Book Description

This Book Deals With The Dalits And The Christian Missionaries From Various Denominations Who Worked In Different Areas Of Andhra. Among The Christians In Andhra Pradesh, According To One Estimate, 98% Belong To The Dalit Communities. The Status Of Dalits In India Has Been Documented In Many Well-Known Anthropological Works Highlighting The Lowliest Of Lowly Status In Indian Society With The Unique Associated Dimension Of The Practice Of Untouchability. The Introductory Chapter Deals With The Traditional Characteristic Features Of The Caste System And The Position Of Dalits Within It. Much Of The Data Related To Dalits Was Taken From My Doctoral Thesis Submitted To Andhra University In The Late Seventies. The Ethnographic Details Of The Two Dominant Dalit Castes Of Andhra, The Mala And The Madiga, And Their Origins According To Different Legends Have Been Described In The Following Chapters Together With The Influence Of Christianity On Them Tracing The History Of Different Christian Missionaries From Various Denominations Who Worked In This Area. The Failures Of The Christian Missionaries With The High Castes And The Reasons There Of Are Vividly Described. The Efforts Of The Lutheran Missionaries Ever Since The Arrival Of Fr. Heyer Has Been Elaborately Dealt With And The Long List Of Missionaries Arrived From Foreign Lands Has Been Given In The Appendix. Towards The End An Attempt Is Made To Trace The Evolution Of A Dalit Theology, Which Is Distinctly A Part Of The Asian Contextual Theology. This Book Would Be Of Interest To Anthropologists, Sociologists And Other Social Scientists Who Are Interested Particularly In The Study Of Dalit Matters And The Proselatization Activities Of Christian Missionaries. The Impact Of Christianity On The Lives Of The Dalits Could Be Gauged Through The Pages Of This Book.