Advisor(s)

Laura L. Frader

Contributor(s)

Anna Suranyi (1967-), Prasannan Parthasarathi

Date of Award

2008

Date Accepted

12-2008

Degree Grantor

Northeastern University

Degree Level

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department or Academic Unit

College of Arts and Sciences. Department of History.

Keywords

History, Salvation Army, India

Subject Categories

Salvation Army, Protestantism, Missionaries, India

Disciplines

History

Abstract

The British Empire of the late-nineteenth century represents the pinnacle of European imperialism. The nature of British colonialism was complicated, however, and nowhere more so than in India, England's most prized colony. My dissertation examines the role of Protestant missionaries within this British imperial endeavor. Through a case study of the Salvation Army's work in India, I illustrate the complexity of the relationship between missionaries and the colonial government. I address connections between the metropole and the peripheries of the Empire, while exploring the nature and influence of Protestant Christianity both at home and abroad. In England as well as India, the Salvation Army both reflected nineteenth-century British culture and challenged its norms of propriety, religious worship, and service. The Salvationists in India had a particularly complex and dynamic relationship with imperial authorities. Initially perceived as a threat to the peace of the Empire, the first missionaries in India faced legal persecutions, but over time the Salvationists actually became agents of empire. Through a variety of social service projects the organization proved its utility to imperial authorities and became the recipient of government subsidies. Most notably, the Salvationists collaborated with colonial police to create settlements for members of the so-called criminal tribes of India. My work emphasizes the influence of Commissioner Frederick Booth-Tucker on the Salvation Army's complex interaction with the Indian Raj. He alternately led the Salvationists to both defy and support the British Empire, while continually focusing on the group's primary goal of converting people to Christianity.

Document Type

Dissertation

Rights Holder

Emily A. Berry


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