2. Spread of Christianity in Salem [ RC Diocese of Salem ]

Chapter - II
SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY IN SALEM
1. Historical Background:
(a) Location:
The Salem district is situated between 110 and 12055 of north latitude and 77028 and 78050 of the east longitude. It is bounded on the north by Dharmapuri district, on the south by Tiruchirapalli, west by Erode and east by South Arcot district. The city of Salem is believed to have been established by Cheraman Peruman, Kongu Chera thus giving rightly the epithet “Cherlam” meaning the place of Chera. Sieving through the etymological interpretations and conflicting claims regarding the origin of the word Salem, one is confounded with an array of meanings of the word – land of Cheras, land of mountains, land of weavers etc., The term Salem could have been also derived from the word Jerusalem.
(b) People:
According to the 2001 censes the population of Salem was 50,40,157. The bulk of the population is Hindus. The next largest religious group is the Muslims. The Christians come third. According to the statistics taken in the year 2004 the Catholic population in the district is 84,072 . The rest of the population consists of a few Zorostrians, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists and others.
Indian society suffers from inequality with regards to the distribution of economic resources. In Salem district still a large section of the people depend on agriculture, the primary occupation. About 45% of the total areas of the district is under cultivation. The majority of them are under the clutches of the moneylenders. The major part of the secondary employment in the district is contributed by small and cottage industries, which are generally, underpaid occupations. The non-agricultural class consists of persons who derive their principal means of livelihood from primary industries - mining, quarrying, processing, textiles, manufacturing of leather, metals and chemicals, tertiary occupations and commerce, transport and communications, health, education and public administration. Hence as elsewhere about 20% of the rich exploit 80% of the people and half of them even remain below the poverty line. They are powerless, marginalized and dehumanized by the rich. The real cause of poverty is inequality, injustice, illiteracy and oppression.
The Hindu social organization is composed of several castes. Each caste consists of several sub castes. The sub caste itself is divided into a number of smaller exogamous groups. Some important castes to which people of Salem district belong are the
Brahmins: The Brahmins in the district are heterogeneous in character. There are many sects and sub-sects among them, such as Telugu Brahmins, Kannada Brahmins and Tulu Brahmins.
Non Brahmins: The major communities in Salem are the Non-Brahmins.The Velars, Vanniyars, Agamudayars, Udaiyars, Reddiars, Kammalars, Komatiars, Janappars, Kavarais, Chettiars, Kammalars, Devangars, Sourashitas, Idaiyars, Kurumbars, Nadars, Sembadavars, Vettuvars, Kusavars, Pallars, Oddars, and Pariyars Communities are important. With spread of literacy and social awakening among the masses, the rigidity of caste barriers is gradually disappearing, Even inter-caste marriages are common.
Tamil is the major language spoken by them. The other languages spoken in this region are Telugu, Kannada, Urdu, Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Sourastra, Gujarati, English and Sindhi. It is a polyglot district. The influence of other languages is traceable in the Tamil spoken in this district.

(c) Political Background :
Salem District was never an independent political entity. In early times the north of it was ruled by the Pallavas while the south was included in the Kongu kingdom. In the 9th century the Chola kings annexed the whole and subsequently, it passed under the Hoysalas. In the 14th century the Hindu kings of Vijaya Nagar Empire conquered it, where their sway was acknowledged till the beginning of the 17th century when the district came under the Nayak rulers of Madurai. The rise of the Wodeyar rulers of Mysore was a turning point in the history of Salem region. The whole of Salem came under the Mysore rule during the time of Chikka Deva Raja [1673 –1704 A.D]. In the 1761, Haider Ali became the ruler of Mysore. The whole district fell to the East India Company at the end of the Third Mysore War in 1792 A.D. Subsequently it became an administrative division of the British territories in the Madras Presidency. It came into existence first as the district of Baramahal and Salem. The district capital was first located at Dharmapuri. In 1860 the head quarters was shifted to Salem. The district was divided into two districts namely Salem and Dharmapuri in 1965. The district of Namakkal was bifurcated from Salem in 1997 A.D. Some of the eminent leaders like Salem Ramaswami Mudaliar, Sri. C. Rajagopalachari, Dr.VaradhaRajulu Naidu, Sri. E.V.Ramaswami Naicker and Dr. P. Subbarayan played a major role in the political and cultural transformations. Their participation in the political movements in the 20th century and other activities brought the Salem district into the lime light.
(2) Spread of Christianity in Salem:
Jesus Christ is the hinge on which the doors of history swing. The centuries are measured from his birth. He faced a humble birth and a bloody death to bring salvation to mankind. After the resurrection, his apostles spread his teachings. The apostles collected all the doctrines of Jesus Christ and called them gospel . They went about in different directions administering the sacraments in the cause of spreading Christianity. St.Paul and St.Peter were the early reputed apostles. St. Peter spread Christianity in Rome where he also established a church and became the first Bishop. The credit of popularizing Christianity in Syria, Jerusalem, Palestine and Greece goes to St.Paul.
St.Thomas Didymas, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ, came to India and introduced Christianity in Malabar Coast in Kerala and Mylapore (Chennai) in Tamilnadu. He came to India at the invitation of king Gundophorus, an Indo-Parthian king who ruled over Kabul to spread gospel. He carried out his evangelical work in Kerala with much vigour. He converted the upper class Hindu families in Cranganore. Palayur Chayal, Nivanam and Quilon. He consecrated priets from some of these families and built seven Churches in Kerala taking his short span of stay and then he came to the Tamil country to continue his preaching. Incurring the wrath of the Brahmin priests by his conversion work, St. Thomas was martyred near a Hindu shrine on the mount near Mylapore, Chennai in about 72 A.D. The Martyrdom of St. Thomas at Mylapore led to the rapid spread of Christianity in South India. In recognition to the historical importance, Mylapore was erected as a first diocese in Tamilnadu on 9th January 1606 A.D. by Pope Paul V. It was elevated to an Archdiocese on 1st September, 1886. Thus South India offered hospitality to the Christians from the earliest decades of the Christian era.
Observing on the significance of the St. Thomas Mission, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India said, “Remember St.Thomas came to India when many countries in Europe had not yet become Christian and so these Indians who trace their Christianity of him have a longer history and higher ancestry than that of many of the European countries and it is really matter of pride to us that it so happened”. For a long time there was little contact between the Christians of India and their co-religionists in Europe. Christian travellers in the middle ages occasionally complained of paucity of Christians in South India. Friar Jordanus (1321 – 30 A.D) wrote enthusiastically of the great scope that India offered for missionary activity in the cause of Christianity.
The next stage in the preaching of Christianity in India began with the coming of Portuguese on the western coast of India in about 1498. A.D. They occupied a few trading posts. Soon all the Portuguese trading posts along the Indian coast from Bombay to Tuticorin were made as the Catholic Christian Centres. In 1531, Goa was created a Bishopric.
In the beginning, the Christian centres in Tamilnadu were controlled by Goa Bishopric. The Popes repeatedly urged the Portuguese Kings to make it their duty to send missionaries to the newly discovered areas for evangelization.
In response to the call of the Popes, the Portuguese kings sent a number of secular and religious priests to India. In the 17th century, a new department known as Propaganda Fide was established in order to send the Franciscans, the Jesuits, the Dominicans, Theatines and Augustinians missionaries to India for evangelization. Due to the indefatigable zeal of these missionaries, Christianity spread in Konkan, Kanara, Malabar coasts and later their sway was extended to Tuticorin, Kanyakumari, Kongu and Bara Mahal and Madurai regions. The sincere and strenuous efforts of these missionaries contributed enormously for the rapid change of social, economic and cultural conditions of Tamilnadu. The beginning of the Counter Reformation and the foundation of the Society of Jesus formed a brilliant chapter in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. The Jesuit priests involved actively in spreading the Gospel to many parts of Tamilnadu. Fr.Francis Xavier was the pioneer among the Jesuits who visited Tamilnadu. After his arrival at Goa in 1542 A.D, he continued his evangelical works in the coastal regions of Tuticorin and Kanayakumari.
(a) Works of Madura Mission:
The foundation of Madura mission had a tremendous effect on the social history of Salem. Robert De Nobili (1577-1656), an eminent and dedicated Jesuit was the first missionary who visited Salem to spread Christianity and founded the Catholic Church there. He entered the Jesuit order in 1595 and came to India in 1604. He reached Madurai in 1606 when it was ruled by Tirumalai Nayak. Fr. Nobili adopted the mode of life of Hindu sanyasis in order to attract higher caste Hindus to Christianity. By his adoptive method he converted many Hindu high caste to the Christian faith. As a result of his novel way of conversion, Christianity was accepted in the southern parts of Tamilnadu by low caste and high caste people. After founding a well-known Jesuit mission at Madurai in 1606 A.D., he decided to spread the gospel in the neighbouring regions.
He established congregations wherever conversion took place in large numbers. In 1623, he toured through many parts of Tamil Country. During the course of the tour he visited Truchirapalli, Senthamangalam and Salem. In June 1623 A.D he arrived at Senthamangalam, the capital of Ramachandra Nayak, the Vassal of Thirumala Nayak of Madurai. Ramachandra Nayak offered him a site to build a church and a presbytery but after consulting God in prayer, Robert De Nobili declined the offer.
At Salem Nobili met Tirumangala Nayak, the elder brother of Ramachandra Nayak and also the dethroned ruler of Senthamangalam. Fr. Nobili followed Tirumangala, a small town in Dharampuri and baptized him there along with his family members on 25th December, 1625.
On July 31st 1626. Fr.Nobili received the visit of a Pandaram hailed from the sect of Saivism and a man belonged to valluvar caste. The latter one was impressed by De Nobili’s Tamil book, “Sign of True Religion” and got himself baptized with the name “Mukthi Udayan” ( Blissful one). His conversion had a tremendous impact on the evangelical service rendered by Fr. Nobili in Salem region. Very soon Maramangalam became an important Christian centre with 40 neophytes. As this centre was then well established he could leave for other places to continue to preach the gospel. So he invited Fr. Martins and put him in charge of Salem, Maramangalam and Senthamangalam which numbered between 100 and 150 Christians . In 1627 he left for Tiruchirapalli. The little congregations he established grew from strength to strength. Due to the efforts of Fr. De Nobili and Fr. Antonio Vico, a church was built at Maramangalam in 1628 and another one at Salem. Subsequently the Christian Mission centre was established in various places in Salem region. Fr. Nobili also established a mission centre at koilur in Dharamapuri. By 1665 A.D., there were a large number of Catholics at kongupatti, Ilupuli, Anaikarapalayam, Omalur, Sankagiri, Anthiyur, Mathiyampatti and Ilanagar.
(b) Attempts of Mysore Jesuit Mission in spreading Christianity:
The foundation of the Mysore Jesuit Mission by Fr. Leonardo Cinnami in 1650 formed a turning point in the history of spread of Christianity in South India. The geographical adjacent of Salem to the Mysore kingdom and the urge to spread Christianity led the Jesuit missionaries of Mysore mission to concentrate in Salem region.
In the beginning the missionaries belonging to Mysore Mission continued their evangelical work in and around Salem along with the collaboration of the Madura Mission. Since 1687 the Mysore Mission had alone involved in the missionary activities of Salem . Fr.Vincent Durake, Fr. Rodriques, Fr.Cinnami, Fr.De Paiva, Fr.Cunha and Fr.Franciso Dos Reys were important Mysore missionaries who laboured tirelessly for the spread of Christianity in Annaikaraipalyam, Kakeveri, Senthamangalam, Koviloor and various other mission stations of Mysore missionaries.
Fr. Cinnami started a mission centre at Jumpuli Kottai (Sampalli) between 1650 and 1660 A.D. He permitted Royan the catechist to construct a church at Novalpatti. This was the first church erected by Mysore mission in Salem. He also established a mission centre at Dharmapuri in about 1661. St.John De. Britto, a renowned Jesuit missionary reached Kolai on 30th July, 1674 after passing through Vanniputhar (Bhavani), Sampalli, Martalli and kaveripuram. Cretineau Joly makes an affirmation that it was John de Britto who opened to the Jesuits the road into Mysore.
Since the missionaries of Mysore showed keen interest in the development of kannada speaking Christians, the Tamils of these regions went to Idappadi for their Easter service. According to the census taken in 1674 A.D., after 24 years the Mysore missions was started, there were 300 Christians at Capinagati and 400 Christians at Sampalli.
Annaikaraipalayam in Salem District was the most important mission centre of the Mysore Mission. In 1676 Fr. Vincent Durake built a presbytery there. This Church was destroyed by a fire accident in 1678. Fr. Rodriques took charge of Annaikarapalayam and rebuilt the Church. By 1679 there were 7 mission stations functioning under Annaikarapalayam, Omalur, Manali, Elanagar, Mathiyampatti, Senthamangalam and Salem. About the year 1680 A.D. Fr. Manoel De Souza took charge of Kakaveri Mission Centre. Later Fr. De Paiva ministered this region from 1690 to 1693 A.D. He baptized nearly 4,100 people in 1696. Due to the request of Fr. Paiva, the provincial at Goa sent two missionaries named Fr. Alvaro Rodriques and Manoel Leis to Kakaveri. About the year 1702, Fr. Franciso Dos Roys built a presbytery at Vellaiyanpet near Dharmapuri. Later on it came to be known as Koviloor. The Congonti Mission Centre was developed under the spiritual leadership of Fr.Mannel De Cunha. He rebuilt a church at Congonti, which was pulled down in a raid by the Muslims. He also incurred the displeasure of the Dazars and Brahmins of Congonit. Fr.De Chuna was put to death by Dazars on Ist of June, 1711 A.D . He was the first Jesuit martyr of Mysore mission in Salem. In the middle of eighteenth century, the Mysore mission reached its zenith.
The Mysore Jesuit Mission had 11 missionary residences in Salem of which two centres were found in the kongu region where Tamil was spoken and the remaining 5 were found in the North where kannada language was spoken . There were about 6 priests looking after various mission stations in and around Salem. The missionaries were assisted by the well-trained catechists. A few of them were Brahmin converts and some of them belonged to other communities.
The Indianization of Christian rites and the incorporation of Hindu customs were subjected to pontifical disapproval at different periods. Ultimately on 13th September 1744, Pope Benedict XII issued the bull of Omvims Sollcitu dirum declaring Jesuit Missions Proceedings to be impious and unlawful.
The suppression of the Society of Jesus and the decline of the missionary activities of the Mysore Mission had a drastic impact on the Christianity in Salem region. The Suppression of Society of Jesus by the Portuguese Government in 1760 A.D. was a true disaster for Christianity in general and the Jesuit Mysore Mission in particular. Hence the Jesuit Missionaries of Mysore joined the other religious orders. Some of them returned to their native lands. At the time of suppression of the Society of Jesus by the Pope, the Mysore Mission had 40 missionaries.
C) Missionary Activities of the Paris Society of Foreign Mission :
In 1776 the Mission of Mysore was entrusted to the priests of the Paris Society of Foreign Missions with Pondicherry as its headquarters in India. The mission worked hard in various mission stations of Salem, Madurai and Mysore under Msgr. De Tabraca, the Supervisor of Paris Mission. They started a seminary at Pondicherry in order to train the priests to spread the gospel to the areas entrusted to them. Their primary aim was to start the local church with the help of the natives. But before Paris missionaries initiated their reconstruction work, persecution of Tippu Sultan caused a serious blow to the Christianity in Salem.
Tippu Sultan hated first and foremost the English and next to the English he hated the Christian Missionaries. His persecution began in 1784 and continued till 1787. He ordered the Koviloor church near Dharmapuri to be destroyed. Missionaries were expelled. Mission work was in a mess. He suppressed the missionaries and Christian communities established at various mission stations. He gave them a choice between “ Honour of Islam or Death” . The Christian community at Capinagati vanished. However, the settlements at Idappadi, Kakaveri and Kadgathur remained unaffected during the persecution.
With regard to the untold sufferings met by the Christians in Tamil country in general and Salem in particular, F.R. Richards in his famous Salem Gazetteers writes, “ A misfortune felt as irreparable to the present day, for the mission of India founded at the price of so many privations being deprived of their missionaries. Many Christian communities were lost and it was not till the beginning of 19th century that the work could be seriously taken on hand.”
Fr. Jean Antoine Dubois, the renowned Paris Missionary was responsible for the re-establishment of Christian religion in Salem. He came to Salem in 1792 to accomplish his mission work and he remained in Salem till 1799. It is Fr. Dubois who was responsible for strengthening the Catholic Church in Salem founded by Fr. De Nobili. Mgr.Champenois, Vicar Apostolic, Pondicherry entrusted to him the responsibility of the re-establishment of Christian religion and administration of Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Idappadi, Salem, Kakaveri, Nammakkal, and Kalangaud.
Fr. Dubois profited by the influence he was having with the English officials to get help for the numerous works and also for the construction of new churches. He built a church and Chathram in Idapadi and Dharmapuri. The British Government gave him an annual grant of forty two rupees for the Kovilloor church near Dharmapuri and Tirupattur. Among other benefits which he conferred upon his flock may deserve special mention here. His zeal in establishing agricultural colonies and also introducing vaccination to eradicate small box, in which inspite of the extraordinary tenacity of the people, he succeded in his mission. During 1803 – 1804 a total of 25, 432 natives of Salem were vaccinated. In memory of his noble service, the natives still remember him by the title Doddhaswamiyaru. M. Launay in his book,“Historic Des Mission De L’ Inde” said that in some parts especially at Karumattampatty, he is considered as the prince’s son and the noblest of Europeans. According to the account of Fr. Dubois there were 4000 Christians in Salem region.
The History of the Catholic Mission of 19th century witnessed a steady progress. Pope Gregory XVI established the Vicariate Apostolic of the coast of coramandal in 1838 A.D. Rev. Frico Alias Susainathar, an apostolic priest came to India. Soon he became the parish priest of Salem. He visited the mission stations of Salem and wrote a brief account of Salem district in 1838. In 1850 Pope Pius IX divided the mission fields in Tamilnadu into three Apostolic Vicariates of Pondicherry, Mysore and Coimbatore. Thus Salem with its mission fields was brought under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the province of Pondicherry and Cuddalore.

Foreign Mission Society took upon themselves the heavy responsibility of rendering missionary services in these areas. Thus the painstaking efforts taken by the Madura Mission, Mysore Jesuit Mission and the Paris Society of Foreign Mission were responsible for the spread of Christian religion and the establishment of churches during the early days and the consolidation of Christian community till the creation of the Diocese of Salem. During the early days the missionaries faced a series of problems especially from Tippu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore. Due to the tireless and sincere efforts of the dedicated missionaries the church establishment was strengthened mainly for serving the cause of the local people.