The advent of Christian missionaries in colonial Bengal signified a paradigmatic shift in the socio-religious fabric of the region. Beyond their evangelizing pursuits, missionaries became formidable conduits of cultural, educational, and humanitarian reform. Through the institutionalization of Western pedagogical systems, vernacular printing, and the promotion of women's education, they catalyzed a rupture in the traditional hierarchies of caste and gender. Concurrently, their denouncement of indigenous religious practices engendered a dialectical engagement with Hindu orthodoxy, giving impetus to reformist movements such as the Brahmo Samaj and the eventual reconfiguration of spiritual consciousness in Bengal. While critics contend that missionary endeavors were veiled instruments of colonial hegemony, it is equally critical to acknowledge their role in interrogating entrenched socio-religious conventions. This paper endeavors to delineate the dualistic legacy of Christian missionaries—as both harbingers of social enlightenment and agents of cultural displacement—within the historical milieu of colonial Bengal. By scrutinizing primary accounts, institutional histories, and indigenous responses, the study aspires to present a nuanced analysis of the transformative impulses initiated during this pivotal epoch.
Kumbhakar et al. (Fri,) studied this question.