Arrival of the First Moravian Missionaries in Tranquebar, July 2, 1760

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Arrival of the First Moravian Missionaries in Tranquebar, July 2, 1760 Moravian Archives, Bethlehem, Pa. Issue 55 July 2010 Arrival of the first Moravian missionaries in Tranquebar, July 2, 1760 Moravian historian Hartmut Beck has strained relationship with the Lutheran mis- reported that the natives referred to them described the Tranquebar mission, along sionaries from Halle who did not appreciate as the “Saints” or “Nyanigöl,” which means with the other missions in the Bay of Bengal, the Moravian competition. The younger “the wise men,” a term they also used for as a dramatic, unprofitable and mistake-filled Francke, no longer friendly with Zinzendorf, their own holy men. period in Moravian mission history. Tran- complained in 1759: “Another piece of news Despite starting off with ample resources quebar, now known as Tharangambadi, which I have received has struck me very and seasoned missionaries, the overwhelm- “place of the singing waves,” is a coastal much, and troubled me not a little, namely ing stress of illness and death quickly de- town near the southeastern tip of India on that the Moravians are trying to establish moralized the colony. After 40 years in the the Bay of Bengal. During the eighteenth themselves in Tranquebar.” region, 47 lives were lost and the number of century it was a Danish col- converts could only be ony initially evangelized by counted on one hand. Ram- the Lutherans. Zinzendorf’s pant alcoholism (stemming missionary zeal was stoked as from the 18th-century mis- a young man by conversa- conception that alcohol pro- tions with Lutheran mission- tected one from tropical aries to Tranquebar who illnesses), political unrest and gathered around the dinner plundering of Brüdergarten table of August Hermann during the 1780s contributed Francke, the headmaster of to the overall failure of the his Pietist school at Halle. In mission. Although the 1789 1758 Zinzendorf sent the Synod decided to continue missionary Georg Johann the mission, the effort was Stahlmann to Copenhagen to garner permis- The group arrived in Tranquebar on July finally abandoned in 1795, missionaries be- sion for Moravian mission work in the Dan- 2, 1760, and established a typical Moravian gan returning to Europe, and the property ish East Indies. The Danish court granted settlement they called Brüdergarten, Garden was sold in 1803. Despite so much adver- Moravians freedom to establish their own of the Brethren. Buttler and Völkel immedi- sity, the last surviving missionary, Johann churches and missions in the region, with ately immersed themselves in Tamil and Gottfried Hänsel, wrote that God “strength- Tranquebar intended as the gateway to Portugese and translated Zinzendorf’s ser- ened our hearts, and comforted us by such a nearby islands. In Zeist on September 28, mons into these languages. Soon the Mora- lively sense of His divine presence, that we 1759, Zinzendorf bade good-bye to the first vians became very popular in the region. were frequently filled with heavenly joy...The group of Moravian colonists. Stahlmann led Another detractor, Oluf Maderup, ascribed Lord hath done all things well, and I have the group of fourteen men comprised pri- their popularity to their “irreproachable lacked no good thing.” marily of skilled craftsmen and two young lives.” He stated, “I cannot describe how the theologians, Adam Gottlieb Völker and Moravians have insinuated themselves in so Sources Christoph Buttler. It was one of the last short a time into the good will of Danes, Image: view of Brüdergarten, engraving by Noual. Moravian missions Zinzendorf saw estab- French and even Hindus by their voluntary Sources: Hartmut Beck, Brüder in vielen Völkern lished in his lifetime. humility and angel-like conduct...If they were (1981); History of the Tranquebar Mission The Moravian colonists sailed on the same as pure in their doctrine and teaching as (Evangelical Lutheran Mission Press, 1863); La- Trobe, Letters on the Nicobar Islands by John ship with the new governor of Tranquebar, their life is outwardly to the eyes of the Gottfried Haensel (1812); Müller, 200 Jahre Brüder- with whom they established a friendly rela- world, there would not be a sect or race to mission, vol. 1 (1931). tionship. This created jealousy and a equal them in the whole of Asia.” He further www.moravianchurcharchives.org .
Recommended publications
  • Nagapattinam District 64
    COASTAL DISTRICT PROFILES OF TAMIL NADU ENVIS CENTRE Department of Environment Government of Tamil Nadu Prepared by Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute No, 44, Beach Road, Tuticorin -628001 Sl.No Contents Page No 1. THIRUVALLUR DISTRICT 1 2. CHENNAI DISTRICT 16 3. KANCHIPURAM DISTRICT 28 4. VILLUPURAM DISTRICT 38 5. CUDDALORE DISTRICT 50 6. NAGAPATTINAM DISTRICT 64 7. THIRUVARUR DISTRICT 83 8. THANJAVUR DISTRICT 93 9. PUDUKOTTAI DISTRICT 109 10. RAMANATHAPURAM DISTRICT 123 11. THOOTHUKUDI DISTRICT 140 12. TIRUNELVELI DISTRICT 153 13. KANYAKUMARI DISTRICT 174 THIRUVALLUR DISTRICT THIRUVALLUR DISTRICT 1. Introduction district in the South, Vellore district in the West, Bay of Bengal in the East and i) Geographical location of the district Andhra Pradesh State in the North. The district spreads over an area of about 3422 Thiruvallur district, a newly formed Sq.km. district bifurcated from the erstwhile Chengalpattu district (on 1st January ii) Administrative profile (taluks / 1997), is located in the North Eastern part of villages) Tamil Nadu between 12°15' and 13°15' North and 79°15' and 80°20' East. The The following image shows the district is surrounded by Kancheepuram administrative profile of the district. Tiruvallur District Map iii) Meteorological information (rainfall / ii) Agriculture and horticulture (crops climate details) cultivated) The climate of the district is moderate The main occupation of the district is agriculture and allied activities. Nearly 47% neither too hot nor too cold but humidity is of the total work force is engaged in the considerable. Both the monsoons occur and agricultural sector. Around 86% of the total in summer heat is considerably mitigated in population is in rural areas engaged in the coastal areas by sea breeze.
    [Show full text]
  • Imperializing Norden
    Neumann, Iver B. Imperializing Norden Article (Accepted version) (Refereed) Original citation: Neumann, Iver B. (2014) Imperializing Norden. Cooperation and Conflict, 49 (1). pp. 119-129. ISSN 0010-8367 DOI: 10.1177/0010836714520745 © 2014 by Nordic International Studies Association, SAGE Publications This version available at: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/56565/ Available in LSE Research Online: April 2016 LSE has developed LSE Research Online so that users may access research output of the School. Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Users may download and/or print one copy of any article(s) in LSE Research Online to facilitate their private study or for non-commercial research. You may not engage in further distribution of the material or use it for any profit-making activities or any commercial gain. You may freely distribute the URL (http://eprints.lse.ac.uk) of the LSE Research Online website. This document is the author’s final accepted version of the journal article. There may be differences between this version and the published version. You are advised to consult the publisher’s version if you wish to cite from it. Imperializing Norden.1 Cooperation and Conflict 49 (1): 119-129 (2014) Epilogue for a special issue on Post-Imperial Sovereignty Games in Norden Iver B. Neumann, [email protected] Abstract The two pre-Napoleonic Nordic polities are best understood as empires. Drawing on recent analytical and historical scholarship on empires, I argue that 17th and 18th-century Denmark, on which the piece concentrates, was very much akin to other European empires that existed at the time.
    [Show full text]
  • ISO Country Codes
    COUNTRY SHORT NAME DESCRIPTION CODE AD Andorra Principality of Andorra AE United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates AF Afghanistan The Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan AG Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda (includes Redonda Island) AI Anguilla Anguilla AL Albania Republic of Albania AM Armenia Republic of Armenia Netherlands Antilles (includes Bonaire, Curacao, AN Netherlands Antilles Saba, St. Eustatius, and Southern St. Martin) AO Angola Republic of Angola (includes Cabinda) AQ Antarctica Territory south of 60 degrees south latitude AR Argentina Argentine Republic America Samoa (principal island Tutuila and AS American Samoa includes Swain's Island) AT Austria Republic of Austria Australia (includes Lord Howe Island, Macquarie Islands, Ashmore Islands and Cartier Island, and Coral Sea Islands are Australian external AU Australia territories) AW Aruba Aruba AX Aland Islands Aland Islands AZ Azerbaijan Republic of Azerbaijan BA Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina BB Barbados Barbados BD Bangladesh People's Republic of Bangladesh BE Belgium Kingdom of Belgium BF Burkina Faso Burkina Faso BG Bulgaria Republic of Bulgaria BH Bahrain Kingdom of Bahrain BI Burundi Republic of Burundi BJ Benin Republic of Benin BL Saint Barthelemy Saint Barthelemy BM Bermuda Bermuda BN Brunei Darussalam Brunei Darussalam BO Bolivia Republic of Bolivia Federative Republic of Brazil (includes Fernando de Noronha Island, Martim Vaz Islands, and BR Brazil Trindade Island) BS Bahamas Commonwealth of the Bahamas BT Bhutan Kingdom of Bhutan
    [Show full text]
  • Colonies and Metropole
    COLONIES AND METROPOLE Michael Bregnsbo, Niels Brimnes, Anne Folke Henningsen, Poul Erik Olsen, Mik- kel Venborg Pedersen og Uffe Østergård Danmark – En kolonimagt Gads Forlag, 2017, 480 pages Colonial history is a ield that has developed rapidly in the Nordic countries since the start of the new millennium.1 Old myths of the Nordic countries as the inno- cent bystanders of European colonialism have been comprehensively challenged, as have ideas of the Nordic countries as “good colonists”, pursuing a more benign form of overseas expansion compared to the major European powers like Britain, France and Germany.2 As Magdalena Naum and Jonas M. Nordin wrote in their in- troduction to an anthology published in 2013, “colonialism in its many forms was part of the very fabric of the North European societies”, driven by the same mo- tives as those operating in other parts of Europe: the pursuit of proit and politi- cal power.3 That the colonial ambitions of the Danish and Swedish kingdoms were only ever partly realised does not diminish the importance of researching them, and historians have also studied Nordic participation in informal colonialism, in- cluding trade and missionary activities.4 The reasons for this interest are not hard to ind. The idea of Norden as a Euro- pean periphery is no longer sustainable, if indeed it ever was. Almost half a cen- tury of mass immigration, including from non-European societies, and the deba- tes about ethnic pluralism and cultural “otherness” that this has provoked, have focused attention on this further. Within history as an academic discipline, the rising interest in transnational and global history, with its emphasis on the im- portance of links, connections and interactions across national borders, has also had an inluence.5 As Gunlög Fur has noted, however, where the Nordic countries 1 Also in ields other than history: see for example Larsen and Thisted, ‘Preface’, on postco- lonial studies in Denmark.
    [Show full text]
  • What Is the Importance of Islands to Environmental Conservation?
    Environmental Conservation (2017) 44 (4): 311–322 C Foundation for Environmental Conservation 2017 doi:10.1017/S0376892917000479 What is the importance of islands to environmental THEMATIC SECTION Humans and Island conservation? Environments CHRISTOPH KUEFFER∗ 1 AND KEALOHANUIOPUNA KINNEY2 1Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, Universitätsstrasse 16, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland and 2Institute of Pacifc Islands Forestry, US Forest Service, 60 Nowelo St. Hilo, HI, USA Date submitted: 15 May 2017; Date accepted: 8 August 2017 SUMMARY islands of the world’s oceans, we cover both islands close to continents and others isolated far out in the oceans, and the This article discusses four features of islands that make full range from small to very large islands. Small and isolated them places of special importance to environmental islands represent unique cultural and biological values and the conservation. First, investment in island conservation environmental challenges of insularity in its most pronounced is both urgent and cost-effective. Islands are form. However, as we will demonstrate, all islands and island threatened hotspots of diversity that concentrate people share enough come concerns to consider them together unique cultural, biological and geophysical values, (Baldacchino 2007; Royle 2008; Gillespie & Clague 2009; and they form the basis of the livelihoods of Baldacchino & Niles 2011; Royle 2014). millions of islanders. Second, islands are paradigmatic Islands are hotspots of cultural, biological and geophysical places of human–environment relationships. Island diversity, and as such they form the basis of the livelihoods livelihoods have a long tradition of existing within of millions of islanders (Menard 1986; Nunn 1994; Royle spatial, ecological and ultimately social boundaries 2008; Gillespie & Clague 2009; Royle 2014; Kueffer et al.
    [Show full text]
  • India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands
    www.rsis.edu.sg No. 135 – 2 June 2016 RSIS Commentary is a platform to provide timely and, where appropriate, policy-relevant commentary and analysis of topical issues and contemporary developments. The views of the authors are their own and do not represent the official position of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, NTU. These commentaries may be reproduced electronically or in print with prior permission from RSIS and due recognition to the author(s) and RSIS. Please email: [email protected] for feedback to the Editor RSIS Commentary, Yang Razali Kassim. India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Growing Regional Significance By Nazia Hussain Synopsis As China expands its maritime reach in the Indian Ocean, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands off the coast of India have gone high up on the priority list for New Delhi’s defence policy. The Modi government should develop a plan of action to tap the security and economic potential of the islands. Commentary LOCATED AT the juncture of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, a group of 572 islands (of which only 37 are inhabited)—the Andaman and Nicobar Island chain—straddles the busiest trade routes in the world, spanning 450 nautical miles and sits strategically at the entrance of the Malacca Straits. Although administered by India, these islands have greater proximity to Southeast Asia—Myanmar, Indonesia and Thailand—than to the Indian mainland. This geographical distance from the mainland has long been a reason for New Delhi to neglect the islands, treating it only as a distant sentinel outpost.
    [Show full text]
  • Tamil Nadu Government Gazette Extraordinary
    © [Regd. No. TN/CCN/467/2012-14. GOVERNMENT OF TAMIL NADU [R. Dis. No. 197/2009. 2012 [Price : Rs. 1.60 Paise. TAMIL NADU GOVERNMENT GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 4] CHENNAI, TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012 Margazhi 18, Thiruvalluvar Aandu–2042 Part II—Section 2 Notifications or Orders of interest to a section of the public issued by Secretariat Departments. NOTIFICATIONS BY GOVERNMENT HIGHWAYS AND MINOR PORTS DEPARTMENT DECLARATION OF NEW PORTS ARE TO BE CONSOLIDATED INCORPORATING ALL THE PORT LIMITS OF THE EXISTING MINOR PORTS IN TAMIL NADU UNDER INDIAN PORTS ACT, 1908. Amendment to Notifications [G. O. Ms. No. 1, Highways & Minor Ports (HF2), 3rd January 2012.] No. II(2)/HWMP/(c-1)/2012. In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (a) of sub-section (1) and sub-section (2) of Section 4 of the Indian Ports Act, 1908 (Central Act XV of 1908), the Governor of Tamil Nadu hereby extends with effect on and from the 3rd January 2012 the provisions of the said Act to Chettinad Tharangambadi Port in Nagapattinam district in the State of Tamil Nadu and makes the following amendment to the Highways and Minor Ports Department Notification No. II(2)/HWMP/359/2009, published at pages 232-234 of Part II—Section 2 of the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette, dated the 22nd July 2009, as subsequently amended. AMENDMENT In the said Notification, in the Schedule under the heading - "NAGAPATTINAM DISTRICT", after "Serial No. 9B" in column (1) and the corresponding entries in columns (2) and (3) thereof, the following entries shall, respectively, be inserted, namely:— 9 (C) Chettinad 1 Latitude 11º 03' 12" N Tharangambadi Longitude 79º 51' 21" E 2 Latitude 11º 03' 13" N Longitude 79º 53' 32" E 3 Latitude 11º 02' 46" N Longitude 79º 53' 32" E 4 Latitude 11º 02' 46" N Longitude 79º 51' 20" E DTP—II-2 Ex.
    [Show full text]
  • Tamil Development, Religious Endowments and Information Department
    Tamil Development, Religious Endowments and Information Department Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department Demand No.47 Policy Note 2012-2013 Index Page S. No. Subject No. 1 Introduction 1 2 Administration 3 3 Hindu Religious Institutions 4 4 Classification Of The Hindu Religious 4 Institutions 5 Administrative Structure 5 6 Regional And District Administration 8 7 Inspectors 12 ii Page S. No. Subject No. 8 Personal Assistants 12 9 Verification Officers 13 10 Audit Officers 13 11 Senior Accounts Officers 13 12 Engineers 14 13 Executive Officers 16 14 The Administration Of Mutts 17 15 High Level Advisory Committee 17 16 Appointment Of Trustees 18 17 Jurisdiction 19 18 Appointment Of Fit Person 21 19 Land Administration 21 20 Fixation Of Fair Rent 22 21 Revenue Courts 23 22 Retrieval Of Lands 24 23 Removal Of Encroachments 25 iii Page S. No. Subject No. 24 Regularizing The Group 25 Encroachments 25 Annadhana Scheme 26 26 Spiritual And Moral Classes 28 27 Special Poojas And Common Feasts 28 28 Elephant Rejuvenation Camps 29 29 Marriage Scheme For Poor And 30 Downtrodden 30 Cable Cars 31 31 Battery Cars 32 32 Thiruppani 33 33 Donation 34 34 Temple Funds 35 35 Diversion Of Funds 35 36 Government Grant 35 37 Common Good Fund 36 38 Temple Development Fund 36 iv Page S. No. Subject No. 39 Village Temples Renovation Fund 37 40 Temple Renovation And Charitable 37 Fund 41 Donor Works 38 42 Renovation For The Temples In The 38 Habitations Of Adi Dravida And Tribal Community 43 Finance Commission Fund 39 44 Tourism Fund 39 45 Uzhavarapani 40 46 Consecration Of Temples 41 47 Renovation Of Temple Tanks And 42 Rain Water Harvesting 48 Revival Of Kaala Poojas In Ancient 43 Temples 49 Oru Kaala Pooja Scheme 43 50 Maintanence Of Temple Cars 45 v Page S.
    [Show full text]
  • India's Missile Programme and Odisha : a Study
    January - 2015 Odisha Review India's Missile Programme and Odisha : A Study Sai Biswanath Tripathy India’s missile and nuclear weapons programs First, there must be an open, uninhabited stretch have evolved as elements of its strategic response of land or water (several hundred kilometers long) to 68 years of wars and skirmishes it has fought ‘down range.’ Second, the site ideally, must allow with Pakistan and with China. Deep tensions and for longitudinal launch. The first requirement is to mistrust in the sub-continent continue unabated ensure that a malfunction during the launch stage to the present. India’s defeat by China in the 1962 does not cause damage to civilian lives and border war, probably more than any other event, property. Rocket propellant is highly explosive galvanized its leadership to build indigenous missile and if it does explode during the launch stage, and “threshold” nuclear weapons capabilities as burning fuel and metal fragments are sprayed over a credible deterrent against attack by China, and vast areas. Often, rockets fail to take off along to attain military superiority over Pakistan. the planned trajectory and have to be destroyed by the range safety officer. In this case too, the As far back as in November 1978, the· effects are so devastating that most launch sites government had set up a Committee to identify a around the world are consequently located on a site for the establishment of an instrumented test coast. range. A group of experts had surveyed a number The Bay of Bengal provides an ideal of sites, including the Sunderbans (West Bengal), stretch of sea over which missiles can be fired.
    [Show full text]
  • Different Paths Towards Autonomy
    Háskóli Íslands Hugvísindasvið Sagnfræði Different paths towards autonomy: A comparison of the political status of the Faroe Islands and th Iceland in the first half of the 19 century Ritgerð til B. A.- prófs Regin Winther Poulsen Kt.: 111094-3579 Leiðbeinandi: Anna Agnarsdóttir Janúar 2018 Abstract This dissertation is a comparison of the political status of Iceland and the Faroe Islands within the Danish kingdom during the first half of the 19th century. Though they share a common history, the two dependencies took a radically different path towards autonomy during this period. Today Iceland is a republic while the Faroes still are a part of the Danish kingdom. This study examines the difference between the agendas of the two Danish dependencies in the Rigsdagen, the first Danish legislature, when it met for the first time in 1848 to discuss the first Danish constitution, the so-called Junigrundloven. In order to explain why the political agendas of the dependencies were so different, it is necessary to study in detail the years before 1848. The administration, trade and culture of the two dependencies are examined in order to provide the background for the discussion of the quite different political status Iceland and the Faroes had within the Danish kingdom. Furthermore, the debates in the Danish state assemblies regarding the re-establishment of the Alþingi in 1843 are discussed in comparison to the debates in the same assemblies regarding the re-establishment of the Løgting in 1844 and 1846. Even though the state assemblies received similar petitions from both dependencies, Alþingi was re-established in 1843, while the same did not happen with the Løgting in the Faroes.
    [Show full text]
  • Impacts of Invasive Alien Species on Island Ecosystems of India with Special Reference to Andaman Group of Islands - National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai
    Authors S. Sandilyan, B. Meenakumari, A. Biju Kumar & Karthikeyan Vasudevan Citation Sandilyan, S., Meenakumari, B., Biju Kumar, A. and Karthikeyan Vasude- van. 2018. Impacts of invasive alien species on island ecosystems of India with special reference to Andaman group of islands - National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai. Corresponding Author Sandilyan, S. <[email protected]> Copyright @ National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai. ISBN No.: 978-81-932753-5-1 Published by Centre for Biodiversity Policy and Law (CEBPOL) National Biodiversity Authority 5th Floor, TICEL Biopark, CSIR Road, Taramani Chennai 600 113, Tamil Nadu Website: www.nbaindia.org/cebpol Layout and Design: N.Singaram Information Technology Executive, CEBPOL Disclaimer: This publications is prepared as an initiative under CEBPOL programme. All the views expressed in this publication are based on established legal principles. Any error or lapse is purely unintended and inconsequential and shall not make either the NBA or the CEBPOL liable for the same. Some pictures and images included in this publication are sourced from public domain. This publications is purely for non-commercial purposes including awareness creation and capacity building. Contents I. Introduction ............................................................................................ 1 II. Introduction to Islands .......................................................................... 5 a. Biological Importance of Islands .................................................. 8 b. Indian Islands
    [Show full text]
  • Cyclone and Its Effect on Shoreline Changes in Archaeological Sites, East Coast of Tamil Nadu, India
    AEGAEUM JOURNAL ISSN NO: 0776-3808 Cyclone and its Effect on Shoreline Changes in Archaeological Sites, East Coast of Tamil Nadu, India Sathiyamoorthy G, *Sivaprakasam Vasudevan, Selvaganapathi R & Nishikanth C. V Department of Earth Sciences, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, Tamil Nadu, India. *[email protected] ABSTRACT : The contact line between sea and land, is knows as shoreline and they are experiencing changes due to the long-shore current, tides, wave, and storm surges, etc. The Shorelines played a major role in human settlement and favours the clustering of Port cities from ancient to present. The changes in the shoreline directly affect the livelihood of the coastal cities and also worn out the maritime archaeological sites, particularly during the late Quaternary period. A few archaeological sites including Arikamedu, Poompuhar, Tharangambadi, and Sembiyankandiyur show a direct/indirect relationship with the shoreline changes between 1972 and 2018. The shoreline changes between Pondicherry and Nagapattinam patch, with respect to the archaeological sites, quantify erosion -20.52 m/period in Arikamedu, Poompuhar, and Tharangambadi and -25.28 m/period along Sembiyankandiyur region during a span of 46 years. The maritime Archaeological, pride sites like Poompuhar, Tharangambadi and Sembiyankandiyur on the coastal region were submerged in the sea, the remand parts are also under the threat to vanish at a faster rate. Keywords: LRR, EPR and NSM, Erosion and Accretion. 1. INTRODUCTION Coastal region of the south eastern part of India is significant with respect to archaeological studies. The modest tide and wave action in the Bay of Bengal has enabled the formation and continuance of many coastal sites.
    [Show full text]