EveMagill33 at 23:07, 4 March 2026

2026-03-04T23:07:21Z

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Frederick William Savidge
| image = [[File:F.W Savidge Cropped Portrait.jpg|250px]]
| alt =
| caption = F.W Savidge in Lushai attire
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 1862
| birth_place = [[Stretham]], [[Cambridgeshire]], [[England]]
| death_date = 28 September 1935<br>(aged 73)
| death_place = [[London]]
| other_names = Sap Upa (to [[Mizo people]])
| occupation = [[Christian missionary]]
| education = B.A., Ph.D.
| alma_mater =
| known_for = Origin of [[Christianity]], [[Mizo literature|literature]], and [[Education in Mizoram|education]] in [[Mizoram]]
}}
[[File:Sap Upa leh Pu Buanga Black and White.jpg|thumb|J.H. Lorrain and F.W. Savidge]]
'''Frederick William Savidge''' (1862 – 1935) was a pioneer [[English people|English]] [[Christian missionary]] in [[northeast India]]. He and [[James Herbert Lorrain]] brought [[Protestantism]] to [[Mizoram]], and some parts of [[Assam]] and [[Arunachal Pradesh]]. Together they were entirely responsible for the creation of [[written language]] in [[Mizo language|Mizo]], beginning of [[literacy]], origin of [[formal education]] and establishment of [[History of Christianity in Mizoram|churches in Mizoram]]. They devised the original Mizo alphabets based on [[Roman script]], prepared the first book and dictionary in Mizo, started the first school among the Mizos.<ref name=Anderson>{{cite book|last=Anderson|first=Gerald H.|title=Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions|year=1999|publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing|isbn=9780802846808|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oQ8BFk9K0ToC}}</ref> Mizoram has become the most Christian populated state in India. As a professional educator Savidge was single-handedly responsible for introducing quality education in Mizoram (now 100%, the highest in literacy rate in India).<ref name=mission>{{cite web|last=Malsawma|first=Zari|title=The Mizos of Northeast India: Proclaiming the Gospel to their neighbors near and far|url=http://www.missionfrontiers.org/issue/article/the-mizos-of-northeast-india|publisher=Miison Frontiers|accessdate=14 January 2014|date=1 November 1991}}</ref> He is deservedly known as the Father of Mizo Education.<ref>{{cite web|title=History of the Education Department|url=http://www.mizobaptist.org/?page_id=41|publisher=Baptist Church of Mizoram|accessdate=14 January 2014}}</ref>

==Early life==

Frederick William Savidge was born in 1862 in [[Stretham]], a small village in [[Cambridgeshire]]. His family belonged to [[Baptist Church]]. He had BA and PhD degrees. He worked as schoolmaster in [[London]], where he met his future missionary partner J. H. Lorrain. The two became friends through their congregation at the Highgate Road Baptist Church in London. In 1891 he accepted the missionary post offered by the [[Robert Arthington|Arthington Aborigines Mission]] to work in India. He quitted his teaching job and left England in October 1891. He sailed for India and arrived in [[Calcutta]] in November. He attended an evangelical campaign at [[Brahmanbaria District|Brahmanbaria]] (now in [[Bangladesh]]) organised by the New Zealand Baptists where he met Lorrain. Lorrain was already in India since 1 January 1890.<ref name=Hluna>{{cite book|last=Hluna|first=J. V.|title=Mizoram Hmar Bial Missionary-te Chanchin|year=2003|publisher=The Synod Literature & Publication Board|location=Aizawl, India|pages=13–27}}</ref><ref name=mizostory>{{cite web|title=Lorrain 'Pu Buanga' and Savidge 'Sap Upa' pick up the torch|url=http://www.mizostory.org/mizostory/Mizo_Story_3.html|accessdate=13 January 2014}}</ref>

==Mission in India==

===Arthington Mission===

Savidge and Lorrain were to start camping and work in [[Tripura]] according to the plan of [[Robert Arthington#Arthington Aborigines Mission|Arthington Aborigines Mission]]. From [[Brahmanbaria]] they headed east into [[Tripura]], where their visit was bluntly objected by the ruler, [[Maharaja]]. Dejected they travelled northward into [[Chittagong]]. Here they stayed for sometime awaiting permission to enter [[Lushai Hills]] (now Mizoram). Since Lushai Hills was still under [[Tribal chiefdom|tribal chieftainship]]s with constant warfare, their application was deferred and allowed to stay at Kasalong village, the nearest possible location. The area suffered a heavy shortage of food supply, and infectious diseases were rampant. They stayed for a few months under constant hunger. To defend themselves from any tribal intrusion the [[Rangamati]] Commissioner provided them with a rifle. Unfortunately neither of them had any experience in shooting, and failed to hit [[jungle fowl]]s flogging around their hut. Then they suffered from severe [[dysentery]]. The medical doctor advised them to move to [[Darjeeling]] where a colder climate would revive them. After they recovered the doctor suggested they return to [[England]] for fear of their health. They were more determined than ever and soon sought passage to [[Mizoram]]. They stayed at [[Silchar]] for one whole year in 1893. Fortunately they could encounter some Mizo visitors from time to time, so that they could start learning their language. Finally a permit was issued and they immediately set off on [[Tlawng River]] in a canoe on [[Boxing Day]] of 1893. They arrived in [[Aizawl]] on 11 January 1894. The day is now observed as public holiday as "Missionary Day" in the state.<ref>{{cite news|last=PTI|title=Missionary Day observed in Mizoram|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-01-11/guwahati/46090094_1_mizoram-lushai-aizawl|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115171147/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-01-11/guwahati/46090094_1_mizoram-lushai-aizawl|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 January 2014|accessdate=14 January 2014|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=11 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=CHANCHIN THA THLEN NI - 2012|url=http://mizoramsynod.org/index.php?phek=thuthar&nid=1117|publisher=Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod|accessdate=14 January 2014}}</ref> They made camp at Thingpui Huan Tlang, MacDonald Hill, Zarkawt. They were the first foreigners the Mizo had ever seen having not authority on anything, so that they soon earned the nickname ''Sap Vakvai'' ("Vagabond Sahibs"). They immediately worked on creating Mizo alphabets based on [[Roman script]]. After only two and half months, Savidge started the first school on 1 April 1894. Their first and only pupils were Suaka and Thangphunga. The first book in Mizo ''Mizo Zir Tir Bu (A Lushai Primer)'' was released on 22 October 1895.<ref>{{cite book| author=J. Meirion Lloyd |title=History of the Church in Mizoram: Harvest in the Hills |year= 1991 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=BkgFAQAAIAAJ |pages= 41–42 | publisher= Synod Publication Board}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| author= Suresh K. Sharma|title=Documents on North-East India: Mizoram |year=2006 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Rp-ib3dUUu0C&dq=education+mizoram&pg=PA63 |pages=63–64 | publisher= Mittal Publications |isbn= 9788183240864}}</ref> They translated and published the [[Gospel of Luke|Gospels of Luke]] and [[Gospel of John|John]], and [[Acts of the Apostles]]. They also prepared ''A Grammar and Dictionary of the Lushai language (Dulien Dialect)'' which they published in 1898, and became the foundation of Mizo language.<ref>{{cite book|title=Lorrain and Savidge 1898|url=http://wals.info/refdb/record/Lorrain-and-Savidge-1898|publisher=The World Atlas of Language Structures Online|accessdate=13 January 2014|year=1898}}</ref>

===Mission to Arunachalis===

The Arthington Mission mandated that the missionaries should move to new fields, and handed over its field to Welsh Presbyterian Mission in 1897. The Welsh Mission objected to the continued service of Savidge and Lorrain because of their Baptist persuasion. They left Aizawl for England on 31 December 1897. After taking up a brief course of medicine, they ventured back to India in the name of Assam Frontier Pioneer Mission, an independent mission. They first worked at Sadya in Assam (now Arunachal Pradesh) among the [[Galo tribe|Abor]] and [[Mising people|Miri tribes]]. They prepared Gospels in their language, and compiled the ''Abor-Miri Dictionary''.<ref name=Hluna/><ref name=Rees>{{cite book|editor-last=Rees|editor-first=D. Ben|title=Vehicles of Grace and Hope: Welsh Missionaries in India 1800-1970|year=2002|publisher=William Carey Library|isbn=9780878085057|pages=122–124|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8rMKm-Ee1dYC&dq=savidge+missionary&pg=PA124}}</ref>

===Baptist mission to southern Mizoram===

Since the Welsh Mission managed only the northern part of Mizoram, the [[Baptist Missionary Society]] of London adopted the new field. The experienced Baptist workers Savidge and Lorrain were the immediate choice. They accepted the appointment and arrived in [[Lunglei]] on 13 March 1903 and settled at [[Serkawn]]. This marked the establishment of Baptist Church in Mizoram.<ref>{{cite web|title=Page 9: Lorrain and Savidge return with the Baptist Missionary Society|url=http://www.mizostory.org/mizostory/Mizo_Story_9.html|publisher=Mizo Story|accessdate=14 January 2014}}</ref> For effective administration Savidge took up education and social works, while Lorrain pursued pastoral and translation works. They both got married during this period. The Savidges were fully devoted to school management, theology classes, medical centre and social services.<ref>{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.mizobaptist.org/?page_id=56|publisher=Baptist Church of Mizoram|accessdate=14 January 2014}}</ref> Their educational works were a tremendous success that by 1921 there were already fifteen schools with 421 students in the region.<ref name=Rees/> The medical services were strengthened as a small dispensary in 1919 with the help new missionaries. The dispensary ultimately developed into the present day [[Christian Hospital Serkawn]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Christian Hospital Serkawn Lunglei, India|url=http://www.electives.net/hospital/6439|publisher=The Electives Network|accessdate=14 January 2014}}</ref> The present Baptist Higher Secondary School, Serkawn, was established as an extension of Savidge's school.<ref>{{cite web|title=BAPTIST HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL SERKAWN, MIZORAM|url=http://www.mizobaptist.org/?page_id=423|publisher=Baptist Church of Mizoram|accessdate=14 January 2014}}</ref> Evangelism in Mizoram was recorded as the most successful development in any BMS field in the 20th century. Between 1919 and 1924, the total Baptist community increased from 3,670 to 8,770, and church membership from 1,017 to 3,198.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mizoram|url=http://www.bmsworldmission.org/about-us/our-heritage/asia/mizoram|publisher=BMS World Mission|accessdate=14 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115052236/http://www.bmsworldmission.org/about-us/our-heritage/asia/mizoram|archive-date=15 January 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Honorific names==

Savidge and Lorrain were given an honorific title ''Zosap'' (meaning "Mizo Sahib" or "respected master". Note that "[[sahib]]" was adopted from a [[Hindi]] title meaning "master") because of their services to Mizos. When David Evan Jones from the Welsh Mission arrived in 1897 to take over the mission, Mizo called the young Welshman "Zosapthara" (meaning "the new/fresh Mizo Sahib"), Jones automatically became "Zosaphluia" ("the older Mizo Sahib"), and Savidge became "Sap Upa" (simply "old Sahib") as he was the oldest. Lorrain, on the other hand, due to his different complexion became "Pu Buanga" ("Mr Brown"). They were known only by their new names among the Mizos.<ref name=mizostory/><ref name=Rees/>

==Later years==

Savidge became poorer in health and retired in 1925. He left Mizoram on 13 April 1925 for England. He brought home a soil from Serkawn to be buried with him. He lived in London, but his health was worsened by [[diabetes mellitus]]. After long suffering he died on 28 September 1935.<ref name=Hluna/>

==References==

{{reflist}}

==Further reading==

*''[https://books.google.com/books?id=mYNAMwEACAAJ Mizorama missionary hmasa ber: Rev. Dr. F.W. Savidge & Rev. J.H. Lorrain (sap upa & pu buanga) : an sulhnu-Mizote ro hlu bihchianna]''. Research & Development Department, Academy of Integrated Christian Studies, 2012, pages 152.

{{Lushai frontier}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Savidge, Frederick William}}
[[Category:1862 births]]
[[Category:1935 deaths]]
[[Category:English Baptist missionaries]]
[[Category:Baptist missionaries in India]]
[[Category:British missionaries in India]]
[[Category:Christianity in Mizoram]]
[[Category:British people in British India]]
[[Category:People from Stretham]]

Frederick William Savidge - Revision history

EveMagill33 at 23:07, 4 March 2026