By tradition, Christianity is said
to have arrived in India with Saint Thomas, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ,
who spent some years in South India and possibly died there. However, others believe that the first
missionary to arrive in the country was Saint Bartholomew. Historically,
Christian missionary activity started with the advent of Saint Francis Xavier in
1544. He was followed by Portuguese missionaries at first and eventually by
missionaries from other countries like Denmark, Holland, Germany and Great
Britain. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries Catholic as well as Protestant
missionaries preached Christian doctrines in India and also made important
contributions to social improvement and education in India.
Much of the modern influences in the
Indian society can be attributed to the role of Christianity in India.
Christian missionaries helped in setting up schools and colleges all over India
and also spread the message of faith and goodwill in the country. Christianity
and its teachings influenced a number of intellectuals and thinkers in India,
including Mahatma Gandhi.
Today, the Christians in
India
number about 30 million and consist of people from every denomination of
Christianity.
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