The Mass Movement in

Christian Mission: Its Social

and Demographical Impacts on
the Western Punjab
Analytical and descriptive study

Submitted by :
Muhammad Usman Tahir
873.FU Mphil. F06

INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY

ISLAMABAD
Introduction:
“In the name of Allah, the Creator of the Universe, the most beneficent,
the most Merciful. Peace and blessings be upon His Last Messenger
Muhammad (peace be upon him), his Companions and those who follow
him up to the Day of judgment”.

Christianity is a revealed and missionary religion considered being

the biggest religion of the world in terms of its followers. And it has a
great history of its missionary work and has made a great effort through
the missionaries to spread its message all over the world and to some
extent has achieved its target which is still continuing.
Since the reformation, Europe has been the main center of
Christian activities. Until quite recently the great theologians and church
leaders have mostly been Europeans. At present the picture is changing.
The center of Christian activity has moved to other continents: Asia, South
America and North America.
During the three centuries which followed the reformation,
particularly when Mughal dynasty declined and colonial domination of
European powers increased, both Catholic and Protestant Churches were
strengthened in India. In this era many missionary societies came into
being which were sent by Western dominant countries to achieve their
goals. In this regard Christian Missionaries took many steps and adopted
different techniques to succeed in their mission. They tried their best to
make conversion from the native of Indian souls. Their first priority was to
convert Muslims and high caste Hindus toward Christianity but they failed
to do so. So in nineteenth century Protestant Missionaries started new
missionary movements on large scale. Among these missionary
movements , Mass Movement was the most explicit.
“Mass” is a term used by the historians for the “lower classes of
the people, large numbers or quantity, to ordinary people as a whole”,
when a large numbers of people in India gave turned to Christ, during
missionary movements. These movements are called “mass movements”.
Basically it was a missionary technique adopted by Protestant missionaries
to convert Indians and native people toward Christianity on large scale and
as I have mentioned that Protestant missionaries started this movement
when they failed to evangelize the Muslims and high cast Hindus so they
started missionary work among the weaker and depressed classes like
scheduled castes because Protestant missionaries found less resistance
among them, Due to this movement the population of the Christians
increased gradually in the Sub continent for example Chuhras were
completely Christianized by Mass movement. The conversion of these
Chuhras is known as the Chuhra Movement.
In the area of Punjab Ditt1 was the first from this community who
became to Christ in 1873 and followed by other communities belonging to
different areas of Punjab particularly Sialkot, Zafarwal, Narowal,
Gujranwala, Passroor and of the surrounding villages.
According to the details of censuses between 1921 and 1931 the
Christian population of India increased by 32% against a general increase
of 10%. So Protestant missionaries recorded gains of 45%, Roman
Catholic of 16%2. So the Protestant missionaries got this success due to
the Mass Movement.
this movement has a great role and impact on the sub continental
societies particularly the areas of western Panjab like Sialkot, Zafarwal,
Norowal, Gujranwala, Passroor, Faisalabad .
So in this thesis the researcher will try his best to discuss the role
of Mass movement in Christian mission and its social and demographical
impacts on scheduled castes of Sub continent and particularly of Punjab.

1
People Movement in Punjab ,Frderick and Margaret Stock Gospal Litrature Service
Bomby P = 57
2
A history of Christian mission, Stephen Neil, penguin books England 1964, P# 462.
Statement of the Research Problem:
The nineteenth century was the great age of missionary work in
India The rise of the Western powers in Sub continent provided a great
opportunity to Christian missionaries, and the first time the whole country
was opened up to the work of the church. For the first time, England and
America, seriously entered into the field, other nations followed and they
shared into the task of winning India for Christ
Their policy regarding other religions was very aggressive and
they were focusing on the Muslims and higher classes of Hindu societies,
but they failed. And later on they changed their missionary strategy. The
missionaries, who had been largely concentrated into cities and in medical
and educational institutions and were working among the upper casts,
changed and turned their attention toward lower casts and villages
particularly they chose the area of the western Punjab to do their work.
Here question arises that what was the goal of this movement? What were
the factors and causes of change in missionary’s direction and attitude
toward other religions? Was it happened due to it inner failure of mission?
Or something else forced missionaries to change their direction? What was
the reason behind choosing the Punjab region particularly among other
regions? Why this conversion took place in the area of Punjab largely as
compared to other regions of Sub continent? What were the social and
demographical impacts of this movement on Subcontinent societies and
particularly on Punjab? Was this movement criticized by Christian leaders
and if it was, then why?

Methodology of research:
The method taken by researcher is analytical and descriptive as
much as he could in this work, in addition to this; researcher has followed
the critical method in some issues related to the topic and the work has
been divided into three chapters and a conclusion.
The first chapter consists of a brief introduction of the western
Punjab and introduction of Christian mission history in the subcontinent
particularly in the part known now as the western Punjab.
And in second chapter I will focus on the Mass Movement, its
historical background, method and techniques of work, direction and its
achievements and And the Chuhra movement, its historical background,
method and techniques of work, direction and its achievements..
 And in third chapter I will discuss the social and demographical
impacts of Mass movement on the Western Punjab, their social status in
the light of present and past and also I will discuss in this chapter the
critics on Mass movement from Muslims as well as from Christians .
 Synopsis:

Chapter 1: A brief introduction of western Punjab.

A .Geographical background
B. Population
C. Political background
D. Religio- cultural background

A brief introduction of Christian mission history in the subcontinent

particularly in the part known now as the western Punjab .

A. The emergence of Christianity in the western Punjab

B. A brief introduction of some major Christian Missionary
Movements in the western Punjab

Chapter 2: the Mass Movement

A. Historical background,
B. method and techniques
C. direction and dimension of Mass Movement
D. its achievements

The Chuhra Movement

A. Historical background, method and techniques of work, direction

and its achievements.
B. Method and techniques
C. Direction and dimension of Chuhra Movement
D. Its achievements

The critics on Mass Movements from the Muslim and Christians .

Chapter 3:
Social and demographical impacts of Mass movement

A. Demographical impacts
B. Political impacts
C. Religious impacts
D. Cultural impacts
E. Economical impacts
F. Social status of converts Scheduled castes in the light of present and
past .
G. Some major conflicting issues between Muslim and Christian
societies of the western Punjab

Conclusion:

Bibliography:
LITERATURE REVIEW :

1. Christian Mass Movements in India : A Study with

Recommendations. By PICKETT,J WASKOM 1933 New
York: Abingdon Press.
2. People Movement in Punjab ,Frderick and Margaret Stock
Gospal Litrature Service Bomby
In researcher’s view these two books are basic and
very useful to understand the missionary movements in sub
continent and the methodology which they have adopted in 19th
century and it give us an introductory picture of the Mass
Movement and the basic information on the topic but these are
written by Christians for missionary purposes therefore the did
not deal with those questions that the researcher’s has raised in
the statement of research problem .

3. Christians and Christianity in India and Pakistan. by

P.THOMAS ( London : GEORGE ALLEN & UNWIN LTD
.RUSKIN HOUSE . MUSEUM STREET ) basically it is a
survey of the progress of Christianity in India particularly
it gives us a brief introduction of progress Christian
mission under the British rule .
4. The Problems of Success . A short history of the church
missionary society . 1910 _ 1942 . by GORDON HEWIT
( published for the Church Missionary Society by SCM
PRESS LTD ) In researcher’s view it is a very useful book
to study of the church missionary society from 1910_1942
and the author of this book gives us a very brief
introduction of Mass Movements but these tow books don’t
deal with the questions that researchers has raised in the
statement of problems .
5. Impact of Christian mission on Muslim society .
6.Activities and techniques of Christian missionaries in
Pakistan .
First one is PhD thesis submitted by : Dr
Muhammad Zafar Imtiaz , professor of DAWA academy ,
international Islamic university Islamabad .Under supervision
of Dr Jamila Shawkat, university of Punjab 1998 . It is an
anthropological and case study of specific area in Pakistan to
show the impact of Christian mission on Muslim society .

The second one is also master thesis submitted by Nadeem

Abbas , student of comparative religion department IIUI ,1993
under supervision of professor Dr Abdul Rahman Salim .
The thesis consist on historical back ground of Christian
mission. Their missionary activities and techniques which the
adopted for evangelization in Pakistan, as well he discussed
missionary centers in Pakistan and their achievements and these
tow has very useful information on the topic but they didn’t
deal with those question directly and I did not find any book
from any Muslim scholar that is written on this topic so In my
view there is need to do work in this field so I chose it and will
try my best to do the job .INSHA ALLAH
Bibliography

1. Christ in the Indian Villages. By Azariah, V. S.,

and Henry Whitehead
1930 London, U.K.: Student Christian Movement Press.

2 “The Mass Movement in Tinnevelly: A Survey

and Statement of Needs.” . by Bennett, C. W. F.,
and Stephen Neill
1926 Published by the Tinnevelly Diocesan Council

3. The Christian Message in a Non-Christian World.

By Kraemer, Hendrick
1956-1938Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications for the
International Missionary Council.

4. Christian Mass Movements in India : A Study

with Recommendations. By PICKETT,J WASKOM
1933 New York: Abingdon Press.

5. “Village Churches.” In Ways of Evangelism: Some

Principles and Methods of Evangelism in India.
Roland Scott.: Christian Literature Society for India.

6. Christian Missions in Mid India: A Study of Nine

Areas with Special Reference to Mass Movements.
Jubbulpore, 1938[1936] India: The Mission Press.
7. Church Growth and Group Conversion. by
Pickett, J. Waskom, et al. 1962[1956] Lucknow,
India: Lucknow Publishing House.

8 .The Muslim of India and the extent of Christianity

missionary enterprise among them (A survey ) the national
missionary council India ,1938

9. The Decisive hour of hour of Christian mission .by John

R.Mott, pub, student volunteer moment for foreign missions,
New York ,1910

10 .Twentieth century Christianity, edited by Stephen Neil,

published , Dolphin books, New York ,1962.

11 .A history of Christian mission, by Stephen Neil ,pub,

penguin books1996.

12 .India and its mission .by the capuchin unit , pub the
Macmillan Company 1923 .

13 .Century for Christ in India and Pakistan 1855 _1955 pub ,

united Presbyterian church Lahore .

14 .Christianity in India .by Arthur Mayhew ,pub, Gyan

publisher house New Delhi ,1993 .

15.Impact of Christian mission on Muslim society .

PhD thesis submitted by : Dr Muhammad Zafar Imtiaz ,
professor of DAWA academy , international Islamic university
Islamabd .Under supervision of Dr Jamila Shawkat, university
of Punjab 1998
16. Activities and techniques of Christian missionaries in
Pakistan .master thesis submitted by Nadeem Abbas , student of
comparative religion department IIUI ,1993 under supervision
of professor Dr Abdul Rahman Salim
17.The Christian of Pakistan by Linda S.Walbridge