APPENDIX VIII. ADDRESS OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL JOHN MUNRO, RESIDENT AT THE This able address, which Colonel Munro has been so kind as to allow the Committee to lay before the Members, is here given at large, with the exception of one or two short passages. To the Chief Secretary to the Govern ment of Fort St. George. SIR The state of Christianity in the territories of Travancore and Cochin, appears to claim the attention of the British Government, The History of Malabar suggests important reflections regarding the diffusion of Foreign Religions in India. That country, from the most remote eras, has continued under the government of Native Princes, remarkable for their devoted attachment to the Hindoo Faith: yet the Mahomedan and Christian Religions have prevailed to a great extent, in all the Provinces of Malabar; and,' in some of them, the former religion has nearly supplanted the original Creed of the people. His demonstrates the toleration, or rather the marked indifference, manifested by the Hindoos to the quiet and peaceable diffusion of religious opinions and practices different from their own. A change occurred, indeed, during the Government of Tippoo Sultan; but its consequences support, rather than invalidate, the conclusion which I have stated. open attack on the Religion of the Hindoos was resisted with the same spirit and firmness, which they displayed in opposing his invasions of their Civil and Political Rights: and the fierce contests which ensued produced only a temporary animosity between the Mahomedans and the Nairs; for, since the transfer of the government to the English, the mutual enmity of those sects seems to have This fact deserves mature atten- subsided, and the Mahomedan Relition. When the Portuguese discovered India, the dominions of the Zamorin, ruled by a superstitious Hindoo Prince, were full of Mahomedans; and that class of the population is now considered to exceed greatly in number, all the other descriptions of people in the Company's Province of South Malabar. This extraordinary progress of the Mahomedan Religion does not appear, with the exception of the short and troubled rule of the Mysore Princes, to bave been either assisted by the countenance of the Government, or obstructed by the jealousy of the Hindoos. Its rapid propagation under a series of Hindoo Princes gion has resumed its progress without apparently exciting a sentiment of jealousy on the part of the Hindoos. The sovereignty of the Mussulmans in Mysore was established on the ruins of Hindoo States-was maintained, in comparison with the general population of the country, by a handful of Mahomedans-and was exer.cised in a spirit of avowed proselyt'ism; yet it does not appear that these encroachments on the religious rights of the Hindoos ever encountered any serious opposition. A survey of the History of all the States in India presents nearly the same result. Everywhere, the patient apathy of the Hindoos toward the mains roagicon of the Mahometan egon by me arnary means of conversion has been cospicuous. As a Madar, the open mvason of te puca, ciri, and regous riges of the peuple bas causes resistance: but the peaceful prigrass jć 200version has been regirted win ni.ference and calmness by me Hadas: and it seems to be any in cases of even furce, in cases particularly wherein pouocal are combued with regous moves, that their attention is attracted to the propagazza vé štrenga religions. Te same aferences are suggested by the History of Christianity in Ma katar. Under a race of superstitious and bigutted Hindoo Princes, amidst a pesse pecularly attached to the Creed of the Britains, a few Missocaries from tyria estabushed the Canstian Relgio, to an extent that attracts our attention and wonder. La Croze, in his very interesting His tory of Caristianity in India, describes the state of the Syrians, a few years after the first arrival of the Portupiese, in the folowing language: “The authority of the Syrian Bishops extents to al temporal and spiritual matters. They are the natural Judges of all the Civil and Ecclesiastical Causes, within their Diocese. In virtue of their privileges, which are never contested, the Pagan Princes and Judges have no concern with them, excepting only in criminal causes, The Syrians, besides the fixed tribute which they pay to their Princes, are required only to furnish a certain number of troops during their wars, which are neither frequent nor of long duration. The Diocese of the Syrian Bishop contains, at present, more than one thousand five hundred Churches, and as many towns and villages. This great number must continue to augment; as the priests are not engaged to celibacy, and as there are no monks or nuns among them. The men always walk armed: some Π T 2 2 with fusees, of which they know perfectly weil the use; others, with spears; but the greatest number carry only a naked sword in the right hand, and a shield in the left. They are carefully instructed in the use di arms, from their eighth to their twenty-t fifth year, and are excelent hunters and warriors. The more Christians a Pagan Prince has in his dominions, the more he is feared and esteemed. It is on this account, as well as on that of their fidelity and strict attachment to truth in every thing, that the Princes cherish and countenance them so much. In virtue of privi leges granted by Sharen Permaul, former Emperor of Malabar, the Sy. rian Christians take precedency of the Nairs, who are the nobility of the country; and they are second in rank only to the Brahmins, for whom the Kings themselves manifest an extraordinary veneration. The Christians, pursuant to the laws of the country, are the protectors of the silversmiths, brass-founders,carpenters, and smiths. The Pagans, who cultivate the palmtrees, form a militia under the Christians. If a Pagan of any of these tribes should receive an insult, he has immediately recourse to the Chris tians, who procure a suitable satis faction. The Christians depend di rectly on the Prince or his Minister, and not on the Provincial Governors, If any thing is demanded from them contrary to their privileges, the whole unite immediately for general defence. If a Pagan strike one of the Christians, he is put to death on the spot, or forced, himself, to bear to the Church of the place an offering of a gold or silver hand, according to the quality of the person affronted. In order to preserve their nobility, the Christians never touch a person inferior caste, not even a Nair. In the roads and streets, they cry out from a distance, in order to receive prece dency from passengers; and if any one, even a Nair, should refuse this of F hark of respect, they are entitled to ill him on the spot. The Nairs, ho are the nobility and warriors in Halabar, respect the Syrian Chrisans very highly, and consider it a reat honour to be regarded as their rothers. The privileges of the Syan Christians are so numerous, that would be tiresome to describe them l; but a few will be stated, of so mportant a nature, that they place nem, in some measure, on an equaty with their sovereigns. It is peritted only to the Brahmins and hem, to have inclosed porches bere their houses. They are authoised to ride and travel on elephants; distinction accorded only to them and the heirs of the crown. They sit n presence of the King and his Miniters, even on the same carpet; a privilege granted to Embassadors only. The King of Paroor, having wished, luring the last century, to extend this privilege to the Nairs, the Christians declared war against him, and obliged him to restore affairs to their former state." This extraordinary advancement of the Christian and Mahomedan Religions, in a country governed and inhabited by Hindoos, furnishes a striking and singular illustration of the insensibility of that people toward any exertions for the introduction of a foreign religion, that are conducted with moderation and temper. Even when these exertions are supported by the Government of the State, as they were in Mysore, they do not seem calculated to rouse the jealousy or opposition of the Hindoos, unless carried to extremes, and combined with attacks on their other rights. The more the state of society among the Natives in India is explored, the more reasons will appear to convince an impartial mind, of the disregard felt and manifested by all classes of the people toward the dissemination of religious opinions foreign to their own-a result occasioned by the great variety of religions, which have prevailed for ages in that country. The followers of Shiva and Vishnoo display no animosity toward each other, and both appear to regard with unconcern the rites and the progress of the Mahomedan Faith; while the believers in the Koran view with silent contempt the idolatrous practices of the Hindoos and this admixture of various and opposite religious opinions and usages in the same community, has necessarily familiarized and reconciled the minds of the people to the appearance of systems of divine worship different from their own. In Travancore, Christians, Jews, Mahomedans, and Hindoos, perform their respective religious duties, without molestation from one another: Churches, Synagogues, Mosques, and Pagodas, are intermingled: and this system of toleration, so far as the sentiments of the PEOPLE are concerned, may be discovered in every part of India. The facts which I have described seem to authorise the conclusion -a conclusion, which, I am convinced. will be further confirmed the more the subject is examined and studied-that whatever impediments may be opposed to the progress of Christianity will proceed from political and not from religious jealousy. They who cherish sentiments of hostility against the British Power, and hopes of its instability, will, of course, decry any measures calculated to unite the interest of a body of the people with its permanency. That power is exposed to greater danger from secret conspiracy, than from open resistance; and this danger must increase with the extension of the British Possessions, which augments the disproportion in numbers already so immense between the rulers and the subjects. But, in establishing a body of native subjects connected with the mass of the people by a community of language, occupations, and pursuits, and united to the British Government by the OF A TENGERTINE DIKEr & CarstaaÑoses wat sorture to screspomen he Brced Peer, in those factures A COLCHS and däruty, WIJES must be tijera com མ་འགྲོགས་མཁས་པ་གྱུག་ པ་ ine Ja that has been a a SADE AS TERVEITTA me ages. The Courten af Larstaty, — some of the waces, may be attended with dears: but a Tanacore and CoCLA. Deres Lreaty a numerus body of Chriscaa Inhaliana, von with materace assistance and excurage ment za De Best Government, wu inmy na bemselves to its interests, and may prove of matera Service it $42ocering its power. The Sims Constians, from a concurrence of miscetones, have mise my i en fica their former estate; and very few traces of the high character wasch they coce possessed can be now discovered The Portuguese forced them into a justice with the Roman-Catholic Church; a measure, which, in conse. quence of the corrupt doctrines and licentious lives of their new associates, occasioned the loss, at the same time, of their religion and morals, and of the privileges and estimation that they enjoyed in the country. After a union with the Roman Catholics of about sixty years, a portion of the Syrian Christians, no longer able to endure the oppressions of their Ecclesiastical Superiors, resumed their independence, under the conduct of an Archdeacon, named Thomas. Amounting to 10,000 persons with 53 Churches, they have continued separate from the Roman Catholics, and constitute the body, denominated by us, Syrian, and by the people of the country, NEW Christians. But the greatest number of the Sy rias Christians are still attached in the man-Cather Religion; and, with the converts from other tribes, t that religion, form a population of near y 150,000 persons, divided under three Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions—the Arentesaopric of Cranganure, the Bisopric of Cochin and Quilon, and the Bishopric of Verapoly. The two former are suffragans of the Archbishop of Goa, by whom the Prelates and inferior Clergy are appointed. The other is composed of Carmelite Friars, and receives its Bishops and Clergy from the Propaganda Society at Rome. After the suppression of the Jesuits, the greatest number of the RomanCatholic Churches in Travancore and Cochin were attached to Goa, and were supplied with Portuguese Clergy from that place; but the Institution at Verapoly has gradually and unjustly encreached upon the others, and now exercises a more extensive jurisdiction than either of them. The Dutch, while in possession of Cochin, endeavoured to extend their political influence, by affording decided protection to the Roman-Catholic Christians, especially to those dependent on Verapoly; and those Christians, in consequence of the friendship of the Dutch, their own numbers, and the presence of European Prelates, enjoyed a certain portion of civil rights. But their merals were singularly depraved. Their Clergy-corrupt, licentious, and ignorant-kept their flocks in utter darkness: no proper religious instruction was afforded to the people: the circulation of the Bible was resisted: superstitious and idolatrous ceremonies formed the greatest part of their religious worship: converts were eagerly received from the outcasts of society: and in a Country, notorious for the dissoluteness, immorality, and vices of the people, the Roman Catholics were pre-eminent in crimes. Bartolomeo, who was long attached to Verapoly, affords a strong, though reluctant testimony of the refractory and licentious conduct of the Roman-Catholic Christians in the vicinity of Cochin'; and the gang-robberies, which frequently occur in the neighbour hood of this town, are almost always found to have been committed by Roman-Catholic Christians. The Roman Catholics are ready to avail themselves of the British Protection, for the security of their rights; but, according to the best judgment that I have been able to form, are very far from being really attached to the British Interests and Power. Many of the Roman Catholics, and particularly of the Syrians attached to them, sensible of the state of ignorance to which they were condemned by the arts of their Priests, have manifested a disposition to join the proper Syrians; and I believe that no great difficulty would be experienced, in converting to the Protestant Religion the greatest part of the Roman Catholics in Travancore and Cochin -an event extremely desirable, on every ground of policy, humanity, and religion. The real Syrian Christians, on their separation from the Roman Catholics, were exposed to powerful enemies and serious dangers. The Roman Catholics, regarding their secession as an act both of apostacy and rebellion, persecuted them with unrelenting animosity. The Princes of the Country, seeing their defenceless state, considered them as fit subjects for plunder and insult: they were destitute of religious books, Pastors, and instruction they had lost, in their union with the Jesuits, the pure system of religion and morals, and the high spirit by which they were formerly distinguished; and the Dutch, whose policy was marked with perfidy and meanness, abandoned them to their fate. : The virtuous Historian of Chris tianity in India expresses, in subdued terms, his indignation at the conduct of the Dutch. Even the Historian of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire commiserates the misfortunes of the Syrian Christians; and, after describing their emancipation from the power of the Jesuits, states-" The trading companies of Holland and England are the friends of toleration; but if oppression be less mortifying than contempt, the Christians of St. Thomas have reason to complain of the cold and silent indifference of their brethren of Europe." The Syrians were exposed to still greater calamities, in the conquest of their country by the Rajah of Travancore. The blighting influence of that despotic and merciless government was felt by them, in the most aggravated degree; and they were reduced to the lowest state of poverty and depression. Notwithstanding the misfortunes which they have suffered, and the disadvantages of their situation, they still retain, however, some of the virtues by which they were formerly distinguished. They are remarkable for mildness and simplicity of character, honesty, and industry: their pursuits are confined to agriculture and trade: and, although they have lost the high station and elevated sentiments, which they once possessed; yet they are still respected, on account of their integrity and rectitude of conduct. I have afforded, since my first arrival in Travancore, the most decided protection to all classes of the Christians, and in particular to the Syrians. I experienced, however, some difficulty, for a time, in improving the condition of the Syrian Christians, in consequence of internal dissentions among themselves. Their Bishop, consecrated in an irregular manner, and rather unqualified for his office, was opposed by a large party among the |