>WOSlinker at 11:02, 3 October 2020

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{{refimprove|date=March 2017}}
[[File:Ranchi - Cathédrale Sainte-Marie - 1.jpg|thumb|220px|Outer view of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ranchi|Roman Catholic Archdiocese]], [[Ranchi]].]]
[[Christians]] are an [[Ethnoreligious group|ethno-religious community]] residing in the [[States and territories of India|Indian state]] of [[Jharkhand]]. As per 2011 Census of India, 4.3% of people in Jharkhand are [[Christianity|Christians]].<ref>[http://www.census2011.co.in/census/state/jharkhand.html Jharkhand Population Sex Ratio in Jharkhand Literacy rate data</ref > Christians are majority in [[Simdega district]] of Jharkhand.<ref>[http://www.census2011.co.in/census/district/116-simdega.html Simdega District Population Census 2011, Jharkhand literacy sex ratio and density]</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right;"
|+ Christians in Jharkhand
! Year !! Number !! Percentage
|-
| 2001<ref name="religion1">{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm|title=Total population by religious communities|publisher=Censusindia.gov.in|access-date=20 November 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119031333/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm|archive-date=19 January 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref>|| <center>1,093,382</center> || <center>4.06</center>
|-
| 2011<ref name="religion2">{{cite web|publisher=Census Department, Government of India|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/c-01.html|title=Indian Census 2011|access-date=25 August 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913045700/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01.html|archive-date=13 September 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>|| <center>1,418,608</center> || <center>4.30</center>
|-
|}

==History==
[[Christianity]] is a [[minority religion]] in [[Jharkhand]], a state of [[India]]. Most people in [[Jharkhand]] are followers of [[Sarnaism]] & [[Hinduism|Hindus]]. Jharkhand is known for tribals such as [[Munda people|Munda]], [[Santhal people|Santhal]], [[Oraon]], [[Kharia people]], & [[Gondi people|Gond]]. A [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ranchi]] exists. [[St. Mary's Cathedral, Ranchi|St. Mary's Cathedral]] in Ranchi has been a cathedral since 1909.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.vikasmaitri.org/churches.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-04-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110117080533/http://www.vikasmaitri.org/churches.htm |archive-date=2011-01-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Church of North India]] has a Diocese of [[Chota Nagpur Division|Chota Nagpur]] with a seat at [[Ranchi]]. The [[Church of North India]] has a St. Paul's Cathedral in Ranchi.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.vikasmaitri.org/churches.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-04-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110117080533/http://www.vikasmaitri.org/churches.htm |archive-date=2011-01-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Gossner Theological College]] is in [[Jharkhand]]. Many [[Munda people|Munda]] & [[Kharia people|Kharia]] are Christians.<ref>http://www.suedasien.info/laenderinfos/465</ref> The then pope visited Ranchi in 1986.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers6%5Cpaper511.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2011-04-03 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217234802/http://southasiaanalysis.org/papers6/paper511.html |archivedate=2010-12-17 }}</ref> The [[Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur and Assam]] has its seat in Ranchi.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.vikasmaitri.org/churches.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-04-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110117080533/http://www.vikasmaitri.org/churches.htm |archive-date=2011-01-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Dhanbad has [[Oriental Orthodox Churches]].<ref>http://orthodox-world.org/world_index.php?country=India&state=Jharkhand&city=Dhanbad&type=Church</ref> Christian missionaries arrived in today's Jharkhand in 1845.{{Citation needed|date = February 2016}}

===Pre-migration era===

By the year 1765 Britishers were successful in their military mobilization to bring Santhal Pargana under British rule. After this conquest, the British colonial planters in India indentured tribal people of the [[Chota Nagpur Plateau]] region into [[Northeast India]] about 150 years ago for the purpose of being employed in the tea gardens industry as workers and came to be known as [[Tea tribes]]. These tribals were influenced by the Christian missionaries who came along with the British. These Christian missionaries worked for the improvement standard of living and providing education to the children of the tribals by offering money & materials to poor Hindu people.
Nearly 15 decades later missionaries from [[Germany]] left started their voyage to India in 1844 and reached [[Kolkata]] (formerly [[Calcutta]]) in 1845. These missionaries were initially heading for [[Mergui]] in [[Myanmar]] (formerly [[Burma]]) in view of preaching the [[Christian faith]] among the [[Karen people]] or in the areas located in the footsteps of the [[Himalayas]]. However, on meeting some people from [[Ranchi]], they changed their plan and headed for [[Chhotanagpur]] and its main town, [[Ranchi]].
They reached [[Ranchi]] on 2 November 1845 and camped on, what is now known as, the 'Bethesda Ground' in [[Ranchi]].

===Post-migration era===
After India became independent, the missionaries who remained post independence, worked for the improvement standard of living and providing education to the children of the tribals. Evidently many of the tribals emerged as sportsmen especially in the game of hockey and football.
<ref>https://www.ucanews.com/story-archive/?post_name=/2004/12/09/successful-tribals-acknowledge-jubilee-dioceses-help&post_id=25064</ref>
Even the first Prime Minister of India Dr. Jawaharlal Nehru in his Discovery of India acknowledges the contribution of the early missionaries for development of tribals dialect stating that
''even laboured at the dialects of the primitive hill and forest tribes...'' <ref>https://www.encyclopedia.com/international/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/christian-impact-india-history</ref>

==Culture==
Jharkhandi tribal [[Christian culture]] retains that of tribal culture in areas such as dress and cuisine. Many Jharkhandi tribal Christians maintain the tribal customs of decoration of [[bride]]s and [[groom]]s with [[turmeric]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2017}}

==Churches and ministry==
Source:<ref>World Christian Encyclopedia , Second edition, 2001 Volume 1, p. 369</ref><ref>http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/news/releases/2009/03/Release05.htm</ref>
* [[Dipti Mission]]
* [[Bihar Mennonite Mandli]]
* [[Gospel Echoing Missionary Society]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Christianity in India by region}}

[[Category:Christianity in Jharkhand| ]]

Christianity in Jharkhand - Revision history

>WOSlinker at 11:02, 3 October 2020