Jean-Antoine Dubois
Encyclopedia
Abbe J.A. Dubois or Jean-Antoine Dubois (1765–1848) was a French Catholic missionary
in India
. He was affectionately known as Fraadh Saaibh to the parishioners of the Holy Cross Church, Cordel
in Mangalore
, among whom he ministered.
Dubois had been baptized on January 10, 1766 in St.Remèze/Ardèche. He was ordained in the diocese of Viviers in 1792, and sailed for India in the same year under the direction of the Missions étrangères.
He was at first attached to the Pondicherry mission, and worked in the southern districts of the present Madras Presidency. On the fall of Seringapatam in 1799, he went to Mysore to reorganize the Christian community that had been shattered by Tipu Sultan
.
Among the benefits which he conferred upon his impoverished flock were the founding of agricultural colonies and the introduction of vaccination as a preventive of smallpox
. But his great work was his record of Hindu manners, customs and ceremonies. Immediately on his arrival in India, he saw that the work of a Christian missionary should be based on a thorough acquaintance with the innermost life and character of the native population.
Accordingly, he abjured European society, adopted the native style of clothing, and made himself in habit and costume as much like a Hindu
as he could. He used to go around in the garb of sanyasi and abjured meat for many years. He gained an extraordinary welcome among people of all castes and conditions, and was spoken of in many parts of South India with affection and esteem as the prince's son, the noblest of Europeans. He was popularly called as Dodda Swamiyoru. He has mastered all the south Indian languages including Sanskrit.
Although Dubois modestly disclaimed the title of author, his collections were not so much drawn from the Hindu sacred books as from his own careful and vivid observations, and it is this, united to a remarkable prescience, that makes his work so valuable. It is divided into three parts:
Not only did abbé give a shrewd, clear-sighted, candid account of the manners and customs of the Hindus, but he provided a very sound estimation of the British position in India, and made some even-handed observations on the difficulties of administering the Empire according to Western notions of civilization and progress with the limited resources that were available.
Dubois's French manuscript was purchased for eight thousand rupee
s by Lord William Bentinck
for the British East India Company
in 1807. In 1816, an English translation was published, and about 1864, a curtailed reprint of this edition was issued. Abbé, however, largely recast his work, and in 1897, this revised text (now in the India Office) was published in an edition with notes by H. K. Beauchamp.
Dubois left India in January 1823, with a special pension conferred on him by the East India Company. On reaching Paris, he was appointed director of the Missions Étrangères de Paris, of which he afterwards became superior (1836-1839). He translated into French
the famous book of Hindu fables called Panchatantra, and also a work called The Exploits of the Guru Paramarta.
Of more interest was his Letters on the State of Christianity in India, in which he asserted his opinion that under existing circumstances, there was no possibility of overcoming the invincible barrier of Brahmin
ical prejudice so as to convert the Hindus to any sect of Christianity. He acknowledged that low caste
s and outcastes might be converted in large numbers, but of the higher castes, he wrote: "Should the intercourse between individuals of both nations, by becoming more intimate and more friendly, produce a change in the religion and usages of the country, it will not be to turn Christians that they will forsake their own religion, but rather ... to become mere atheists
."
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was affectionately known as Fraadh Saaibh to the parishioners of the Holy Cross Church, Cordel
Holy Cross Church, Cordel
The Holy Cross Church is a Roman Catholic church situated at Cordel in the Kulshekar locality of Mangalore. It caters to nearly 6,500 people distributed in 32 Varados . Although the church was not yet built then, the French missionary, Fr. Jean-Antoine Dubois served as the first parish priest of...
in Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
, among whom he ministered.
Dubois had been baptized on January 10, 1766 in St.Remèze/Ardèche. He was ordained in the diocese of Viviers in 1792, and sailed for India in the same year under the direction of the Missions étrangères.
He was at first attached to the Pondicherry mission, and worked in the southern districts of the present Madras Presidency. On the fall of Seringapatam in 1799, he went to Mysore to reorganize the Christian community that had been shattered by Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
.
Among the benefits which he conferred upon his impoverished flock were the founding of agricultural colonies and the introduction of vaccination as a preventive of smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
. But his great work was his record of Hindu manners, customs and ceremonies. Immediately on his arrival in India, he saw that the work of a Christian missionary should be based on a thorough acquaintance with the innermost life and character of the native population.
Accordingly, he abjured European society, adopted the native style of clothing, and made himself in habit and costume as much like a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
as he could. He used to go around in the garb of sanyasi and abjured meat for many years. He gained an extraordinary welcome among people of all castes and conditions, and was spoken of in many parts of South India with affection and esteem as the prince's son, the noblest of Europeans. He was popularly called as Dodda Swamiyoru. He has mastered all the south Indian languages including Sanskrit.
Although Dubois modestly disclaimed the title of author, his collections were not so much drawn from the Hindu sacred books as from his own careful and vivid observations, and it is this, united to a remarkable prescience, that makes his work so valuable. It is divided into three parts:
- A general view of society in India, and especially of the caste system
- The four states of Brahminical life
- Religion--feasts, temples, objects of worship
Not only did abbé give a shrewd, clear-sighted, candid account of the manners and customs of the Hindus, but he provided a very sound estimation of the British position in India, and made some even-handed observations on the difficulties of administering the Empire according to Western notions of civilization and progress with the limited resources that were available.
Dubois's French manuscript was purchased for eight thousand rupee
Rupee
The rupee is the common name for the monetary unit of account in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, and formerly in Burma, and Afghanistan. Historically, the first currency called "rupee" was introduced in the 16th century...
s by Lord William Bentinck
Lord William Bentinck
Lieutenant-General Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck GCB, GCH, PC , known as Lord William Bentinck, was a British soldier and statesman...
for the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
in 1807. In 1816, an English translation was published, and about 1864, a curtailed reprint of this edition was issued. Abbé, however, largely recast his work, and in 1897, this revised text (now in the India Office) was published in an edition with notes by H. K. Beauchamp.
Dubois left India in January 1823, with a special pension conferred on him by the East India Company. On reaching Paris, he was appointed director of the Missions Étrangères de Paris, of which he afterwards became superior (1836-1839). He translated into French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
the famous book of Hindu fables called Panchatantra, and also a work called The Exploits of the Guru Paramarta.
Of more interest was his Letters on the State of Christianity in India, in which he asserted his opinion that under existing circumstances, there was no possibility of overcoming the invincible barrier of Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
ical prejudice so as to convert the Hindus to any sect of Christianity. He acknowledged that low caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
s and outcastes might be converted in large numbers, but of the higher castes, he wrote: "Should the intercourse between individuals of both nations, by becoming more intimate and more friendly, produce a change in the religion and usages of the country, it will not be to turn Christians that they will forsake their own religion, but rather ... to become mere atheists
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
."