CJIRISTIANITY IN INDIA. With reference to the spread of Christianity in Hindustan, as men tioned above, it may be stated that India was one of the earliest fields of Christian missions. Tra dition assigns it as the scene of the Apostle Thomas's labors and martyrdom. Whether this was the case or not, we find a Syrian church planted in 1\lalabar in Southern India, which un cioubtedly had a very early origin. The Jesuit missionaries, from the middle of the sixteenth century onward, had a large success in India. (See PRANCIS XAVIER. ) The earliest Protestant missionaries in India came from Holland and Denmark. With the latter mission the eminent Schwartz was connected. England's first mis sionary effort was made by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. and the Christian Knowledge Society. which COM menced in the beginning of the eighteenth century. by aiding the Danish mission already established in South ern India. Subsequently, the East India Com pany adopted the policy of excluding missionaries altogether from their territo•it s; but since the beginning of the last century, when these restrie tions were withdrawn. great activity has been manifested, in which all denominations are rep resented. In the proclamation to the princes, chiefs, and people of India. read in the principal cities, on November 1, I :";5S, it was declared "that none shall be in any wise favored. none molested or disquieted. by reason of their re ligious faith and observances, hunt that all shall alike enjoy the equal and impartial protection of the law." The fullest toleration in matters of faith is the rule throughout British India. Fanaticism only. as when it sought to enforce the burning of widows or suttee (q.v.), or to offer human beings in sacrifice, is curbed by the ruling power. There is no exclusively endowed State Church, but the Government continues to pay the State grants made to Hindu temple; and to Mohammedan mosques. Clergymen of the Church of England. the Church of Scotland, and the lloman Catholic Church, are retained on the Government establishment as civil or military chaplains. There are Church of England bishops at Calcutta, :Madras. and Bombay. The number of Christians; in India in 1901 was given in the as 2,923,241. of whom the majority (1.202,169) were Roman Catholics. The mem bers of the Church of England numbered 453,162, and the Syrian and kindred sects 72.2,403. The rest belonged to Protestant denominations.
For a study of the entire religious develop ment of the Hindus. consult Ksrpkius. /,',/iymas ot /mho t Boston. IS:15) ; Barth. t,/ In.
dun (3,1 cd.. London I ; butler- \ 1 il I lams, ill the series of un-C hrist n li grow; Systents I London, PAW) ; Hardy, Indische ill bymnsyrschicht( ( Leipzig. I stls ) ; \ \ ilLins,
Nod, (Il //induisai (2d ed., London. .1itt ItEm.oNs. The ant Mull ies the archa.ologicti! remains ill India are largely of an architectural character. I See IND1.\x Aar.) From the prehidoric age I illentS surviving beyond possibly some Caine; and is true of the Ve (lie period of .1ryitii India. heeause the structures Were 1110Sily of wood Or of rile) material.
Indian arciceology pra•ticallv with the age of Buddhism and Jainism. Connected \vitt' these faiths there are characteristic shrines. temples. and monuments ill Various parts of India, dating from '250 onward. Most fa mous from the standpoint of arelneological re search is the great cave at 1:arli„ and also the caves at Ajanta, Ellora, and Leila. constructed with their assembly halls or °hurt-hes (rha finis) rind their monastie evils (rihat'us)• I If like terest are the tinge mounds or tumuli (sill pas, hips sl , like that at San•hi, near erected to contain in a shrine (iliir/oba) some relic of Buddha. The rails about these stru•tures are well known because of their artistie value and because of the light they throw on scours (1)11 11144(.11 With V1111(1111-4 life. (See ; Of particular antiquarian in terest. are the various eolumns or shafts istotabhas, bits), set up in various parts of India ire King A4Okli I q.v.). The inscriptions on these, like his rock-cut edicts, are of speeial importance. Under a slightly different category, but of similar antiquarian interest, are the famous Oandhara sculptures, representing incidents in Iltuldlia's life. The intluenee of Or•eo-Itactrian art is plainly evident in these. Of a much later date, hut quite 11in.lu in character, are the cave temt of Elephanta (q.v.), near Itontbay, with their sculptured figures of Brahma, Vishnu, ;Ind espe cially Siva. These may not, however, antedate the ninth century of our era. Th., remaining groups of antiquarian remains, chiefly architec tural, are grouped under the head of 1)ravidian architecture. the Bengali and ('liiillikyan style of temple structure. and the artistic. building of the era of :Mohammedan rule. For details ing these eonsitlt Ferguson, II istory of Indian find Eastern el rm. (London, IS71)), and Le Bon, /,•s monuments de 17 tole (Paris, IS93). In 1,07 arrangements were made in con nection \dill the Congress of Ifni entalists to establish an _1ssncial ion for .1relreo logical Research and Exploration in India. and Special rireh:i•Olo;!iefil work under the supervision of the Covernment has since liven parried on in Cambodia, b•,ides the con ducted hy various s•lmlars individnally in India itself.