1.4.6 Religion

In the sphere of religion, Rammohun Roy endeavored to reform Hinduism by going back to its purist
forms as enshrined in the Vedic texts. The western ideologies like Christian Unitarianism and trinitarians
profoundly influenced his career. Roy condemned idolatry, polytheism and priest-crafts. His new notions
about religion culminated in the foundation of the Brahmo Samaj in the 19th century, essentially based on
monotheism. His followers were Debendranath Tagore, Radhakanta Deb and others who embraced Brahmo
religion. Another man stalwart, Swami Vivekananda in the world parliament of Religion in 1893 in
Chicago popularized Hinduism and took it to an international level. Thus, the Renaissance saw religious
and cultural accomplishments.14

1.4.7 Change in the status of women

The pace of change in Bengal society in this period can be evaluated from the legal status of its women.
From marriage at eight or nine and being burnt on the pyres of old, polygamous husbands during Ram
Mohan’s time in the 1830s, to the widow remarriage act of 1856 and the official championing of women’s
education and formation of Bethune College in between, the lot of women in Bengal underwent a radical
transformation in just a single generation which is 25 years. Even in ‘enlightened’ Britain, Cambridge did
not allow women to study courses till 1881 and did not give degrees to its female students who passed the
exams until 1921. Women achieved suffrage on the same terms as men, only in 1928 a decade after WW1
reforms giving voting rights to veterans. But these momentous changes did not infiltrate down to all strata of
society mainly because of the absence of the third essential ingredient which is the economic freedom. When
Sister Nivedita arrived on the scene in November 1898, she still found girls deprived of basic education and
started a school for them, working to improve the lives of Bengali women of all castes.15   

1.5 The two perspectives: Westernism and Revivalist

It is generally perceived that the Renaissance had two streams namely the western stream and the revivalist
stream. In the history of Bengal Renaissance, the contribution of westernism was higher than that of

12
Steven R. Brown, Merchant Kings: When Companies Ruled the World, 1600—1900 (New York: St. Martin's Press,2009),18-20.
13
Andrew Sartori, Bengal in Global Concept History (Chicago: University of Chicago Press,2009),68.
14
Killingley Dermot, "Rammohun Roy and the Bengal Renaissance" (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press,2019),35
15
P. J Marshall, Bengal: The British Bridgehead: Eastern India 1740-1828 ( Cambridge :Cambridge University Press, 2006),23.
traditionalism. The Bengal Renaissance was not sensitive to the aspect of tradition. It came to be seen as a
vague imitation of the west. However, on the other hand one could see reformers life Vidyasagar was modern in
approach but had a respect for traditional values. Bankim Chandra and Vivekananda were in favor of revivalist
stream, but they were not against modernity. One of the best syntheses of tradition and modernity was found in
Rabindranath Tagore who believed in the blending of both.16

1.6 Rajaram Mohan Roy

Rajaram Mohan Roy is considered to be the Martin Luther of Bengal and ‘father of modern India’. In 1828 he
founded the Brahmo Sabha. It was also the inspiration behind the formation of the Arya Samaj by Swami
Dayanand in 1875. His influence was apparent in the fields of politics, public administration, education, as well
as religion. He is particularly remembered for his efforts to abolish degraded Hindu practices like the Sati.   
  
It was he sought to integrate Western culture with features of his own country's traditions through the
establishment of Hindu College (with David Hare), the Vedanta College and the Anglo Hindu School. His
religious views were free from the influence of dogma. His influence was instrumental in the passing of several
reform legislation: upholding of Bentinck’s legislation abolishing Sati by the Privy Council; The Indian Jury act
1832 ensuring equality under law of Indians and Europeans; the Charter Act of 1833 allowing Europeans to
settle in designated areas of India; besides increase of allowances to the Mughul Emperor and so on.17

1.7 Iswarchand Vidyasagar

Vidyasagar is an iconic figure in Bengal, perhaps because of his legendary generosity, and because, unlike most
of the other towering figures of the renaissance and nationalism movement, he came from very modest means
and was self-made in every sense of the term. In the face of opposition from the Hindu establishment,
Vidyasagar vigorously promoted the idea that regardless of their caste, both men and women should receive the
best of education. As his title implies, he was one of the greatest scholars of his time and single-handedly
transformed the Bengali alphabet into its present modern form. He also went on to establish schools, and also
the Calcutta Training School which was later renamed Vidyasagar College. He became a founder-member when
Calcutta University was established in 1857.

Vidyasagar took the initiative in proposing, and pushing through the Widow Remarriage Act XV of 1856 in
India. He also demonstrated that the practice of polygamy without restriction was not sanctioned by the ancient
Hindu Shastras. Another facet of the reform mantle which credits him was care of the Bethune School for girls
(forerunner of Bethune College). Established in 1849 by a Cambridge Wrangler, John Elliot Drinkwater
Bethune, who came to India as Law Member of the Governor General’s Council, and was also, President of the
Council of Education, it was passed on to Vidyasagar’s stewardship after Bethune’s untimely death in 1851,
only three years after his arrival in India. Vidyasagar became the secretary of its management committee. He
was rightly ascribed as the ocean of knowledge as the literal meaning of his name suggests.18

1.8 Bankim Chandra Chattopadyay

16
Killingley Dermot, "Rammohun Roy and the Bengal Renaissance"…,45.
17
Killingley Dermot, "Rammohun Roy and the Bengal Renaissance"…,42.
18
Nitish Sengupta,History of the Bengali-speaking People (New Delhi, Delhi: UBS Publishers' Distributors,2001), 213.
Bankim Chandra Chattopadyay was a contemporary of Vidyasagar. He was a civil servant who was also a vital
renaissance figure transforming Bengali to a modern language through his nationalistic writing. He earned the
ire of his government masters by his novels of patriotic fervor even though they were ostensibly directed
towards the previous Turko-Afghan foreign rulers of Bengal. His role in the awakening of a national
consciousness is immortalised in his song Vande Mataram, officially designated as the National Song of India.
Some consider Bankim not only as the best novelist in Bengal, but believe that few writers in world literature
have excelled in both philosophy and art as Bankim has done.19

1.9 William Carey

He came to India as a missionary in 1793 and lived here. He knew the people of India, their religious,
social, and economic condition, as no other Englishman before him had done, and he loved, lived and
worked with people in Bengal till his death on 9th June, 1834. All through his 41 years in Bengal he
worked relentlessly for the spread of modern education; translation of not only the Bible into many
languages, but also Indian classics into Bangla; and development of Bangla prose. He wrote usable
Bangla grammar, worked to reform many social ills and transformed the lives of millions. No wonder
Rabindranath Tagore called Carey "the father of modern Bengal." The great work that he did with his colleagues
both the Europeans and Indians in places like Madnabati, Sada Mahol in Dinajpur district, in Khidirpur,
Calcutta, and Serampore in West Bengal, earned him recognition as a reformer par excellence. Many people
remember him even today for his reforming activities that led to the abolition of, among many others, the
horrible practice of burning of widows.20

Carey's greatest contributions include the development of Bengali prose. His voluminous research work,
History of Bengali Literature in the Nineteenth Century (1800-1825) is considered to be a classic
masterpiece. It was Carey and his colleagues who made effective use of the printing press in India, with
tremendous impact on the people of that time. Carey's printing of the Gospel according to Matthew was the
first prose literature in Bangla language. He authored popular Bangla grammar books and dictionaries,
translated Indian classical books from Sanskrit into Bangla so that the man on the street could read them. Carey
and his colleagues established primary schools for women and the dalits, and opened asylums for people
affected by leprosy. Carey came to India at a time when the ordinary people's life was so much ridden with the
curse of many oppressive and bizarre practices in the name of religion, like Sati and burning of people affected
by leprosy, infanticide, etc. Governor General Lord Wellesley took the first step on February 5, 1805 to
stop the practice of burning widows. Carey was the first to move the authorities. While the governors-
general and their colleagues passed away, Carey and his associates did not cease to agitate in India and also to
stir up, in England, people like William Wilberforce to abolish slavery till victory was gained in circulating the
same in the local language21
1.9.1 The Serampore Mission
Though the first Christian activity in Bengal began from 1576 by the Jesuits, the total life of Bengalese was not
influenced by it. But the mission of Serampore trio had a tremendous impetus on the life of the Bengal society

19
Ujjal K.Majumdar, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay: His Contribution to Indian Life and Culture (Calcutta: The Asiatic Society,
2000),45.
20
K.L. Richardson, “The Missions of Serampore Trio: An Ecumenical Perspective,” Indian Journal of Theology: Mission and Vision
Volume 35/1 (1993),32.
21
Stanley, Brian. The History of the Baptist Missionary Society 1792-1992. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1992,34
from 1800. William Carey started his ministry in Bengal in 1793 and he had been joined by Joshua
Marshman, a school teacher and William Ward, a printer. This partnership was generally called
Serampore Trio who worked united for many years for the upliftment of Bengal society in educational,
social and religious environments. Carey was missionary during the hostile period of Missionary
Enterprises. The actual Serampore history begins in the year 1799 when Grant, Marshman and Ward arrived in
India and joined Carey. They were highly intellectual and were completely devoted to the service of God. By
then Carey had already begun his Bengali translation learning new languages and preaching. The first school in
Serampore for European and Anglo-Indian children was opened in 1800, increasing the revenue system,
which helped them to get relieved from the foreign aid. By 1817 there were around 45 such schools in the
surround district. The contribution of the Serampore trio in the upliftment of the Bengali community in
so many different aspects can never be overlooked which also formed the foundation of the renaissance in
the subsequent years.22
1.9.2 Bible Translation and Other Literatures
Carey’s unbroken habit was to begin the day every morning by reading one chapter of the Bible, first in English
and then in six other languages which he himself had learned. Since 1793, when he acquired Bengali, Carey’s
heart and mind was occupied to translate the Bible into principal languages of India and Eastern Asia. He
preached, he taught, but the one thing which took the greatest part of his long working day year after year was
the translation of the divine message to “all men in their own language”. By 1797, Carey felt the urgency of
setting up a printing press for the printing of scriptures. Carey and his associates undertook and
supervised the translations of the Bible into 40 major languages and some dialects as they worked
together with a team of Indians Pundits. Another very important and remembered contribution by the
three missionaries was to the spheres of Literature in translation of Christian Scriptures. The Bengali
New Testament was the first book of any size ever printed in Bengali prose and also it was the first printed copy
of New Testament in Indian tongues, February 7, 1801. Carey felt that the NT translation far from perfect in
spite of all the effort and care, so in 1803 he revised it and published in 1806.23
Carey was appointed professor of Bengali and Sanskrit in college at Fort William, while being there Carey also
produced Bengali grammar, the colloquies and Bengali prose. The Bengali dictionary, which was published
in 1815, has been the greatest service to the people of India. By the time of his death there were six
complete Bible translations and twenty-three entire New Testament and also portion of Scriptures in
other ten languages. During his lifetime he produced, seven grammar books, four dictionaries in Sanskrit,
Bengali, Marathi, Telugu (His Sanskrit dictionary of 80,000 words appeared in 1815), thirteen polyglot
vocabularies, 132 books of learning on various subjects such as botany, social-customs and literature, and
he translated Ramayana and Mahabharata into Bengali.24
1.9.3 Prose and Periodical
Carey's greatest contributions include the development of Bengali prose. He authored popular Bangla grammar
books and dictionaries, translated Indian classical books from Sanskrit into Bangla so that the man on the street
could read them. Under the leadership of Marshman the attempt was made and “Dig Darshan” appeared first
time in February 1818 containing the general interest together with some current events. In 8 May 1818 a
Samachar Darpan was issued which was the first ever newspaper in Indian language and by April 18 monthly

22
Stanley, Brian. The History of the Baptist Missionary Society 1792-1992,39.
23
Somen Das, “William Carey’s contributions from a Theological-Ethical Perspective,” Indian Journal of Theology: Mission and
Vision 35/1 (1993),14.
24
Ebenezer D Dasan, “Evaluation of the Serampore Mission from the Perspective of a Holistic concept of Mission,” UBS Journal
Volume 5/1 (March 2007),38.
magazine “friend of India” also appeared which continued till 1875. These publications gave references to the
evil and unjust society of India such as ‘Sati’ and ‘Infanticide’.25
1.9.4 Serampore College
More schools meant more teachers and more educational institutions would produce more teachers and more
qualified men for job. This led the missionaries the felt for the need of large missionary personal. Some
unfortunate circumstances made them isolate themselves from the Baptist missionary society in 1816, yet, they
decide to take a bold step of starting a College in which a higher and more complete education should be given
to the natives, more especially to the Christian parentage, in which native preachers and schoolmasters, whose
defect had been felt, should be efficiently trained up. The college issued a prospectus on the 15 July, 1818 with
the instruction that the ‘College is for Asiatic Christian and other youth in the Eastern Literature and European
Science’, The Prospectus made another very important clearance that the College was to be handmaid for
evangelization and proposing that the instruction would be in Sanskrit, Arabic, European Science and English.
The medium was to be the vernacular, and English was offered as required subject. College was to be
considered as preeminently a divinity school. This college was founded with the aim of imparting modern
higher education in India and served as a great source of enlightenment to the people26

1.9.5 Social Reformation

When Carey stepped in India, he found the most atrocious and inhuman custom of burning widows or
burying them alive. He strove hard against it which led to its subsequent abolishment. Carey undertook a
thorough research into the number, nature and reasons for the infanticide and published various reports.
He presented several petitions to the government until, in 1802, infanticide was outlawed. This marked the
first time that the British government interfered directly with religious practice in India. It set a precedent for
the abolition of other practices. Apart from this no class of sufferers appealed more to Dr. Carey’s sympathies
than the lepers. Lepers were rejected by their families and society and burnt alive. Hinduism taught that
only a violent and fiery end could purify the body and ensure transmitigation into a healthy new
existence. In 1812, he had witnessed at Cutwa, the burning alive of one of these unfortunates. His soul was
filled with horror, and he did not rest until through his influence and exertions, a leper hospital had been
established in Calcutta.

The Serampore Mission’s attitude towards caste distinctions was as clear as they understood the caste
distinctions was our and out of religious than social. So, they were conscious to what caste system did and
in 1803, Krishna Prasad, a Brahmin convert married the second daughter of Krishna Pal, a Shudra.
Serampore missionaries attended that marriage and made evident about their stand on caste
system. Carey’s interests in Botanical studies and research led to the development of one of the finest Botanical
Garden in the East. Though the garden does not exist the Society of Horticulture do exist up to this present
time. Euthanasia was also widely practiced with those afflicted by other sicknesses. Such people were regularly
carried out to be left exposed to cold and heat, crocodiles or insects, by the riverside. Cary fought against these
and many other social evils practices child prostitution, slavery and the caste system. He publicly criticized the
government for inaction and passivity in the face of murder. He organized public debates and spoke out and
wrote often on these atrocities27

25
A.Christopher Smith, The Serampore Mission Enterprise (Bangalore: Centre for Contemporary Christianity, 2006),313.
26
A.Christopher Smith, The Serampore Mission Enterprise…,316.
27
D. Arthur Jeyakumar, History of Christianity in India selected Themes (Madurai: Author, 2007), 62.
1.9.6 Influence of Christianity in the renaissance

Though the missionary efforts in the 19th century did not make many Christians converts as expected, the
influence of Christianity in the renaissance cannot be ignored. All religious movements in Bengal from that time
related directly or indirectly to Christians and their active presence, involvement in the different facets of the
society. Often times the nexus between Christianity and the Bengal renaissance remains to be ambivalent There
was a conflict between the respect for Christ and antipathy to Christian missionary action. Every religious
thinker in Bengal had to reconcile this conflict either by accepting something from Christianity or by reviving
militant Hinduism.28
Christianity was both a challenge and an inspiration. It was a challenge in that the Hindu intellectuals, in the
fact of missionary criticism of Hinduism and Indian society, had to reinterpret their theological position and
start social and religious reform movements to modernize Indian religion and society. It was an inspiration in
that they borrowed many things from Christianity. Christianity’s influence on the social practice of Hinduism
and in the awakening of its social conscience cannot be minimized. For instance, the tradition of social service
has come to India chiefly through the example of Christian mission. There was a tremendous respect of Jesus
Christ and his ethical teaching and an aversion to doctrinal and western form of Christianity. The attempt of
Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Keshub Chandra Sen to discover an Oriental Christ illustrates the conflict of the
Indian intellectuals between their admiration for the ethical teaching of Jesus and their attachment to Indian
tradition. An universal note was seen in the writings of R.M. Roy, K.C. Sen, R.Tagore and even in Vivekananda.
For several of them Jesus Christ was a symbol of humanity and therefore a universal symbol. It was the
humanism of the gospel which attracted them. The educated Indians created a new myth of Christ. Christ
became a symbol of man struggling in the darkness and searching for truth. His death symbolizes the be-
wilderment, anguish and faithlessness of man and his birth symbolizes the hope and victory of man.29
1.10 Evaluation
One cannot negate the fact that the social reformers who emulated or were influenced by the Christian
missionaries did make an attempt to reform the society on several grounds and to a larger extent they succeeded
too in making those changes possible. But the present writer raises an argument that even these reformers had
their limitations in the role they had played unlike the stalwarts such as William Carey and others. One of the
greatest challenges they confronted were that they were scared of the orthodox, caste-ridden and superstitious
Hindu society who were not open to change and posed as a challenge to them. Apart from this they were also
entangled in their own preconceived notions and stereotypes which were more conservative in nature. So the
elevated status given to these reformers in the arrival of a new dawn through the Bengal Renaissance and their
leading the community from darkness cannot be overtly estimated. It was the ideology of the west which
directly or indirectly led to the growth of nationalism. Leaders like Rammohun Roy, Dwarkanath Tagore and
others were aware of the economic exploitation of the English. But they understood that it was not expedient to
resist the economic revolution which would later become beneficial for a transition from medievalism to
modern.
1.11 Conclusion
In the light of this paper, one could understand the different facets of Bengal Renaissance and it’s inter
relatedness with Christianity prevalent at that time. One of the concern, that raises is regarding the question
about the comparison between the European renaissance and the renaissance which happened in Bengal in
regardance to its nexus with Christianity. One cannot deny the influence and the close affiliation of Christianity
with the renaissance which happened in different facets of the society. To what extent can one flag for it is the
28
J.S. Dharmaraj, “Serampore Missions and Colonial Connections” Indian Church History Review, Volume XXVI/1,( June 1992), 21.
29
Brian Stanley, The History of the Baptist Missionary Society…,67.
bone of contention the present writer projects in this paper. As far as Bengal renaissance was concerned, Bengal
and her eminent stalwarts imbibed both the notions of east and west and formed a synthesis. Even though the
renaissance could be epitomized as a great wave that has brought change in India. The present writer feels that
the Serampore mission in particular were master stroke for the great wave of change, “Bengal Renaissance”.
Their excellent contributions in this regard also needs to be incorporated in the history writing of the
renaissance to render an unbiased comprehension of history.

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Journals
Das, Somen. “William Carey’s contributions from a Theological-Ethical Perspective,” Indian Journal of
Theology: Mission and Vision Vol 35/1 (1993).
Dasan, Ebenezer D. “Evaluation of the Serampore Mission from the Perspective of a Holistic concept of
Mission,” UBS Journal Vol 5/1 (March 2007), 37-55.
Dharmaraj, J.S. “Serampore Missions and Colonial Connections,” Indian Church History Review Vol XXVI/1
(June 1992), 21-35.
Richardson, K.L. “The Missions of Serampore Trio: An Ecumenical Perspective,” Indian Journal of Theology:
Mission and Vision Vol 35/1 (1993).
  
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