Bhim
Sen Kumbhakar, Dr. Uma Dubey
Abstract
The
advent of Christian missionaries in colonial Bengal signified a paradigmatic
shift in the socio-religious fabric of the region. Beyond their evangelizing
pursuits, missionaries became formidable conduits of cultural, educational, and
humanitarian reform. Through the institutionalization of Western pedagogical
systems, vernacular printing, and the promotion of women's education, they
catalyzed a rupture in the traditional hierarchies of caste and gender.
Concurrently, their denouncement of indigenous religious practices engendered a
dialectical engagement with Hindu orthodoxy, giving impetus to reformist
movements such as the Brahmo Samaj and the eventual reconfiguration of
spiritual consciousness in Bengal. While critics contend that missionary
endeavors were veiled instruments of colonial hegemony, it is equally critical
to acknowledge their role in interrogating entrenched socio-religious
conventions. This paper endeavors to delineate the dualistic legacy of
Christian missionaries—as both harbingers of social enlightenment and agents of
cultural displacement—within the historical milieu of colonial Bengal. By
scrutinizing primary accounts, institutional histories, and indigenous
responses, the study aspires to present a nuanced analysis of the transformative
impulses initiated during this pivotal epoch.
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Published: May 2025 [Vol. 08, No. 05]