{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 107,
  "chapterName": "1857. Burnell on the Uprising of 1857, June",
  "pageFrom": 166,
  "pageTo": 169,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 166,
      "ocrText": "166\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nTHE ANNEXURES\n(Of the two annexures attached to the Concordat, that marked A\ndeals with the See of Malacca)\nANNEXURE B\nIt having been stated in Article XIII ... that the Commissioners\nshall be informed as to the territories in which the high contracting\nparties may see fit to continue the exercise of the Patronage: the\nundersigned Plenipotentiaries declare that the said high con-\ntracting parties have agreed, that the territory of the patronage of\nthe Crown of Portugal in India shall be the territories of British\nIndia; meaning by these words the countries immediately or medi-\nately subject to the British Government. Therefore the Commis-\nsioners should have in view, on the one hand, that the localities do\nbelong to British India, (in the sense defined above); as well as the\nPortuguese Missions, and religious and pious foundations,\nestablished through the endeavours and generosity of the Portuguese\nGovernment and its ecclesiastical or civil subjects, (even though\nsome of these institutions be not actually under the administration\nof Portuguese priests); and on the other hand attention should be\ngiven to the most commodious and prompt spiritual assistance of\nthe shepherd to his flock, taking into account the extent and distance\nof the missions, the number of Christianities, and other circum-\nstances, for the better attainment of the end in view.\nThe said high contracting parties have ratified this conjointly\nwith the Treaty.\nLisbon, 21st February 1857.\n107. BURNELL ON THE UPRISING OF 1857, JUNE\n(1857 A.D.)\nIn his letter to the Editors of the Gazette & Courier, written\nwhile the Uprising is still in progress, the South Indian missionary,\nT. S. Burnell, reveals a fairly typical reaction to that event. British\nrule is defended, Christian responsibility is discussed, and concern\nfor the effect upon Christian missions is expressed. His quotations\nfrom various sources, indicating the reaction of Europeans, particularly\nin the south, is of special interest. He writes from Malur, Madura.\nGazette & Courier, 15 June 1857.\nMessrs. Editors: God in His providence, has by striking\nevents occurring in China of late, turned the attention of the world\nto that great nation; and now, again, by recent occurrences of great\ninterest in India, the gaze of mankind will, for the time at least, be",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 167,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n167\nturned toward this land, with its myriads of idolators. Every\nChristian heart will desire and pray that by these commotions and\nturmoils the setting up of the Redeemer's kingdom in these two vast\nrealms may be hastened.\nDuring the month of May, great excitement has been produced\nthroughout India by the mutiny of several of the Sepoy (native\nsoldier) in the north of India. Nearly a dozen regiments, located\nat Meerut, Ferozepore, Mean, Meer, and Delhi, rose in open revolt,\nthe cause being, as is said, the introduction of new cartridges, the\npaper of which was really, or was imagined to be, prepared with\nthe fat of beef or pork. Thus caste prejudices were offended, and\nthe Sepoys, in their ignorance and superstition, imagined that the\nEnglish Government was attempting to overthrow their religion,\nand interfere with caste observance, of which they are so very\ntenacious.\nAt Meerut, ten or fifteen European officers, and three or four of\ntheir wives and children, were barbariously murdered. After\ncommitting great ravages, the mutineers took possession of the\nancient and fortified city of Delhi; and what is remarkable, have\nheld the place for a month. Concerning this surprising state of\nthings, the Madras Christian Herald of June 10th, now before me,\nsays, 'The long delay that has occurred in the application of a\nremedy to the great mutiny in Bengal, tend more to shake public\nconfidence in the stability of the British power in India, than any-\nthing that has happened within the memory of the present genera-\ntion. That the Bengal Sepoys should break out into mutiny is not\nvery surprising-they have been ripe for it for many years-they\nhave never been under thorough military control; and with their\narms always at their command, and a knowledge of their own\npower, it is rather to be wondered at that their rebellious spirit\nhas not blazed forth at an earlier and more critical period. Neither\nis it a matter of surprise that the authorities should not have been\nprepared for so sudden an outbreak. English authorities, from\nprime ministers down to constables, are never prepared for any\nemergency. Whether sitting upon an open barrel of gun powder\nat Cabul, or deliberately commencing a war with Russia, or govern-\ning an empire 12,000 miles from home with an army of mercenaries,\nno English man is ever ready to meet a contretemps. But that a\nwhole month should have elapsed since this disastrous event\noccurred; that three native regiments, having massacred all the\nEuropeans within their reach, and having marched off unmolested\nto the next large station, and having there been joined by several\nmore regiments, should occupy the fortified city of Delhi for a\nmonth, without a shot being fired at them, this is the most alarming\naspect of the case, and one which suggests considerations of the\nutmost moment.",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 168,
      "ocrText": "1,68\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nIt shows a degree of weakness in the Indian Government for\nwhich we confess we were not at all prepared!\nBeside the matter of the cartridges, as the cause of all this\nwidespread and serious difficulty, the influence of Brahmins-\nmany of whom are in the native army is thought to be a very\nefficient instrument in the increase of the spirit of mutiny. As.\nshowing the number of Brahmins in some of the regiments, and\nindicating also the unhappy and excited state of the European\ncommunity, I give an extract from a letter written at Lucknow, the\ncapital of the ancient Kingdom of Oude, of which much has been\nheard of late in connection with its annexation by the British power.\nThe letter is dated May 21st, and the writer says: 'We are, I must\nsay, in a very dangerous position, although every thing that fore-\nsight and untiring energy can accomplish has been done by our\nnoble Chief Commissioner. The native troops have shown that\nthey can never be trusted. One regiment here is most insolently\ninclined, and as it has nearly six hundred Brahmins in its ranks,\nno dependence can be placed upon it. The Sepoys all, to a man,\n(even Sikhs,) declare that no power on earth will induce them to\ntouch the new cartridges; that they do not want to mutiny, we are\nto beware how we exasperate them. Is not this a nice state of\naffairs? Every one is on the alert, and never wanting in caution and\npreparation. Both the Chief Commissioner's residences are full of\nladies, ayahs, children and European women. The prevalent\nfeeling here has lately been displayed in an unmistakable manner.\nTwo days ago a proclamation in Hindoo was pasted on one of the\nhuts near the cavalry lines, in which all Hindoos and Mohammedans.\nwere called upon to join in murdering the Feringhees. Yesterday\na similar document was placarded in the city in the Persian character.\nThe city people, I hear, await the signal for them to rise en masse\non the mutiny of the native troops. A portion of these are to all\nappearance, loyal and staunch, but recent events have shown that\nthey are easily led away. Every one is prepared, and whatever\nthe number of the insurgents, you may be sure that the residents.\nof Lucknow, civil and military, will not be found wanting in the\nday of trial.'\nThe writer first quoted makes the following good remarks upon\nthis revolt-a remark the truthfulness of which it is devoutly to be\nwished the whole British nation felt: 'How earnestly should we\ndesire and pray for the spread of Christianity in this country. The\none only bond of union which is ever likely to bind India to England\nis common Christianity. Our religion is now the source of dis-\nunion; but when the truth shall have set the native mind free and\nwhen he who was a murderer from the beginning shall have lost\nhis hold upon the millions of India, then England, if permitted to\nbe the honoured instrument of God's grace, will reign in the affec-",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 169,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n169\ntions of an emancipated and happy people. He also alludes to\nhis hopes to what is needed to be done and have results of this.\nmutiny, in these words: 'We hope that the rebellion will soon be\nput down, and present peace be restored, but confidence cannot\npossibly return, nor will there exist any security, until the consti-\ntution of the Bengal native army has been thoroughly remodelled.\nThe Brahmins must be eliminated; the Sepoys must be brought\ninto subjection. After all, the British Government will suffer more\nfrom loss of prestige throughout Asia, and especially in the eyes of\nour native subjects, than from any other cause. It will take many\nyears to restore this under most favourable circumstances, and the\nprogress of events does not lead us to suppose that circumstances.\nwill be very favourable to the re-establishment of \"British power\nand pride\".\"\nThese troubles will, for a while, operate disastrously upon the:\nspread of truth and the prosperity of missions in the north of India.\nOne pious officer, Col. Wheeler had instructed the Sepoys in the.\ntruths of the Bible, and this is now made a serious charge against\nhim, and may cost him his place. This is much to be regretted as.\nthe influence of the great mass of military men is adverse to the\nspread of the Gospel; and such men as Col. W. are greatly needed.\nHowever wicked and licentious an officer may be his place is likely\nto be secure, but true piety and its legitimate fruits render place and\nfavour uncertain. Beside the evil as above, injury must occur to\nthe missions in the cities where the mutinies have happened. Parti-\ncularly is this true of Delhi, where is or was, a prosperous mission,.\nand where the mutineers have full possession; and which, perhaps,\nmust be destroyed before they relinquish it.\nBishop Thomas Dealtry, of this Presidency, (signing himself\n'T. Madras,') has lately been upon a visitation in the north of India,\nto supply, as I suppose, 'the lack of service' of the venerable\noctogenarian Bishop Wilson of Calcutta. Bishop Dealtry travelled\n6,000 miles, visiting forty-five stations, holding thirty-five confir-\nmations, and receiving into full communion 1,370 persons. He,\nin general, gives a favourable account of all that passed under his\neye. He visited missions of the Church Missionary Society at ten\nplaces and of the Propagation Society at Cawnpore and Delhi.\nOf the mission at the last named place, and which I fear is now\ngreatly injured, if not destroyed, he speaks in high terms as follows:\nThe mission at Delhi is amongst the most hopeful and promising\nof our Indian mission fields. The intelligent and well-informed\nconverts, holding as they do high and important positions indepen-\ndent of the mission, the superior nature of the school, with its 120\nboys, amongst the best I have visited in India, and the first-rate\ncharacter for attainments and devotedness of the missionaries and\nthe school-masters are making an impression which is moving the",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}