"It was neither the powerful English nor the Dutch, but the Danes who sent the first Protestant mission to India, — to Tranquebar, an insignificant locality which they possessed in India. Zeigenbalg, the first missionary who reached India in 1706, candidly confessed that his mission had little success. He pointed out that the Christians in India were “so much debauched in their manners”, and “so given to gluttony, drunkenness, lewdness, cursing, swearing, cheating and cozening” and “proud and insulting in their conduct”, that many Indians, judging the religion by its effect upon its followers, “could not be induced to embrace Christianity”. Only a few poor or destitute persons were converted, and they had to be fed and maintained by the mission. When Ziegenbalg wanted to convert the upper classes by argument, he failed miserably. “In a notable debate held under the auspices of the Dutch in Negapatam, Ziegenbalg disputed with a Brahmin for five hours, and far from converting the Brahmin, the missionary came away with an excessive admiration for the intellectual gifts of his adversary”.(150)"
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
RC Majumdar, ed., Volume 10: British Paramountcy and Indian Renaissance, Part 2 [1818-1905]
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Bartholom%C3%A4us_Ziegenbalg
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg
5 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg →
Related Quotes
"[They] lead a very quiet, honest and virtuous life infinitely outdoing our false Christians and superficial pretender…"
"Yet he considered it his duty to destroy idol worship, and wrote how he had destroyed idols in a prominent goddess te…"
"For the last category of religions, Ziegenbalg used the word ‘heathen’ as equivalent to ‘pagan’ or ‘gentile’. It deno…"
"Zeigenbalg’s missionary effort was typical of Christian missionary enterprise in India during the eighteenth century.…"
"Ribas wrote under the most favourable circumstances and made good use of his opportunities."
"His reputation as an historian rests secure upon his history of the Jesuit missions of Mexico."
"Ruris enim quaecunque datur possessio, seu sit Putris harenoso qua torpet glarea tractu, Seu pingui molita graves uli…"
"Vel qualis manibus quondam suspensa supinis Lucet agens circum lomenti bulla salivam, Ante recens maceretur aquis qua…"
"Non patitur cunctas angustia carminis huius Pulei virtutes celeri comprendere versu. Hoc apud Indorum tanti constare …"
"Quae rara sub isto Axe videre soles, aliis in partibus horum Copia tanta iacet, quantam vilissima tecum Efficiunt; ru…"