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THIS work, a revised edition of the earlier expensive European version, includes new material on the Indian Church commentaries, which explore how a confirmed Christian missionary like C. F. Andrews wrestled with the idea of adjusting the missionary propaganda with his ideals of liberating India from the British rule. Daniel O'Connor has used extensively the primary source-material, which is evident from the 30-page-long bibliography containing records of the Cambridge Mission to Delhi. He draws heavily from files of The Tribune for his discussion on Andrew’s interests, and his relations with some of the leading Indian personalities. The last sentence of the books reads: "The Tribune claimed that the ‘respect and esteem’ which this ‘Christ like man’ had won from the people of India were likely to be increased by this step (of supporting India’s freedom)." The author draws a clear distinction between Andrew’s missionary and political activities. As Andrews embarked on his mission of helping India towards her goal of self-governance, he acknowledged that it was the spirit and nobility of Christ’s martyrdom that had acted as a stimulus on his spiritual life. "It is the Christ of the Gospels who draws me, and fills my life and filled it from my youth up." The Christian missionaries were "suspect" in the eyes of the Indian people because of the virulent propaganda they carried relentlessly against the Hindu and Islamic ways of life. There was a fear that their propaganda might bring the Indian people within the Christian fold. Through his speeches and writing, Andrews did all he could to dispel this apprehension. Andrews took infinite pains in studying various religious faiths in India. A man of Catholic outlook, he thought that his moral duty was to take care of the religious susceptibilities of the Indians. Not that he approved of all that he saw; he condemned the Hindu caste system, cows receiving devotion, and subjection of the Muslim women. He condemned idol worship among the Hindus and their superstitious beliefs. Andrews was a prolific writer. He wrote a brilliant introduction to the Collected Works of Swami Ram Tirath (1873-1906). He clarified that the Advaita Vedanta simplified the problem of existence though the admired Swami Ram Tirath’s poetic spirit and profound spiritual quest. In St Stephen’s College, he delivered a series of lectures, which were published as The Religious History of India. In his book, The Renaissance of India, which became popular in the West, Andrews shows how Indian leaders, influenced by the impact of Western thought, acted as an impulse to various religious, social and political movements in India. For understanding the religious beliefs and life of the people of India, Andrews did not depend on any book, but the rapport that he shared with Hindu and Muslim reformers. Among the Muslims, he remained closely in touch with Syed Ahmad Khan, Nazir Ali and Zaka Ullah. He wrote a sensitive biography of Zaka Ullah, who he thought, combining the best of the East and West, was a "true prophet of the future". Andrew's representation of Delhi as a cradle of Renaissance in the early 19th century due to Western impact is grossly exaggerated. There were indeed signs of intellectual and educational progress, but these were not sufficient to crystallise into a Renaissance. Among the Hindus, Andrews befriended Swami Shraddhanand, whom the British government had condemned as "a yellow-robed seditious-monger". Arya Samaj was indeed anti-imperial, although its prime object was social and moral amelioration of Hindu society. Persuaded by G. K. Gokhale, Andrews went to South Africa to support the cause of the South African Indians, who were suffering racial discrimination. There, he presented to General Smuts a detailed case of the plight of the victims. Mahatma Gandhi acknowledged Andrew’s service in being India’s interpreter. When the settlement came, Gandhi and his associates appreciated Andrew’s "great assistance". Gandhi wrote: "If I
were to compete with him as to which of us had the greatest influence
among the people in South Africa, I am sure that he would not floor
me." And Andrews said: "Meeting Gandhi was a pilgrimage to his
feet." |
