From Colonial India to Post-Partition Pakistan: Continuity and Change in American Christian Missionary Services

Abstract

The paper dwells on the historical participation and activity of the American Christian missionaries in India and supposedly Pakistan, in particular the contribution of the missionaries towards the country in terms of work in education, healthcare, social reform, and minority welfare. The central question of the study is how the American missionary activities influenced the South Asian social development and institutionalization during the colonial and the post-colonial periods. The primary objective of the study is to identify the nature, scale, and long-term impact of missionary work outside of religion propagation and their role in modern-day education, medical care, empowerment of women, and upliftment of the oppressed communities. The methodological foundations of the research are the historical and analytical approach, and the primary missionary reports, institutional reports, and secondary scholarly literature will be utilized. The comparison of missionary services in pre-Partition India and after 1947 Pakistan is carried out on the comparative perspective. The paper assumes that the American Christian missionaries played a significant role in the creation of the modern education and humanitarian systems, most of which remain relevant in the South Asian social development, forming a more significant connotation of social shifts and cultural exchange.