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| History इतिहास |
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Border Efforts (History) |
Date:
2008-08-23 |
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Border Efforts to Evangelize Nepal Prior 1951
Udi Jung Gurung
Introduction
The Capuchin missionaries rallied for the exile with 57 Nepali Christians to Betiah, India on the 4th February 1769. After the death of Prithvi Narayan Shah in January, 1775 Pratap Singh Shah had written to the Capuchins several times to re-establish their mission in Nepal. Even the King of Kaski and Palpa had requested for their mission. Bahadur Shah had promised the Fathers to allow them to establish the mission in Nepal. But the promise of Bahadur Shah was not realized since Rajendra Laxmi took action against him and made him to go for exile. After the exile, Bahadur Shah had donated a large bell named ‘Maria’ which had bore the inscription around its base: “Bahadur Shah, Prithvi Narayen regis Nepal filius, dono dedit anno 1782.” After the death of the Queen-Regent in 1785, Bahadur returned and took the position of the Regency. Then he requested the Prefect to send the missionaries to Nepal. But the mission could not afford the men for the mission in Nepal. Fr. Joseph of St. Marcello came to Nepal in 1786 and remained there till the beginning of 1789. Fr. Charles Mary of Alatri was the next missionary to go to Nepal in 1787. His stay in Nepal was short. The last two Capuchins to enter Nepal were Fr. Romuald of Senigallia and Fr. Joseph of St. Marcello. Fr. Romuald remained there for nine months in the year 1794, while Fr. Joseph St. Marcello spent the last thirteen years of his life at Kathmandu, where he died on the 9th November 1810. Dilli Raman Regmi in his book Medieval Nepal concluded that the Capuchin Mission was literally closed in 1789. But after 1769 the capuchins were staying in Nepal as visitors only. They neither had any mission nor any mission work in Nepal. There were neither Nepalese Christians nor Christian assembly existed in Nepal after 1769. So formally the Capuchin mission in Nepal was closed by 1769. After Sugauli Peace Treaty 1816 no other Europeans were allowed to stay and work in Nepal besides the Britishers. Thus the way was closed to re-establish the mission in Nepal for a long period of time.
Foundation
William Carey
India was already influenced by the Christianity. And Nepal was closed for the gospel after 1769 more and more rigidly. Especially in the period of Rana regime the gospel preaching was strictly prohibited. Since the Christians are inspired by the great commandment to preach the gospel all around the world it was the prayers of the Christians that the gospel might be preached to the Nepalese nationals by any means. There were some efforts to enter in Nepal and preach the gospel. But it was not being successful. So the Christians in India were making their best efforts to evangelize the Nepalese people by establishing the border stations for evangelism.
Though Jesuits and Capuchin missionaries had established their missions in India 16th century, the ministry of evangelism was not founded properly until William Carey came in India in 1793. William Carey was a Baptist preacher from England. Baptists emphasized on the authority of the Bible rather than the human customs and rituals. In the year 1769, the Capuchins had gone in exile from Nepal, the young man Carey had begun to preach in England. He became strongly awakened to the Biblical teaching that it was the duty of Christians to bring the Gospel of God to all people of the earth. He offered then to go to India as a missionary.
William Carey had already published a small pamphlet urging Christians to use all the means at their disposal in missionary effort. Not all ministers of the gospel were in favor of missionary activity. According to a story, the elder John Ryland had rebuked Carey for his zeal: "Young man, sit down, sit down. You're an enthusiast. When God pleases to convert the heathen he will do it without your aid or mine." It was Carey who became the first of the new Society's missionaries. His motto was, 'Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God', which is precisely what he himself practiced. He arrived in Calcutta, India, in 1793 and settled in Serampore up the river from Calcutta, 14 miles inland under Danish protection where he could do the work of missionary. He and his fellow missionaries were unable to live in Calcutta because of opposition to missionary work by the English East India Company. He along with his missionary group preached the gospel and taught the word of God. And especially they did the great job for translating and the publishing of the Bible. They had published the New Testament in thirty five languages of Indian sub-continent and in ten other languages of Asia. They had a group of missionaries devoted for translations and publications of the Bibles establishing a printing press in Serampore. Their first book came out in 1801, which was the Bengali New Testament. By 1832 they had produced more than 212,000 volumes of books in forty different languages. Among them was the New Testament in Nepali, which was published in 1821. Carey had begun to translate the Nepali New Testament in 1812 by using Nepali 'pandits' and completed in 1821 which was called 'Nepala'. And he had translated in Western Nepali language and completed in 1827 which was called 'Palpa'. It was the first Nepali New Testament Bible published in the press, which was published before Bhanubhakta Acharya had published the Sanskrit language scripture 'Ramayana' in Nepali. In 1832 some volumes of the New Testament came out in the dialect 'Palpa'.
William Carey was one of the most zeal missionaries in India who preached the true gospel of Jesus Christ. He believed that every person should know the gospel of Christ in his own mother tongue. He had whole-hearted faith and dedication to Christ and His saving mission in the world. Through the ministry of William Carey, true foundation of the evangelism was founded in South Asia. First of all, people need the Bibles in their own languages and it should be preached to the people. By publishing Nepali New Testament in 1821, a foundation of the evangelism was laid even for Nepal.
William Carey was Oriental Professor at Fort-William College, Calcutta. His knowledge of Eastern languages was truly remarkable. He died in India in 1834. He had established Serampore College which is one of the famous Universities in India at present. By 1993, 200 years passed after William Carey came to India. The government of India honored Carey by publishing postal ticket of Rs. 6 in 1993. Carey is called today as “The Father of Modern
Missionaries”.
The British Padaries of the Church of England
After the Serampore Missionaries, the British Pastors from the Church of England came to India. They climbed up to the hills of Darjeeling to work mainly as chaplains among the British community working on tea plantations, in business and in government services. They lived among a predominantly Nepali population and took an interest in sharing the Gospel of God among them. Rev. W. Start made new translations of Luke's gospel and of the book of Acts in Nepali and these portions were published in 1850 and 1852. Ten years later another member of their church, Rev. C. G. Niebel, revised these two books and they were again printed in modest editions.
The Missionaries of the Church of Scotland
Rev. William Macfarlane and other missionaries of the Church of Scotland went up to Darjeeling in 1870. Ganga Prasad Pradhan was saved soon after their ministry. Missionary A. Turnbull and Ganga Prasad Pradhan worked together on the Nepali New Testament. New Testament was completed in 1902. Over a span of fifteen to twenty years the whole Bible was published in 1914 by the Bible Society. Padari Ganga Prasad and other missionaries had labored twenty nine years to finish the translation of the whole Bible.
The Bible Society of India
Through the modern missionary movement of the 1800s and 1900s, Bible societies have undertaken the specialized job of translating and publishing the Bible in different languages and making the books available to missions and churches and the public for their use. The Nepali Bible was printed 4500 copies in 1914. The Bible Society of India revised and published New Testament with Psalms in 1963 and the whole Bible was published after the revision in 1977. And for many years, the Scripture Gift Mission has published selected Verses from the Bible on particular themes and made these available in large numbers for free distribution.
Now the foundation was laid to evangelize Nepal through the border ministries.
The Border Efforts
Nepal had built their wall and locked themselves into a century and more of isolation to save themselves from the colonial tide. But because of the British-Gorkha military service and other opportunities to work in the constructions of the British Raj, many Nepalese youths were introduced with the outside world and they had settled themselves in the big cities and communities of India such as Patna, Benares, Calcutta, Delhi, Bombay, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Raxaul, Gorkhapore, Rupadiah, Dehradun etc. But the majority of them moved eastward into country similar to their homeland. They went into Sikkim, Darjeeling district, the Duars, and Bhutan and others went still further into the Shillong hills and other parts of Assam and even as far as Burma.
Prayers had been made for the open door of Nepal for evangelism. Christians in Darjeeling were singing as such:
"Prabhu arjee sunileu Gorkhalile mukti paune dhoka kholideu." (Lord, hear our prayer, so that doors might be opened for the Gurkhalis to receive salvation.)
Nepal was a target to be evangelized for many Christian missions and missionaries of the World. They had established the border posts to evangelize to the Nepalese people in the border cities. The major posts were Darjeeling, Jogbeni, Raxaul, Nautanawa, Rupaidhia. And other posts were Tanakpur and Pithoragarh.
Darjeeling and Sukhia Pokhari
From 1868 there was also Rev. F. C. Page, an Anglo-Indian with the Baptist missionary Society, who began to work in Darjeeling. He was evangelizing among the Nepalese. He had a bookshop in Darjeeling to evangelize the Nepalese.
Rev. Macfarlane of the Church of Scotland Mission gave a strong emphasize on education. Within thirty years they had established hundred schools throughout the district together with Teacher Training Schools and a Collge. Bhim Dal Dewan was the first Nepali convert in Darjeeling through the ministry of Rev. Marfarlane. He was baptized in 1874. He had become a Sub-Inspector of Police and was posted in the border town of Sukhia Pokhri near by Ilam. There was a small Christian community of three families there at the time. They were formed into a congregation under Bhim Dal's leadership and were having meetings in his home. Those who followed him were the first
Nepali Pastors and Evangelists.
Ganga Prasad Pradhan had strong influence in the formation of the Gorkha mission in 1892, which stationed evangelists along the border of Nepal. Nepali Christians, to reach out the Nepalese, formed the Gorkha Mission in 1892. It was completely administered and supported by them. It was not successful within the first ten years. But after Buddhi Singh was appointed in 1901, mission began to work properly and successfully. His outpost for the Gorkha Mission was at Sukhia Pokhari, the biggest bazaar on the border of Nepal across from Ilam. His mandate was to reach Nepalese who regularly crossed the border for trade. He used to preach to the hundreds on the bazaar day. Thousands of pieces of Christian literature also found their way back into Nepal through his hands. His evangelistic trips took him up and down the Nepal frontier, and in later years as far as Raxaul. He had opened a dispensary in Sukhia Pokhari. David Mukhia Gurung used to assist Buddhi Singh in the dispensary, and accompanied him to the bazaar to preach. Once the Gorkha mission had asked the permission with the Nepal government requesting permission for Nepali Christians to go and live there, but a response was never received. By the end of 1920s, the mission was out of steam. A report in 1928 merely stated that the Gorkha Mission was not in a position to send a preacher to Raxaul as in former years but they had arranged for the distribution of a large supply of Nepali tracts and literature.
Jogbani
Jogbani was the main gateway for the Eastern region of Nepal such as Biratnagar, Dhankuta, Bhojpur, Chainpur etc. A lady missionary Miss Mildred Ballard opened a dispensary and undertook Bible teaching and literature distribution. Through the ministry of Jogbani station, many had got the gospel of Jesus Christ. One day Tir Bahadur Dewan Rai came to Jogbani with a sore leg and went to the dispensary to get the treatment. He was so much impressed with the care and the treatment of Miss Ballard and the gospel preached by David Mukhia Gurung. Tir Bahadur Dewan Rai was of Ankhibhui, Sankhuwasabha and walked out from home to seek thetrue and living God. David Mukhia Gurung, an evangelist, was assisting Miss Ballard in the dispensary. The Gurung was the one who had taught the gospel and led Tir Bahadur D. Rai to Christ. Miss Ballard was a missionary of Regions Beyond Missionary Union (RBMU). On 22nd December 1938, he was baptized. He later joined in the Nepal Evangelist Band (NEB) and did the work of evangelism in Nautanawa and Shillong with Pastor David Mukhia Gurung.
Tir Bahadur D. Rai was one of the few who made several secret trips inside Nepal while Ranas were still in power. During 1940s, he made trips to Dharan, Dhankuta, Chainpur, Bhojpur and the areas round about and preached in the bazaars and sold Christian books. In Dhankuta Bir Bahadur Rai was led to Christ through him. At present he is pastoring in a Church in Dharan. On the trip Tir Bahadur D. Rai was accompanied by an evangelist, Philip Gurung. And they did not get any opposition around Chainpur because the gospel was such a new thing to the people that most of them had not even heard of Jesus. From the Jogbani post, many were introduced the gospel and reached out in different areas of Eastern Nepal even during the Rana period.
Raxaul
Raxaul was the most important border city because of the main trade route into Kathmandu. It was connected by the huge Indian railways network. Gorkha mission had their missionaries in Raxaul until 1928 to preach the gospel. Missionary H. C. Duncan came to Raxaul from Darjeeling to join in preaching. The mission opened a dispensary in Raxaul in 1926. In 1930 Dr. Cecil Duncan, son of H. C. Duncan, Scottish missionary in Darjeeling, came to Raxaul and led in building a mission hospital. Here the first conference for missionaries working all along the Nepal border was held in 1933. Their meeting was the predecessor of what became known as the Nepal Border Fellowship (NBF) in the 1940s. Their main objectives were to have fellowship among the missionaries, Indian and Nepalese Christians to encourage for prayer until the land was opened to the Gospel. Missionaries were scattered all along the western and southern borders, some from as early as the 1850s to evangelize Nepal. When the British government was busy to save her reign in India, Christian missionaries were busy preparing and preaching the gospel to the unreached people.
It is clearly seen that David Mukhia Gurung and his wife Premi Gurung had a major role in the ministry of Raxaul in 1930s. David began his ministry there from 1931 and Premi began from 1933. David M. Gurung was a teacher in Sukhia Pokhari, Darjeeling and there Rev. Duncan had suggested him to join his son Dr. Cecil Duncan on the southern border of Nepal at Raxaul. In those days, many Nepalese used to come to Raxaul for various purposes along with treatments and the evangelists had opportunities to preach the gospel to them. During their ministry in Raxaul, Ratan Thakuri was converted into Christianity, who got married with Pastor Tir Bahadur Dewan Rai later. Ratan used to come to Duncan Hospital from Birgunj to get the treatment of her eye time to time. In January 1934, there was a great earthquake in Nepal. Different palaces of Birgunj and other parts of Nepal used to ask the Doctors of Duncan Hospital for the treatment. Premi Gurung had some opportunities to enter into the palaces for the treatment. According to Premi Gurung Miss Ballard had given a gift of Bible to King Mahendra's youngest brother.
Colonel Nararaj Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana was converted in Duncan Hospital and had lived a secret Christian life in Nepal. He was born in 1896 in the ruling family of Nepal. He was a son of Commander in Chief General Rudra Shamsher JBR and the grandson of Priminister Bir Shamsher. He had migrated to Rani Ganj in Tarai. While leaving there his eldest grandson fell ill of typhoid. He was taken to Duncan Hospital. There he heard the gospel of Jesus and was converted. After the country was opened for the gospel, he came back to Kathmandu in 1951 and he was baptized on the Easter morning of 1952.
Gyani Shah was converted and baptized in August 1943 in the Union Baptist Church, Patna. She was a good example for the Nepalese in the areas of Raxaul and Patna. In Raxaul, the Raxaul Medical Mission (RMM) was working to evangelize the people of Nepal and India targeting especially for the Nepalese. The hospital has sustained a Christian service and witness. Even today the hospital is running as the name Duncan Hospital. So Raxaul had played a vital role to evangelize Nepal.
Nautanawa
Nautanwa was another important border post for evangelism, which was the gateway for Bhairahawa, Butwal, Pokhara, Lamjung and whole Gandak region. It was very important gateway for the Nepalese soldiers who had joined in British-India military. Here in Nautanawa, Katherine Harbord opened a dispensary and had run a printing press. Because of her sickness she had to go back to England. In the late 1930s, Dr. Lily O' Hanlon and Miss Hilda Steele, missionaries form Britain and Ireland, came to Nautanwa and took over the ministry of Katherine Harbord. Premi and David Gurung joined the missionary ladies. They established Nepal Evagelistic Band. Band members worked in the busy dispensary and went daily to the railway station to distribute literatures, sell gospels tracts and talk with Nepali travellers. In summer seasons, no Nepalese could come to Nautanwa at least for six months because of the rainy seasons. But rest of the year, Nepalese were busy coming through Nautanwa. Nautanwa was the most busy entrypot for the Gurkha soldiers going to their services and coming back to their homes. And Gorkhapur was the pension depot for the Gurkha soldiers. And other many Nepalese would come to Nautanwa for shopping or jobs. This was a suitable place for the evangelists to preach the gospel. NEB evangelists were so much busy preaching the gospel in Nautanwa. Premi Gurung said that she would immedietely leave the boiling rice in the kitchen when she saw a Nepali appearing to her sight and would preach the gospel. All the Nepali evangelists would do the same. Their first and total priority was to preach the gospel to the Nepalese. Daud Mashihi and Philip Gurung were converted in Nautanwa ministry. They later became prominent Christian leaders of Nepal.
In the rainy season or for the six months, the band members would go to Shillong, Assam to preach the gospel. They went to Shillong in 1941 and searched for the Nepalese to preach the gospel. While in Shillong, David and Premi met Buddhi Sagar Gautam and his wife Putali Gautam who heard the gospel and were converted in Christ in the same year 1944.
Priscilla Gurung from Gorkha had become 'jogini' being tired of the earthly life. One day she heard a boy ringing a bell. And she followed a boy and got into the Christian church there. She was very much impressed with the preaching of the gospel in the church. She was converted in 1949. NEB evangelists had the custom of inviting the people to hear the gospel ringing the bells. Dhanya Dan Gurung testified that in their childhood days, his parents would ask them to ring the bells in the communities to invite the people for the church gathering.
So the ministry of Nautanawa had played a vital role to evangelize Nepal.
Rupaidiha
Another important gateway to Far-Western Nepal is Rupaidiha. It is an Indian city at the border by Nepalganj in Nepal side. In this region, a missionary couple was working evangelizing the Nepalese. They were Christian Beckdahl and Agnes (Thelle) Beckdahl who were residing in Nanpara. From this base, the Beckdahls itinerated on preaching tours far and wide in the area and for long stretches along the Nepal border. Other missionaries of the same mission had their bungalow just a few feet from the border in Rupaidhia. Barnabas Rai and his wife joined the missionaries in Rupaidiha. Many Nepalese were preached the gospel and were converted. Even before the door was opened, he used to cross the border and preach the gospel in
Nepalganj.
After the door was opened in Nepal for the gospel, he boldly went to Nepalganj and preached the gospel. A church was establisehd in Nepalganj. He was later recognized as the Pastor of the church. At the age of seventy he became blind but he preached the Bible boldly until his death on 4th September 1983.
Beside all the above major gateways, there were other gateways where the missionaries were settled and were preaching the gospel at the borders boldly. An American lady doctor Martha Sheldon was evangelizing in Darchula running a dispensary with some of the Indian companions for seventeen years. And she worked with Miss Browne from Britain for some years. She died and was buried in Darchula and her grave marker can still be seen today. In 1927 Rev. and Mrs. Ezra Steiner came to Darchula and started work again with strength opening a dispensary again.
In 1870 some missionaries came in Jhulaghat, western border of Nepal and opened a leprosy hospital and preached the gospel to the people of far-western region of Nepal. Even in Tanakpur the work of evagelism was going on.
Conclusion
From the beginning of 19th century India was influenced by the gospel of Jesus effectively which had swept South Asia with the influence of the Christianity. And Nepal could not stay untouched from the influence of the gospel though it was tightly closed from outside influences. Prior to 1950 Nepal was under the Rana regime. Rana Priministers did not allow the Christians to reside in Nepal. In 1914, Ganga Prasad Pradhan, a native of Kathmandu went to his own town to reside permanently with his whole family members and belongings. But within few days Priminister Chandra Shamsher asked them to leave the country. The reason was his faith in Christ. So he went back to Darjeeling with his family. Others who resided in Nepal lived secretly. Col. Nar Raj Shamsher JBR was living in Raniganj, nearby Birgunj but his faith in Christ was in secret. So Christians were not recognized as Nepalese citizens in Rana regime. In Rana period the government had given special supports and protection to Hinduism. And other religions were neglected. Christians were asked not to preach the gospel in Nepal giving the reason that it was a Hindu kingdom.
In such a critical situation too Christians around the world especially Nepalese Christians had strong visions to preach the gospel of Jesus to the Nepalese people. If money was the reason very few would be laboring for this mission. But it was their heart conviction that the Nepalese are to be converted to Christ to be saved and be blessed. That was the reason why uncountable Nepalese Christians along with foreign missionaries had given their lives to evangelize Nepalese people. Tir Bahadur Dewan, Daud Mashihi, Barnabas Rai and others went inside Nepal and preached the gospel in Rana Regime laying their lives in dangers. It was not money matters but it was their heart convictions. Though there were very few secret Christians living in Nepal prior to 1951 there were numerous Nepalese Christians all along the border cities and settlements. This was the reason why a great number of Nepalese Christians had filled major cities of Nepal after 1951 in a good number. Within a decade Nepal government had made a law against the Christians. According to the Constitution of 1962 many Christians were arrested and imprisoned in jail.
Christianity is not a religion with human traditions and superstitions but a way of life. It leads human beings to the way of life in truth and charity. The one who embraces it he or she achieves peace and blessings of live. People experienced the fact in their own lives and shared to their fellow neighbors and friends through border cities. By this way the border ministries of the Christian missions and individuals were successful.
References:
Articles
Gurung, Premi, "Parameshworle Murkhalai Chunnubhayo" (God chose a foolish person), Smarika Pachasau Barshikotsab (1952-2002), Pokhara, 2002, p. 63.
Karthak, Solon, "Padari Ganga Prasad Ra Unko Krititwa" (Pastor Ganga Prasad and his works), Bodhartha, Kathmandu: G. F. A. Publication, n.d.
“Careyko Agman Dui Saya Barsha” (Carrey’s arrival 200 years), Bible Society Nishana (Bible Society Target), Kathmandu: Bible Society of Nepal, July 1993.
Books
Houghton, S. M., Sketches From Church History, Pennsylvania: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1991.
Lindell, Jonathan, Nepal and the Gospel of God, Kathmandu: The United Mission to Nepal, 1997.
Vannini, Fulgentius, Christian Settlements in Nepal During the Eighteenth Century, New Delhi: Devarsons, 1977.
Perry, Cindy, A Biographical History of the Church in Nepal, Kathmandu: Nepal Church History Project, 2000.
Karthak, Solon, Padari Ganga Prasad Pradhanko Jeewan Bakhan (Life Story of Pastor Ganga Prasad Pradhan), Kalimpong: Sarikar Prakashan, 2001.
Khanal, B. P., Pastor Tir Bahadur Dewan, Amruwali Kanchho, Kathmandu: Samdan Prakashan, 1998.
Interviews
Interview with Dhanya Dan Gurung, Pokhara, 29/5/2005.
Interview with Gyani Shah, Kathmandu, 20/6/2005.
Interview with Premi Gurung, Kathmandu, 3/6/2005.
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