Satyananda Stokes
Encyclopedia
Satyananda Stokes was an American
who moved to India
and adopted it as his own country. Stokes' given name was Samuel Evans Stokes, Jr., and belonging to a prominent family and was the son of a successful businessman who pioneered elevators in America he came to India in 1904 to work at a leper
colony in the Simla Hills run by Dr Marcus Carleton at Subathu at the age of twenty-two. A true iconoclast
, he did this against his parents' wishes. He had not completed his education, nor acquired any real-world skill and rejected the chance to run the Stokes and Parish Machine Company set up by his father. As a deeply religious Quaker, he became sort of a Christian sannyasi until meeting the Archbishop of Canterbury
and forming an order of Franciscan
Friars and dedicated his early years living in poverty
and aiding the diseased and dying. However, his membership in this wandering brotherhood of monks lasted only two years.
He married a local Rajput
Christian
woman, Agnes in 1912, and gave up his life of poverty. After the personal tragedy of losing his son Tara to amoebic dysentery, he moved closer to Hinduism
and a few years later in 1932 he converted to Hinduism
taking the name "Satyanand" and changed his wife's name to "Priya Devi". He transformed the economy of Himachal Pradesh in 1916 by introducing the now world famous ‘Shimla Apple’ or the American Delicious variety of apple
, a new strain developed by the Stark brothers of Louisiana
, USA in the Simla Hills
of Himachal Pradesh
near the Himalayas
. Thousands of farmers began copying him and orchards sprang up all over the state, reinvigorating the economy.
Stokes had always had a strong sense of social justice
and later became active in India's freedom struggle for independence from Great Britain
. Stokes had the rare honour of being the only American to become a member of the All India Congress Committee
(AICC) of the Indian National Congress
. Along with Lala Lajpat Rai
, he represented Punjab. He was the only non-Indian to sign the Congress manifesto in 1921, calling upon Indians to quit government service. He was jailed for sedition
and promoting hatred against the British government in 1921, becoming the only American to become a political prisoner of Great Britain
in the freedom struggle. On Stokes’ arrest, Mahatma Gandhi
wrote: “That he (Stokes) should feel with and like an Indian, share his sorrows and throw himself into the struggle, has proved too much for the government. To leave him free to criticise the government was intolerable, so his white skin has proved no protection for him…”
He died on 14 May 1946 after an extended illness shortly before India's Independence.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who moved to 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...
and adopted it as his own country. Stokes' given name was Samuel Evans Stokes, Jr., and belonging to a prominent family and was the son of a successful businessman who pioneered elevators in America he came to India in 1904 to work at a leper
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
colony in the Simla Hills run by Dr Marcus Carleton at Subathu at the age of twenty-two. A true iconoclast
Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction of religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually with religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major political or religious changes...
, he did this against his parents' wishes. He had not completed his education, nor acquired any real-world skill and rejected the chance to run the Stokes and Parish Machine Company set up by his father. As a deeply religious Quaker, he became sort of a Christian sannyasi until meeting the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
and forming an order of Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
Friars and dedicated his early years living in poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
and aiding the diseased and dying. However, his membership in this wandering brotherhood of monks lasted only two years.
He married a local Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
woman, Agnes in 1912, and gave up his life of poverty. After the personal tragedy of losing his son Tara to amoebic dysentery, he moved closer to Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
and a few years later in 1932 he converted to Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
taking the name "Satyanand" and changed his wife's name to "Priya Devi". He transformed the economy of Himachal Pradesh in 1916 by introducing the now world famous ‘Shimla Apple’ or the American Delicious variety of apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
, a new strain developed by the Stark brothers of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, USA in the Simla Hills
Shimla
Shimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
of Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
near the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. Thousands of farmers began copying him and orchards sprang up all over the state, reinvigorating the economy.
Stokes had always had a strong sense of social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
and later became active in India's freedom struggle for independence from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Stokes had the rare honour of being the only American to become a member of the All India Congress Committee
All India Congress Committee
The All India Congress Committee is the Presidium or central decision-making assembly of the Indian National Congress Party. It is composed of members elected from State-level Pradesh Congress Committees and can have as many as a thousand members...
(AICC) of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
. Along with Lala Lajpat Rai
Lala Lajpat Rai
Lala Lajpat Rai was an Indian author, freedom fighter and politician who is chiefly remembered as a leader in the Indian fight for freedom from the British Raj. He was popularly known as Punjab Kesari or Sher-e-Punjab meaning the samem and was part of the Lal Bal Pal trio...
, he represented Punjab. He was the only non-Indian to sign the Congress manifesto in 1921, calling upon Indians to quit government service. He was jailed for sedition
Sedition
In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...
and promoting hatred against the British government in 1921, becoming the only American to become a political prisoner of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in the freedom struggle. On Stokes’ arrest, Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
wrote: “That he (Stokes) should feel with and like an Indian, share his sorrows and throw himself into the struggle, has proved too much for the government. To leave him free to criticise the government was intolerable, so his white skin has proved no protection for him…”
He died on 14 May 1946 after an extended illness shortly before India's Independence.
Works
- The failure of European civilisation as a world culture. (as Samuel Evans Stokes). Pub. S. Ganesan & Co., 1921
- National self-realisation and other essays. (as Samuel Evans Stokes) Rubicon Pub. House. 1977
- Satyakama : Man Of True Desire. Indian Publishers Distributors, 1998. ISBN 8173410704.
- Arjun - The Life-Story of an Indian Boy. BiblioBazaar, LLC, 2009. ISBN 1115471279. (org. 1911)
Further reading
- A Quaker who joined freedom struggle at Tribune India
- Samuel Evans Stokes, Mahatma Gandhi, and Indian Nationalism The Pacific Historical Review, Vol. 59, No. 1. (Feb., 1990), pp. 51–76.