{ "book_metadata": { "book_name": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials", "book_author": "M. K. Kuriakose", "publisher": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge", "published_on": 2011 }, "chunks": [ { "chunk_index": 1, "chapter_name": "1888. Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee on Zenana Work in the Punjab", "page_numbers": [ 248 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00272-74530ba1c8faa4eddd20.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Chatterjee’s Zenana Work Report", "chunk_data": "131. Mrs. K. C. CHATTERJEE ON ZENANA WORK IN THE PUNJAB (1888 A.D.)\nIn this report Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee describes the beginnings of systematic zenana work in the Punjab. Mrs. Chatterjee was an outstanding educator associated with the American Presbyterian Mission. She started a Girls' School at Hoshiarpur and was the only Indian woman from the Punjab to testify before the Hunter Commission on Education. Woman's Work for Woman and our Mission Field, vol. III, April, 1888, pp. 96-98.", "time": { "start_year": 1888, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1888, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1888 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee" ], "places": [ "Punjab", "Hoshiarpur" ], "event": "Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee reports on the beginnings of systematic zenana work in the Punjab.", "tags": [ "Education", "Missions", "Women" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 2, "chapter_name": "1888. Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee on Zenana Work in the Punjab", "page_numbers": [ 248, 249 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00272-74530ba1c8faa4eddd20.webp", "raw\\pages\\00273-75889e3dfdc387676d08.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Social Necessity for Zenana Work", "chunk_data": "Necessity for this work arises from the peculiar social institutions of this country. These forbid the appearance of women and grown-up girls in public. Amongst Mohammedans the custom is enjoined by their religion, therefore every Mohammedan woman is bound to obey it.", "time": { "start_year": 1888, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1888, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1888 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee" ], "places": [ "Punjab" ], "event": "Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee explains that social institutions restricting women’s public appearance created the need for zenana work.", "tags": [ "Society", "Religion", "Women" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 3, "chapter_name": "1888. Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee on Zenana Work in the Punjab", "page_numbers": [ 249 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00273-75889e3dfdc387676d08.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Reaching Women in Their Homes", "chunk_data": "The Hindus have no such religious injunction. But they have learned the customs from Moslems and many of them consider it a part of respectability to observe it. Hindu women visit temples and religious shrines; they go to their friends and relatives in times of joy and sorrow, but they do not appear in public meetings attended by men. If we want to enlighten women of the upper classes and bring them under Gospel influence, we must do so by going where they can be found. That place is the Zanakhana. They cannot come to us; we must go to them. This is the principle on which zenana work is founded.", "time": { "start_year": 1888, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1888, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1888 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee" ], "places": [ "Punjab" ], "event": "Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee argues that missionaries must enter women’s secluded homes to bring upper-class women under Gospel influence.", "tags": [ "Missions", "Religion", "Women" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 4, "chapter_name": "1888. Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee on Zenana Work in the Punjab", "page_numbers": [ 249 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00273-75889e3dfdc387676d08.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Continuing Girls’ School Education", "chunk_data": "There is another reason why it is necessary. It is to complete the work begun in Girl's schools. The education imparted in these schools is very imperfect. Children attend for a short time and are withdrawn before much substantial good is effected. All Hindu girls are between the ages of seven and twelve, and seldom, if ever, afterwards attend school. They therefore leave school just at the time when their minds begin to develop and think on serious subjects. It is therefore of utmost importance that some means should be found to continue and deepen the impression made in earlier years, and that means is zenana work.", "time": { "start_year": 1888, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1888, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1888 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee" ], "places": [ "Punjab" ], "event": "Zenana work is presented as a means of continuing and deepening the limited education girls received in schools.", "tags": [ "Education", "Women", "Missions" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 5, "chapter_name": "1888. Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee on Zenana Work in the Punjab", "page_numbers": [ 249 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00273-75889e3dfdc387676d08.webp" ], "chunk_title": "The Rise of Zenana Work", "chunk_data": "Although the necessity of this form of missionary labour was felt from the beginning, it could not be easily supplied. The people were not prepared for it. They looked upon it with dismay. Besides, there were the prejudices against Christianity to contend with, prejudices shared alike by Hindus and Mohammedans, and so strong at one time as to be deemed almost insuperable. But blessed be God, time has brought a mighty change. Female education began to be appreciated and abhorrence of Christianity became less. The missionaries commenced to be regarded as friends and benefactors to the country. Then began the era of zenana work.", "time": { "start_year": 1888, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1888, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1888 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee" ], "places": [ "Punjab" ], "event": "Growing acceptance of female education and reduced hostility toward Christianity enabled the beginning of zenana work.", "tags": [ "Missions", "Education", "Religion" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 6, "chapter_name": "1888. Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee on Zenana Work in the Punjab", "page_numbers": [ 249 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00273-75889e3dfdc387676d08.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Educational and Evangelistic Methods", "chunk_data": "What is the nature of the work that these ladies and their assistants do in the zenanas? This may be described as partly educational, partly evangelistic. Those engaged in educational work open small classes attended by pupils belonging to one or more families. The subjects taught are of the most elementary character in one of the vernaculars of the country. English is taught in some classes. Needle or fancy-work is taught to those who desire it. Bible truths are communicated to all out of the Bible itself, Barth's Scripture History, Pilgrim's Progress or kindred works. Pictures are generally used to illustrate Scripture truths. Hymns and bhajans are sung and taught.", "time": { "start_year": 1888, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1888, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1888 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee" ], "places": [ "Punjab" ], "event": "Zenana workers provide elementary education, practical instruction, Bible teaching, pictures, hymns, and bhajans.", "tags": [ "Education", "Religion", "Missions" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 7, "chapter_name": "1888. Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee on Zenana Work in the Punjab", "page_numbers": [ 249, 250 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00273-75889e3dfdc387676d08.webp", "raw\\pages\\00274-8ca799cc1827422cbecc.webp" ], "chunk_title": "House-to-House Evangelistic Visits", "chunk_data": "Those who do evangelistic work go from house to house without much system, visiting wherever they find an open door and a willing ear. After inquiring about the welfare of the members of the family they introduce the message and endeavour to impress it on their hearers by conversation, reading or expounding the Word of God. They also make use of bhajans and pictures.", "time": { "start_year": 1888, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1888, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1888 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee" ], "places": [ "Punjab" ], "event": "Evangelistic workers visit zenanas, introduce the Christian message, and use conversation, Scripture, bhajans, and pictures.", "tags": [ "Evangelism", "Religion", "Missions" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 8, "chapter_name": "1888. Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee on Zenana Work in the Punjab", "page_numbers": [ 250 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00274-8ca799cc1827422cbecc.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Priority of Educational Labour", "chunk_data": "Of these two forms of zenana labour the former is the most important and best adapted to the present wants of our women. They are sunk in ignorance. To raise them from this degraded state, knowledge as well as Gospel truth is necessary, and both are supplied by the educational system. It aims at the renovation of the entire women, her intellectual, moral and spiritual nature. This form of labour is generally carried on in large cities and towns by missionary ladies themselves. If Bible women take part in this work, they do so under the close and immediate superintendence of the ladies.", "time": { "start_year": 1888, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1888, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1888 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee" ], "places": [ "Punjab" ], "event": "Educational zenana labour is identified as the chief means of restoring women’s intellectual, moral, and spiritual life.", "tags": [ "Education", "Women", "Religion" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 9, "chapter_name": "1888. Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee on Zenana Work in the Punjab", "page_numbers": [ 250 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00274-8ca799cc1827422cbecc.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Reaching Village Zenanas", "chunk_data": "The evangelistic work has also its importance and usefulness. It is the only means of reaching the great mass of women who have neither time nor inclination to go through a regular course of instruction. It is also the only way of carrying the Gospel at present to the zenanas of the villages. These are visited in the Punjab, principally by the Bible-women.", "time": { "start_year": 1888, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1888, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1888 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee", "Bible-women" ], "places": [ "Punjab", "Punjab villages" ], "event": "Bible-women carry evangelistic work to village zenanas and to women unable or unwilling to attend regular instruction.", "tags": [ "Evangelism", "Missions", "Women" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 10, "chapter_name": "1888. Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee on Zenana Work in the Punjab", "page_numbers": [ 250 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00274-8ca799cc1827422cbecc.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Support Among Advanced Classes", "chunk_data": "How do the people regard zenana work, especially the religious element in it? It is popular with the advanced classes of native society, particularly with the Brahmos and those who have been educated in mission schools. These appreciate female education and do not object to Bible instruction. Referring to them, one of our missionary ladies says: We have more calls than can be answered. Were good Native Christian workers only available, our work could be indefinitely extended. We pay nothing to our women; they come of their own free will, and after several lessons are usually sufficiently interested to desire a continuance of them. When we receive a call we always inform the parties that Bible instruction will be the chief feature, and other things only secondary.'", "time": { "start_year": 1888, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1888, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1888 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee", "Brahmos", "Native Christian workers" ], "places": [ "Punjab" ], "event": "Zenana work gains support among Brahmos and mission-educated members of native society, creating more requests than workers can meet.", "tags": [ "Missions", "Education", "Religion" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 11, "chapter_name": "1888. Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee on Zenana Work in the Punjab", "page_numbers": [ 250 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00274-8ca799cc1827422cbecc.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Resistance in Smaller Towns", "chunk_data": "With less enlightened classes the work is still very unpopular. Some of them simply tolerate it; others strongly object to the religious instruction. It is in greater favour in large cities than in small towns. In the latter it is sometimes exceedingly difficult to find entrance into a single real zenana.", "time": { "start_year": 1888, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1888, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1888 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee" ], "places": [ "Punjab", "Punjab towns" ], "event": "Zenana work faces strong resistance among less enlightened communities, especially in smaller towns.", "tags": [ "Missions", "Society", "Religion" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 12, "chapter_name": "1888. Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee on Zenana Work in the Punjab", "page_numbers": [ 250 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00274-8ca799cc1827422cbecc.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Early Results of Zenana Work", "chunk_data": "What has been the result of zenana work? We have not much to record under this head, yet enough to afford matter for thankfulness and encouragement. The work is still in an initiatory stage. It has been fairly started. The doors of the once jealously guarded apartments have been thrown open to Christian teachers. The women and girls have put themselves under instruction and are", "time": { "start_year": 1888, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1888, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1888 AD" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Mrs. K. C. Chatterjee", "Christian teachers" ], "places": [ "Punjab" ], "event": "Zenana work reaches an initial stage of success as secluded apartments open to Christian teachers and women and girls receive instruction.", "tags": [ "Missions", "Education", "Women" ] } } ] }