Why were Christian missionaries attacked by many people in the country? Would some people have supported them too? If so, for what reasons?


Christian missionaries opened schools for tribal and lower caste children. Caste system wasn’t followed by these schools so; these schools became the main reasons for attack on Christian missionaries by some orthodox people.


(i) Christian missionaries were attacked by many people in the country because:


(a) They did not like the activities of missionaries.


(b) Many Hindu nationalists felt that Hindu women were adopting western ways of living and that this would corrupt Hindu culture and erode family values.


(c) Caste based segregation was not being followed in the schools which were run by the Christian missionaries.


(ii) Some people had supported them too for reasons such as:


(a) The people who supported the Christian missionary’s ideas were mainly the social reformers in India.


(b) Social reformers found some practices of missionary’s very helpful in the upliftment of the society.


(c) Christian missionaries began setting up schools for tribal groups and lower caste children. These children were equipped with some resources to make their way into a changing world.


(d) Christian missionaries supported women’s freedom and social equality. They condemned Sati system.


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