In the Heart of India : Or, Beginnings of Missionary Work in Bundela Land
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IN THE HEART OF INDIA Beginnings of Missionary Work in Bundela Land WITH A SHORT CHAPTER ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF BUNDELK- HAND AND ITS PEOPLE, AND FOUR CHAPTERS OF JHANSI HISTORY y JAMES F. HOLCOMB, D. D, AND HELEN H. HOLCOMB PHILADELPHIA THE WESTMINSTER PRESS 1905 Copyright, 1905, BY James F. Holcomb '4%' ^ '^ '^ ^ J' •% v''' ; -{'i' TO THE ©tficers anD /nbembers of tbe jBxccntivc Committee OF THE Moman's fovcign /IDisaionar^ Soctet^^ of tbe presbptertan Cburcb Who, by their encouragement and generous gifts, laid the foundation of this mission station in the Heart of India Zbie Dolume is (3ratefull^ anC> Bttectionateli? BeDicateD EXPLANATORY FOREWORD A word of explanation seems to be demanded in regard to the make-up of this little book. The reason for writing this unpretentious volume was found in the circumstance that when we were in the homeland, twelve years ago, and gave on a number of occasions an account of our beginning at Jhansi, those who listened to the narrative were unmistakably interested in it ; but chiefly it was fovmd in the opinion expressed by valued friends of our common cause, who listened to the story, that it would be well worth w^hile to put it into print for the sake of those interested in our work who would not have an opportunity of hear- ing it, and not only for the sake of those already interested in our particular field, but of others w^hose interest might be enlisted by the perusal of it. It was not till the larger portion of the book, begin- ning with Chapter IX, had been written, that it occurred to us that as this was a book giving an account of beginnings of missionary w^ork in the heart of India, it w^ould be well to make mention of w^hat others before us had done in the way of pioneering in this same field ; and also to give a brief description of the characteristics of Bundela Land and its people. And finally, as the founding of the city of Jhansi as the capital of a new principality, and its subsequent history, culminating in the events of 1857 and 1858, were of unusual interest, it was decided to devote four additional chapters to these topics ; not the least motive for w^riting these chapters being that of showing the kind of stuff of which some of the women of India are made. CONTENTS I. Work Begun in tjie Eastern Portion. II. Work Begun in Gwalior, in the West. III. Work Begun in Jiiansi, in Central Bundelkhand. lY. Characteristics of Bundelkhand and its People. V. The Founding of Jhansi, and the Political History of THE Principality. YI. The Mutiny in Jhansi, and the Eevenge of the Rani Lakshmi Bai. YII. The Re-taking of Jhansi by Major-General Sir Hugh Rose, and the Flight of the Rani. YIII. The Rani of Jhansi takes the Field against the British, AND Perishes at Gwalior. IX. The Committee's Yisit to Jhansi in January, 1886. X. Our Appointment and Removal to Jhansi. XI. Beginning at the Five Wells. XII. First Tour Among the Yillages. XIII. First Helpers Sent to Us, and Further Touring in the District. vii CONTEXTS XIV. The Boy Nabibakhsh. XV. First Financial Hp:lp for the Work. XVI. Interest Felt in this Field. XVII. A Zenana Teacher Secured, and a School for Girls Established. XVIII. Mrs. Seymour's Work in the Zenanas. XIX. Experiences when Alone in Jhansi, and a Pilgrimage to Peshawar. XX. A Site Secured for a Church in the City. XXI. Secular Affairs. XXII. Plans for a Church and Reading Room. XXIII. First Annual Meeting of the Mission in Jhansi, and the Laying of the Corner-stone of the Church. XXIV. Progress in Various Directions. XXV. An En(ilish Library Obtained for Our Reading Roojr. XXVI. The Completion of the Church, and its Dedication, February 27, 1902. XXVII. The Selling of Christian Literature. XXVIII. Our House at Ranipur. viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS A QviET Dell in Jiiansi, Frontispiece. FACING PACK The Fort op Jiiansi, 20 One of the Entrances to Jhansi, 30 The Star Fort, -i^ Principal Entrance to Jhansi, 46 The Breached Mamelon, fiO A Bit of the Eastern AVall, 68 The Rani's Palace, 70 Ketribution Hill, .... "2 The Memorial, 76 Entrance to Gwalior Fortress, 1*4 The City of Jhansi, 102 One of the Entrances to Jhansi, 104 The Five Wells, .116 Women Carrying Water Jars, 118 Palaces at Orcha, 124 Great Temple at Orciia, 126 The Embankment at Barwa Sagar, 128 Sugarcane Press at Barwa Sagar, 130 With Some Aborigines, 134 Barwa Sagar Castle and Lake, 138 House of the Rev. Nabibakhsh, 142 Our House in Jhansi, 160 1~4 The Girls' School, • • Jhansi Railavay Station, 212* Ferryboat on the Betwa, 214 Church in Course of Erection, 222 Church and Reading Room Completed, 240 Bullock Cart for District Work, 248 Our House at Raxipur 250 ix I. WORK BEGUN IN THE EASTERN PORTION. 1841-42. * Bundela Land is known in India as Bundelkhand, which means the portion of the Bundelas. The districts of Allahabad, Fatehpur, Cawnpore, Furrukhabad, Etah, Mainpuri and Etawah comprise that portion of the Furrukhabad Mission field which lies in the Doab, mean- ing the land of the two waters, the two waters being the two great rivers, the Ganges on the north, and the Jumna on the south. Bundelkhand has for its northern bound- ary the Jumna river, and from south-east to north- west is conterminous with that part of the Furrukhabad Mission field which lies in the Jumna- Ganges Doab. No other mission stands in such close proximity to Bundel- khand as the Furrukhabad Mission. The city of Allaha- bad is at the south-eastern end of the Doab, being at the junction of the Ganges and Jumna rivers. The city of Etawah is on the river Jumna at the distance of 206 miles north-west of Allahabad. The city of Fatehpur is situated between the two rivers, being 70 miles north- west of Allahabad. What could be more natural than that^the American Presbyterian missionaries at the stations of Allahabad, Fatehpur and Etawah should look out towards the * Pronounced Boondeyla. 2 IN THE HEART OF INDIA. unevangelized millions of Bundelkhand with a special and prayerful interest ? The city of Jhansi, which is in the geographical centre of India, is also centrally situated in Bundelkhand. The other chief cities of this territory are Gwalior* in the west, and Banda in the east. Banda is only 40 miles from Fatehpur, and only 30 miles from the Jumna river, w^hich forms the southern boundary of the Fatehpur district. Allahabad was the second place in India which the Presbyterian Church of the U. S. A. w^as led to choose as a mission station ; Ludhiana in the Punjab, or land of the five waters, having been the first station in India to be established by the pioneer representatives of that Church. The first missionaries at Ludhiana longed to cross the Sutledge and carry the Gospel to the Sikhs ; and equally eager were the first missionaries at Allaha- bad to spread the knowledge of Christ among the people on the other side of the Jumna. Accordingly we find them forming and putting into execution such plans as were then feasible for giving the Gospel to the inhab- itants of Bundelkhand. The earhest of the American Presbyterian missionaries stationed at Allahabad were the Eev. James McEwen (1836), the Rev. James Wilson and the Rev. J. H. Morrison (1838), the Rev. Joseph Warren (1839), and the Rev. Joseph Owen (1841). As early as the cold season 1841-42 the Rev. James Wilson, accompanied by the Rev. Joseph Owen, made a two months' preaching tour in the Doab and Bundelkhand. The chief part of these two months was spent in Bundelkhand, and of this portion * Gwalior, th(^gh not now considered a part of Bundelkhand, was once included in Bundela Land, the territory of the Bundela Chief, Chhatarsal, having extended as far toward the north-west at the Chumbal river. — IN THE HEART OF INDIA. 6 of their tour Mr. Wilson gave the following account: * We visited Kalpi, Hamirpur, Banda, and other large places, besides a great multitude of smaller villages on the way. At each of the larger places we stopped several days, in the smaller places generally only one day. At Kalpi and at Banda we had interesting dis- cussions with a Pandit or learned Hindu, and a Maulavi or learned Musalman. These were such as to give us pleasing evidences that Christianity is making steady and distinct advances in this country. We distributed all the books and tracts which we took with us, and two porters' loads besides, which the Rev. Mr. P. sent from Cawnpore at our request to meet us at Hamirpur." W^hether the Allahabad missionaries continued to preach the Gospel in Bundelkhand during the next eleven years, or if they did not, why they were hindered from doing so, the writer cannot tell, as complete reports of that period are not in his possession. On a tour in Bundelkhand made by Mr. Owen, accompanied by native preachers in December, 1852, the cities of Banda, Hamirpur and Kalpi were visited. In September, 1853, mention is made of a request having been received from an English gentleman at Banda for the establishment of a school at that city under a native Christian teacher. A liberal offer of aid for its support had been made, and the missionaries at Allahabad were considering who, out of their httle company of native laborers, was best qualified and could best be spared for this new station.