Contact and controversy between Islam and Christianity in northern India, 1833-1857 : the relations between Muslims and Protestant missionaries in the North-Western Provinces and Oudh
In the period 1833 to 1857 some 'ulama from the three north Indian cities of Lucknow, Agra and Delhi were drawn into open controversy with Protestant missionaries in the region. Initial contacts which began in Lucknow in 1833, were turned into prolonged and bitter encounter in the North-Western Provinces, by the dissemination from Agra of publications against Islam by a German Pietist missionary, the Reverend Carl Pfander. The two-fold objective of the thesis is to throw light on the backgrounds and motives of his 'ulama opponents, and to examine the types of argument they used in response to his evangelical challenge. The response came initially from some Lucknow Shi'i 'ulama, and in the second stage from some Muslim residents of Agra who served in the East India Company's subordinate services, notably in clerical capacities in the law courts. By the early 1850s concern had spread to some prominent Sunni 'ulama of Delhi who were led by Maulana Rahmat Allah Kairanawi and a Bengali medical doctor, Muhammad Wazir Khan. An examination of the arguments which were used by the 'ulama shows that although the 'Mohammedan controversy' drew on some traditional objections to Christianity, a number of new as well as local
Powell, Avril Ann
History
Contact and controversy between Islam and Christianity in northern India, 1833-1857 : the relations between Muslims and Protestant missionaries in the North-Western Provinces and Oudh. In the period 1833 to 1857 some 'ulama from the three north Indian cities of Lucknow, Agra and Delhi were drawn into open controversy with Protestant missionaries in the region. Initial contacts which began in Lucknow in 1833, were turned into prolonged and bitter encounter in the North-Western Provinces, by the dissemination from Agra of publications against Islam by a German Pietist missionary, the Reverend Carl Pfander. The two-fold objective of the thesis is to throw light on the backgrounds and motives of his 'ulama opponents, and to examine the types of argument they used in response to his evangelical challenge. The response came initially from some Lucknow Shi'i 'ulama, and in the second stage from some Muslim residents of Agra who served in the East India Company's subordinate services, notably in clerical capacities in the law courts. By the early 1850s concern had spread to some prominent Sunni 'ulama of Delhi who were led by Maulana Rahmat Allah Kairanawi and a Bengali medical doctor, Muhammad Wazir Khan. An examination of the arguments which were used by the 'ulama shows that although the 'Mohammedan controversy' drew on some traditional objections to Christianity, a number of new as well as local
contact controversy islam christianity northern india relation muslims protestant north western provinces period ulama north indian city drawn open controversy protestant region initial contact begin turn prolonged bitter encounter north western provinces dissemination publication islam german missionary two_fold objective throw_light background motif ulama opponent examine type argument use response evangelical challenge response come initially second_stage muslim resident serve east_india_company subordinate service notably clerical capacity law_court concern spread prominent sunni ulama lead bengali medical doctor examination argument use ulama show_although controversy draw traditional objection christianity number new well local