{ "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": "1859. The Upper-Cloth Rebellion: Letter of Missionaries to Lord Stanley", "page_numbers": [ 187 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00211-ff2a6ae38f5eb081ad58.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Missionary Letter to Lord Stanley", "chunk_data": "112. THE UPPER-CLOTH REBELLION LETTER OF MISSIONARIES TO LORD STANLEY (1859 A.D.)\nThe letter of four missionaries to Lord Stanley, Secretary of State for India, dated 26 March 1859, concerning the Upper-Cloth Rebellion in Travancore (see previous entry) indicates the level of missionary interest in the matter. Cited in Copies of the Official Papers sent from India touching the Recent Disturbances in Travancore, 1859, p. 3.", "time": { "start_year": 1859, "start_month": 3, "start_date": 26, "end_year": 1859, "end_month": 3, "end_date": 26, "time_display": "26 March 1859" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Four missionaries", "Lord Stanley" ], "places": [ "Travancore", "India" ], "event": "Four missionaries wrote to Lord Stanley about the Upper-Cloth Rebellion in Travancore.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Politics", "Colonialism" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 2, "chapter_name": "1859. The Upper-Cloth Rebellion: Letter of Missionaries to Lord Stanley", "page_numbers": [ 187, 188 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00211-ff2a6ae38f5eb081ad58.webp", "raw\\pages\\00212-d4664de0c69e6d04f126.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Missionaries Submit Official Papers", "chunk_data": "My Lord,\nWe have the honour to lay before your Lordship copies of the papers noted in the margin (Consultation, 1 Feb. 1859, Nos. 4 to 6. Consultation, 8 Feb. 1859, Nos. 19 and 20. Consultation, 15 March 1859, Nos. 10 to 15.) having reference to the recent disturbances in South Travancore; and in doing so, we would solicit special attention to the report submitted through the Resident by the Dewan Madava Row on the origin, progress, and suppression of these disturbances, as also to the Minutes recorded by our President and the Civil Members of Government on the subject.", "time": { "start_year": 1859, "start_month": 2, "start_date": 1, "end_year": 1859, "end_month": 3, "end_date": 15, "time_display": "1 February–15 March 1859" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Four missionaries", "Lord Stanley", "Dewan Madava Row", "The Resident", "President of Government", "Civil Members of Government" ], "places": [ "South Travancore", "Travancore" ], "event": "The missionaries submitted official papers and directed Lord Stanley's attention to Dewan Madava Row's report on the disturbances.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Politics", "Administration" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 3, "chapter_name": "1859. The Upper-Cloth Rebellion: Letter of Missionaries to Lord Stanley", "page_numbers": [ 188 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00212-d4664de0c69e6d04f126.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Agitation Over Upper-Cloth Dress", "chunk_data": "2. The agitation, it will be seen, occurred in the three or four Southern Districts of the Travancore Territory between portions of the Soodra and Shanar populations, and appears to have arisen from some Hindoo Shanar women having assumed the right of covering the upper part of their persons with a cloth, which was objected to by the Soodras as preventing a recognition of the caste.", "time": { "start_year": 1859, "start_month": null, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1859, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "1859" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Shanar women", "Soodras" ], "places": [ "Southern Districts of Travancore", "Travancore Territory" ], "event": "Agitation arose after Shanar women claimed the right to cover their upper bodies with cloth, which Soodras opposed on caste-recognition grounds.", "tags": [ "Religion", "Caste", "Social Conflict" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 4, "chapter_name": "1859. The Upper-Cloth Rebellion: Letter of Missionaries to Lord Stanley", "page_numbers": [ 188 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00212-d4664de0c69e6d04f126.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Earlier Travancore Dress Regulations", "chunk_data": "3. Disturbances from a like cause broke out in the year 1829, on which occasion her Highness the Ranee of Travancore in her proclamation of 3rd February 1829, republished, as the only Regulation in force in the matter,' a previous circular Order of May 1814, whereby no women of Palavres, Shanars and others of that description, were ever to be allowed to wear cloths on their bosoms as the Nair women, but, were not prevented from wearing jackets, called coopayum, such as were in use by the women of Christian converts and of some other castes.", "time": { "start_year": 1814, "start_month": 5, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1829, "end_month": 2, "end_date": 3, "time_display": "May 1814–3 February 1829" }, "meta": { "people": [ "Ranee of Travancore", "Shanar women", "Nair women", "Christian converts" ], "places": [ "Travancore" ], "event": "The Ranee of Travancore reissued an 1814 order restricting lower-caste women from wearing upper-cloths while permitting jackets.", "tags": [ "Caste", "Religion", "Law" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 5, "chapter_name": "1859. The Upper-Cloth Rebellion: Letter of Missionaries to Lord Stanley", "page_numbers": [ 188 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00212-d4664de0c69e6d04f126.webp" ], "chunk_title": "British Opposition to Caste Restrictions", "chunk_data": "4. Your Lordship will perceive from the last paragraph of our proceedings of the 27th January last, that the Resident has been instructed to be careful to give no countenance to the idea that the British Government, of which he is the representative, recognises any exclusive distinctions, or the right of any set of men to prevent others from following in all matters of social or domestic life such course as they may see fit, provided it be not repugnant to public decency and morals. He has also been desired to impress these views on his Highness the Rajah, and to point out to him that such prohibitions as those contained in the Circular Order of May 1814, or in the Proclamation of 3rd February 1829, are unsuited to the present age, and unworthy of an enlightened prince, and that he is not to look for the support of the British Government in any attempts to maintain them, as respects any class of his subjects.", "time": { "start_year": 1859, "start_month": 1, "start_date": 27, "end_year": 1859, "end_month": 1, "end_date": 27, "time_display": "27 January 1859" }, "meta": { "people": [ "The Resident", "Rajah of Travancore" ], "places": [ "Travancore" ], "event": "The British Government instructed the Resident to oppose caste-based social restrictions and advised the Rajah that earlier dress prohibitions were unacceptable.", "tags": [ "Politics", "Caste", "Colonialism" ] } }, { "chunk_index": 6, "chapter_name": "1859. The Upper-Cloth Rebellion: Letter of Missionaries to Lord Stanley", "page_numbers": [ 188 ], "image_paths": [ "raw\\pages\\00212-d4664de0c69e6d04f126.webp" ], "chunk_title": "Hope for Peace in Travancore", "chunk_data": "5. We now await information as to the result of the communication which the Resident has held with his Highness the Rajah in furtherance of the instructions as above conveyed to him; as also regarding the arrangement proposed to be made by the Dewan with a view to suit the requirements of altered times and circumstances and satisfy all parties, as far as it may be possible to do so. There is reason to hope that the excitement in Travancore is subsiding, and that no further disturbance or breach of the peace need be apprehended.", "time": { "start_year": 1859, "start_month": 3, "start_date": null, "end_year": 1859, "end_month": null, "end_date": null, "time_display": "March 1859" }, "meta": { "people": [ "The Resident", "Rajah of Travancore", "The Dewan" ], "places": [ "Travancore" ], "event": "The missionaries awaited the Rajah's response and hoped that the disturbances in Travancore were subsiding.", "tags": [ "Politics", "Peace", "Administration" ] } } ] }