2402:8100:3908:F77B:15EA:C283:1C22:847B at 07:08, 30 May 2022

2022-05-30T07:08:52Z

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{{Short description|Overview of the history of Christianity in the Indian state of West Bengal}}
{{Christianity}}
[[File:St Paul's Cathedral.jpg|thumbnail|[[St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata|St. Paul's Cathedral]] - seat of the Diocese of Calcutta, Church of North India]]
[[File:Bandel Basilica, Hooghly (West-Bengal).jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[Bandel Church]], rebuilt in 1660 on the site of an older 1599 church.]]
[[File:Darjeeling St. Andrew's Church.jpg|thumb|250px|St. Andrew's Church, Darjeeling. Built: 1843, Rebuilt: 1873]]
{{EngvarB|date=June 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
'''Christianity in West Bengal''', [[India]], is a minority religion. According to the [[2011 census of India]], there were 658,618 [[Christians]] in [[West Bengal]], or 0.72% of the population.<ref>[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW19C-01%20MDDS.XLS Population by religious community: West Bengal]. [[2011 Census of India]].</ref> Although [[Mother Teresa]] worked in [[Kolkata]] (Calcutta), [[Christianity]] is a minority religion in Kolkata as well. West Bengal has the highest number of [[Bengali Christians]]. Bengali Christians have been established since the 16th century with the advent of [[the Portuguese in Bengal]]. Later in the 19th and 20th centuries, many [[upper-class Bengalis]] converted to Christianity during the [[Bengali Renaissance]] under [[British Raj|British rule]], including [[Krishna Mohan Banerjee]], [[Michael Madhusudan Dutt]], [[Anil Kumar Gain]], and [[Gnanendramohan Tagore]]. [[Aurobindo Nath Mukherjee]] was the first Indian to be Anglican [[Diocese of Calcutta (Church of North India)|Bishop of Calcutta]]

Bengali Christians are considered a [[model minority]], due to their significant contributions to [[Bengali culture]] and society for the past two centuries. They are considered to be among the most progressive communities in Bengal, and have the highest [[literacy]] rate, the lowest male-female sex ratio, along with better socio-economic status.<ref>[http://www.medindia.net/news/indiaspecial/Indian-Christians-Treat-Their-Women-Better-Sex-Ratio-Highest-31076-1.htm Indian Christians Treat Their Women Better, Sex Ratio Highest]</ref> Christian [[Missionary|missionaries]] run major social institutions dealing with [[education]] and healthcare, such as those run by the [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit Catholics]], and the dominant [[Protestantism|Protestant]] [[Church of North India]] (CNI), & some Christian Revival Church also serving.

==History==
Christianity has been present in Bengal since the 16th century. The Portuguese established a settlement in [[Bandel]], [[Hooghly district]] in the 16th century, and [[Bandel Church]], perhaps the first church in West Bengal, was built in 1599.<ref>Roma Bradnock, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=nWKaR6LbEGcC&pg=PA584 Footprint India]'', Footprint Travel Guides, 2004, {{ISBN|1-904777-00-7}}, p. 584.</ref> Burnt down during the sacking of Hooghly in 1632, the church was rebuilt in 1660. The followers of Christianity mainly settled in Barddhmann, Bankura, Kolkata and Hooghly district of West Bengal.
Many Bengali Catholics have Portuguese surnames.{{cn|date=January 2021}}

British missionary [[William Carey (missionary)|William Carey]], who founded the [[Baptist Missionary Society]], travelled to India in 1793 and worked as a missionary in the Danish colony of [[Serampore]], because of opposition from the [[East India Company]] to his activities in their regions. He translated the [[Bible]] into [[Bengali language|Bengali]] (completed 1809) and [[Sanskrit]] (completed 1818). His first Bengali convert was [[Krishna Pal]], who renounced his [[Caste system among Indian Christians|caste]] after conversion. In 1818, the first theological college in Bengal, [[Serampore College]], was founded.

==Denominations==
[[St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata]] is the seat of the [[Anglican Diocese of Calcutta]] (1813) of the [[Church of North India]]. The Roman Catholic ecclesiastical province which has its seat in
the [[Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary]] is the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Calcutta]] (1834).

Other denominations include:<ref>World Christian Encyclopedia , Second edition, 2001 Volume 1, p. 368-371</ref>
*[[Assemblies of God in India]]
*[[India Pentecostal Church of God]]
*[[Armenian Apostolic Church]]
*[http://www.bethelapostolicassemblies.com/ Bethel Apostolic Assemblies(IBAA) India]
*[[Bengal Orissa Bihar Baptist Convention]]
*[[Brethren in Christ Church]] in India
*[[Church of God (Anderson, Indiana)|Church of God (Anderson)]]
*[[Council of Baptist Churches in Northern India]]
*[[El Shaddai (movement)|El Shaddai]]
*[[New Life Fellowship Association]]
*United Missionary Church of India
*Christian Revival Church (CRC)

==Population==
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right;"
|+ Christians in West Bengal
! 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>515,150</center> || <center>0.64</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>658,618</center> || <center>0.72</center>
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Christians in West Bengal by district (2011)<ref>[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW19C-01%20MDDS.XLS Population by religious community: West Bengal]. 2011 Census of India.</ref>
! # || District || Total population || Christian population || %
|-
| 1 || [[Jalpaiguri district|Jalpaiguri]] || 3,872,846 || 186,279 || 4.81%
|-
| 2 || [[Darjiling district|Darjiling]] || 1,846,823 || 141,848 || 7.68%
|-
| 3 || [[South 24 Parganas district|South 24 Parganas]] || 8,161,961 || 66,498 || 0.81%
|-
| 4 || [[Kolkata district|Kolkata]] || 4,496,694 || 39,758 || 0.88%
|-
| 5 || [[Nadia district|Nadia]] || 5,167,600 || 33,835 || 0.65%
|-
| 6 || [[North 24 Parganas district|North 24 Parganas]] || 10,009,781 || 26,933 || 0.27%
|-
| 7 || [[Dakshin Dinajpur district|Dakshin Dinajpur]] || 1,676,276 || 24,794 || 1.48%
|-
| 8 || [[Paschim Medinipur district|Paschim Medinipur]] || 5,913,457 || 23,287 || 0.39%
|-
| 9 || [[Barddhaman district|Barddhaman]] || 7,717,563 || 21,220 || 0.27%
|-
| 10 || [[Murshidabad district|Murshidabad]] || 7,103,807 || 18,102 || 0.25%
|-
| 11 || [[Uttar Dinajpur district|Uttar Dinajpur]] || 3,007,134 || 16,702 || 0.56%
|-
| 12 || [[Maldah district|Maldah]] || 3,988,845 || 13,209 || 0.33%
|-
| 13 || [[Birbhum district|Birbhum]] || 3,502,404 || 10,906 || 0.31%
|-
| 14 || [[Haora district|Haora]] || 4,850,029 || 8,666 || 0.18%
|-
| 15 || [[Puruliya district|Puruliya]] || 2,930,115 || 8,646 || 0.30%
|-
| 16 || [[Hugli district|Hugli]] || 5,519,145 || 7,300 || 0.13%
|-
| 17 || [[Koch Bihar district|Koch Bihar]] || 2,819,086 || 4,122 || 0.15%
|-
| 18 || [[Bankura district|Bankura]] || 3,596,674 || 3,865 || 0.11%
|-
| 19 || [[Purba Medinipur district|Purba Medinipur]] || 5,095,875 || 2,648 || 0.05%
|-
| || '''West Bengal''' (Total) || 91,276,115 || 658,618 || 0.72%
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Trends in Christian population of West Bengal<ref name="BPSR_2015">{{cite news |url=http://www.thestatesman.com/news/opinion/bengal-s-topsy-turvy-population-growth/93152.html |title=Bengal's topsy-turvy population growth |author=B.P. Syam Roy |newspaper=The Statesman |date=28 September 2015 }}</ref>
! Census year
! % of total population
|-
| 1951 || 0.70%
|-
| 1961 || 0.59%
|-
| 1971 || 0.57%
|-
| 1981 || 0.59%
|-
| 1991 || 0.56%
|-
| 2001 || 0.64%
|-
| 2011 || 0.72%
|}

==Notable Institutions==
[[File:La Martiniere, Calcutta by Francis Frith.jpg|thumbnail|right|[[La Martiniere Calcutta|''La Martinière'' Calcutta]], one of India's most prestigious schools, is run by the Protestant [[Church of North India]]]]
[[File:Building4sxc.JPG|thumbnail|right|[[St. Xavier's College, Kolkata]], run by the catholic [[Jesuit]]s, is one of India's best colleges]]

===Schools===
*[[Armenian College (Kolkata)|Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy]] (Armenian Apostolic Church and Orthodox)
*[[Assembly of God Church School]] (Pentecostal and Protestant)
*[[Calcutta Boys School ]] ( Thoburn Methodist church)
*[[Calcutta Girls High School]] ( Thoburn Methodist church)
*[[Don Bosco High & Technical School, Liluah]] (Salesian and Catholic)
*[[Don Bosco School, Park Circus]] (Salesian and Catholic)
*[[Don Bosco School, Bandel]] (Salesian and Catholic)
*[[La Martiniere Calcutta]] (Church of North India and Protestant)
*[[Loreto Schools, Kolkata]] (Catholic)
*[[Scottish Church Collegiate School]] (Church of North India and Protestant)
*[[St. James' School (Kolkata)|St. James' School]] (Church of North India and Protestant)
*[[St. John's Diocesan Girls' Higher Secondary School]] (Church of North India and Protestant)
*[[St. Lawrence High School, Kolkata]] (Jesuit and Catholic)
*[[St Thomas School, Kolkata]] (Church of North India and Protestant)
*[[St. Xavier's Collegiate School]] (Jesuit and Catholic)
*[[The Frank Anthony Public School, Kolkata]] (Non-denominational and Protestant)

===Colleges and Universities===
*[[Loreto College, Kolkata]] (Catholic)
*[[Scottish Church College]] (Church of North India and Protestant)
*[[Senate of Serampore College (University)]] (Non-denominational and Protestant)
*[[Serampore College]] (Non-denominational and Protestant)
*[[South Asia Theological Research Institute]] (Non-denominational and Protestant)
*[[St. Paul's Cathedral Mission College]] (Church of North India and Protestant)
*[[St. Thomas' College of Engineering and Technology]] (Church of North India and Protestant)
*[[St. Xavier's College, Kolkata]] (Jesuit and Catholic)
*[[Women's Christian College, Kolkata]] (Non-denominational and Protestant)

==Notable people==
{{alumni|people|date=December 2020}}
*[[Mother Teresa]]
*[[Henry Derozio]], poet
*[[Brahmabandhav Upadhyay]], theologian
*[[Badal Sarkar|Badal Sircar]], noted Bengali playwright and dramatist.
*[[Neil O'Brien (quizmaster)|Neil O'Brien]]
*[[Leander Paes]]
*[[Leslie Claudius]]
*[[Derek O'Brien (politician)|Derek O'Brien]]
*[[Michael Madhusudan Dutt]]
*[[Toru Dutt]]
*[[Kali Charan Banerjee]]
*[[Krishna Mohan Banerjee]]
*[[Harendra Coomar Mookerjee]]
*Antony Gomes, physiologist<ref>{{Cite web|title=Antony Gomes's research while affiliated with University of Calcutta and other places|url=https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Antony-Gomes-2090299061|url-status=live|access-date=18 May 2021|website=researchgate.net|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518181820/https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Antony-Gomes-2090299061 |archive-date=18 May 2021 }}</ref>
*[[Sukumari Bhattacharji]], Indologist
*[[Lionel Protip Sen]], [[General]] in the [[Indian Army]]
*K. P. Aleaz, theologian and retired Professor, [[Bishop's College, Calcutta|Bishop's College]]<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Inbuon|first=Carey Lal Lawmawma|title=Life and Contribution of Kalarikkal Poulose Aleaz (K.P. Aleaz) in the Theology of Relions|url=https://www.academia.edu/7657657|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=K. P. Aleaz|url=https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL105449A/K._P._Aleaz|access-date=2021-05-18|website=Open Library|language=en}}</ref>
*Bonita Aleaz, political scientist<ref>{{Cite web|title=BONITA ALEAZ {{!}} University of Calcutta - Academia.edu|url=https://caluniv.academia.edu/BONITAALEAZ|access-date=2021-05-18|website=caluniv.academia.edu}}</ref>
*Aparna Gomes, biologist and retired Scientist, [[Indian Institute of Chemical Biology]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Aparna Gomes's research while affiliated with Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata and other places|url=https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Aparna-Gomes-2053015364|url-status=live|access-date=18 May 2021|website=researchgate.net|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518182633/https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Aparna-Gomes-2053015364 |archive-date=18 May 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2007-08-12|title=Cobra venom can provide cure for cancer|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/health/report-cobra-venom-can-provide-cure-for-cancer-1115033|access-date=2021-05-18|website=DNA India|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Gomes|first1=Antony|last2=Ghosh|first2=Sourav|last3=Gomes|first3=Aparna|date=2020-06-01|title=Why there are no effective herbal antidotes against snake venom available in India?|url=https://www.ijmr.org.in/article.asp?issn=0971-5916;year=2020;volume=151;issue=6;spage=525;epage=527;aulast=Gomes;type=0|journal=Indian Journal of Medical Research|language=en|volume=151|issue=6|pages=525–527|doi=10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_893_18|issn=0971-5916|pmid=32719225|pmc=7602936|doi-access=free}}</ref>
* Enrico Piperno, tennis player(1982 Asian Games), India's former Davis Cup and Fed Cup coach.<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 5, 2017|title=Enrico Piperno: Indian tennis players in top-50 is nearly impossible: Piperno|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/top-stories/indian-tennis-players-in-top-50-is-nearly-impossible-piperno/articleshow/56982807.cms|access-date=2021-05-18|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-02-01|title=Calcutta's South Club: The long-forgotten home of India's tennis history|url=https://www.espn.in/tennis/story/_/id/25897236/the-south-club-rich-tennis-davis-cup-history|access-date=2021-05-18|website=ESPN|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=ITF Enrico Piperno Overview|url=https://www.itftennis.com/en/players/enrico-piperno/800177743/ind/mt/s/overview/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-18|website=www.itftennis.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518183343/https://www.itftennis.com/en/players/enrico-piperno/800177743/ind/mt/s/overview/ |archive-date=18 May 2021 }}</ref>
* Joy Govinda Shome, theologian and founder of Calcutta Christo Samaj in 1887.

== See also==
{{Portal|India|Christianity}}
* [[List of Christian denominations in North East India]]
* [[Christian Revival Church]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{Churches in India}}
{{Christianity footer}}
{{Christianity in India by region}}

[[Category:Christianity in West Bengal| ]]
[[Category:Christianity in India]]

Christianity in West Bengal - Revision history

2402:8100:3908:F77B:15EA:C283:1C22:847B at 07:08, 30 May 2022