{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 112,
  "chapterName": "1859. The Upper-Cloth Rebellion: Letter of Missionaries to Lord Stanley",
  "pageFrom": 187,
  "pageTo": 188,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 187,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n187\nboth parties concerned in these disturbances were apprehended;\nother measures, too, were taken with a view to preserve order.\nThe determination of the Sirkar to exact implicit obedience to its\nauthority from all classes of its subjects soon became known;\nand I am happy to add, that without the necessity of resorting\nto extreme measures having arisen, tranquility has been restored.\nI have the pleasure to acknowledge here the zealous exertions of\nthe Deputy Peshcar Shungoony Menowen on this occasion.\n6. Though matters had assumed a very serious aspect, I am\nglad to be able to state that the mischief already done is far from\nbeing considerable. I beg to enclose a memorandum showing the\nprobable value of the chapels and schools destroyed by fire. It is\nto be observed that the roofs of the buildings in question are all\nthatched. No loss of life or limb has occured anywhere.\n7. As regards future arrangements, I think it desirable that the\ndetachment of the Nair Brigade, now in the south, should continue\nthere for some little time longer. The additional police establish-\nments should also be continued. A re-arrangement of officials in\ncertain localities will be necessary; about which, however, I may\nwrite to you at another time. I may also sumbit in a very few days\nmy plans for better organising of the whole country.\n8. The authority of the Sirkar having been vindicated, it may\nbe desirable to take an early opportunity to consider what modi-\nfications should be made in the Proclamation of 1004, so as to suit\nthe requirements of altered times and circumstances, and satisfy\nall parties as far as it may be possible to do so.\nTrivandrum,\n12 February, 1859.\n112. THE\nUPPER-CLOTH REBELLION LETTER OF\nMISSIONARIES TO LORD STANLEY (1859 A.D.)\nThe letter of four missionaries to Lord Stanley, Secretary of State\nfor India, dated 26 March 1859, concerning the Upper-Cloth Rebellion\nin Travancore (see previous entry) indicates the level of missionary\ninterest in the matter. Cited in Copies of the Official Papers sent from\nIndia touching the Recent Disturbances in Travancore, 1859, p. 3.\nMy Lord,\nWe have the honour to lay before your Lordship copies of the\npapers noted in the margin (Consultation, 1 Feb. 1859, Nos. 4 to 6.\nConsultation, 8 Feb. 1859, Nos. 19 and 20. Consultation, 15 March",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 188,
      "ocrText": "188\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\n1859, Nos. 10 to 15.) having reference to the recent disturbances\nin South Travancore; and in doing so, we would solicit special\nattention to the report submitted through the Resident by the Dewan\nMadava Row on the origin, progress, and suppression of these\ndisturbances, as also to the Minutes recorded by our President\nand the Civil Members of Government on the subject.\n2. The agitation, it will be seen, occurred in the three or four\nSouthern Districts of the Travancore Territory between portions of\nthe Soodra and Shanar populations, and appears to have arisen\nfrom some Hindoo Shanar women having assumed the right of\ncovering the upper part of their persons with a cloth, which was\nobjected to by the Soodras as preventing a recognition of the caste.\n3. Disturbances from a like cause broke out in the year 1829,\non which occasion her Highness the Ranee of Travancore in her\nproclamation of 3rd February 1829, republished, as the only\nRegulation in force in the matter,' a previous circular Order of May\n1814, whereby no women of Palavres, Shanars and others of that\ndescription, were ever to be allowed to wear cloths on their bosoms\nas the Nair women, but, were not prevented from wearing jackets,\ncalled coopayum, such as were in use by the women of Christian\nconverts and of some other castes.\n4. Your Lordship will perceive from the last paragraph of our\nproceedings of the 27th January last, that the Resident has been\ninstructed to be careful to give no countenance to the idea that the\nBritish Government, of which he is the representative, recognises\nany exclusive distinctions, or the right of any set of men to prevent\nothers from following in all matters of social or domestic life such\ncourse as they may see fit, provided it be no repugnant to public\ndecency and morals. He has also been desired to impress these\nviews on his Highness the Rajah, and to point out to him that such\nprohibitions as those contained in the Circular Order of May 1814,\nor in the Proclamation of 3rd February 1829, are unsuited to the\npresent age, and unworthy of an enlightened prince, and that he is\nnot to look for the support of the British Government in any\nattempts to maintain them, as respects any class of his subjects.\n5. We now await information as to the result of the communica-\ntion which the Resident has held with his Highness the Rajah in\nfurtherance of the instructions as above conveyed to him; as also\nregarding the arrangement proposal to be made by the Dewan\nwith a view to suit the requirements of altered times and circum-\nstances and satisfy all parties, as far as it may be possible to do so.\nThere is reason to hope that the excitement in Travancore is subsid-\ning, and that no further disturbance or breach of the peace need\nbe apprehended.",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}