{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 97,
  "chapterName": "1847. Petition of British Missionaries to the King of Travancore on the Subject of Slavery",
  "pageFrom": 147,
  "pageTo": 148,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 147,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n147\ncommunicated an account of this new usurpation\ndesigned by the Propagandists, in order that she\nmay make due protests to Rome, and ask the\nsovereign pontiff for a suitable declaration about the\nmatter.\nXLVII. This document is to be read and explained by the\nVicars to their parishioners on the Sundays and\nholidays of obligation following its receipt, and to be\nfiled in the archives.\nXLVIX. The suffragan bishops of Mylapore, Cranganore,\nCochin, etc. are also recommended to order the\nsame to be read and filed.\nGiven at our palace, at Panjim, October 8th, 1838\nA. F. de Santa Rita Carvalho, etc.\n97. PETITION OF BRITISH MISSIONARIES TO THE\nKING OF TRAVANCORE ON THE SUBJECT OF SLAVERY\n(1847 A.D.)\nBritish missionaires working in Travancore took the occasion of\nsuccession to the throne of a new Raja to submit a petition asking for\nthe abolition of slavery in his realm. It is an interesting example of the\nsocial efforts of the missionaries of this period, and of the extensive\ndocumentation used in support of such efforts. Cited in K.K. Kusuman,\nSlavery in Travancore, Appendix II, pp. 78-80.\nWe the undersigned Missionaries from Great Britain, engaged\nin promoting the welfare of Your Highness on the occasion of the\ndeath of H.H. the late Raja and to offer our congratulation on your\nsucceeding the Government of this fine country and to express our\nhope that Your Highness' Government will become illustrious by\nreason of the numerous benefits conferred upon the people.\nYour Highness' extensive intercourse with the people around and\nconsequent familiarity with their condition, beyond that usually\nfalls under the observation of the eminent situation induces the hope\nthat that acquaintance has given rise to wise and kind thought for\nthe poor and oppressed among your subjects.\nWhile we duly appreciate the benevolent efforts of H.H. the late\nRaja for the improvement of the condition of the people, there is\none large and interesting class viz., the slave population invaluable\nfor its services in the cultivation of the country and chief producers\nof its food, who appear to have been left to give Your Highness the\nopportunity of conferring a benefit wider in its operation and more\nbeneficial in its character than any which has yet been conferred",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 148,
      "ocrText": "148\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\non Travancore. For the emancipation of this class, we though\nforeigners, beg to plead sanguine that Your Highness will rejoice\nat the opportunity of commencing your Government with so great\nan act of humanity and kindness. By the census of 1836 the popula-\ntion of Travancore was 1,280,668. Of these were\nParayar\n38,625 entered\nas 'soil slaves'\nPulayar\n31,891\nCoraivar\n3,750\nPallar\nIn all 164,864 slaves, not to mention 16,226 malay vaylar and\nother hill tribes, many of them in a state of vassalage.\nWith the condition of the slaves we have had many opportunities\nof becoming acquainted and have been distressed to find, find, in refe-\nrence to these people, employed in the most laborious and unhealthy\nservices, that even when hardest wrought their food is barely\nadequate to their sustenance their clothing miserably scanty, their\ndwellings affording but little shelter from the moisture and cold\nsurrounding them; and that generally no provision is made for their\nsupport when their labour is not required or disease or age render\nthem unable to labour-that no medical aid is provided for them\nwhen ill-that they can be and are bought and sold as cattle and\nthat in the heartless traffic the husband and wife, the parent and\nchild can be rudely separated and sold in different directions-that\nthey are often subjected to very cruel treatment from their masters,\nand that owing to their degradation, they are in a great measure\ndeprived of the benefits of the new courts and entirely cut off from\nall access to their prince.\nOf the above number we have no means of knowing how many\nare Sirkar slaves. Were not the degradation of all too complete,\nwe should have solicited that a beginning might be made in the\nemancipation of those; but remembering their extreme misery, and\nknowing that the British Government has abolished slavery through-\nout its territories, and recently extended this merciful arrangement\nto India and other states are initiating the example; we venture to\nhope that Your Highness will pass a law, in reference to the slave\npopulation of Travancore, similar to that passed by the Government\nof Bengal and now in operation with regard to slaves in the\nHonourable Company's territories, and thus perform an act of\nmercy to a numerous class of your subjects which will make your\nname precious in Travancore for generations to come as the reliever\nof the oppressed. We venture to submit to Your Highness that the\nhistory of slavery shows that it is the most costly labour that it\ndemeans the owners as much as the slaves and that its extinction\ngreatly conduce to the wealth, intelligence, and social comfort of\nman, wherever it has been achieved...",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}