Indian and Sri Lankan Records from Colonial Missionaries, 1770-1931 - Key Data

Indian and Sri Lankan Records from Colonial Missionaries, 1770–1931 was curated in association with the Bodleian Library.

This collection contains records compiled by the United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG), a UK-based Anglican missionary organisation that operates globally. From the eighteenth to the early twentieth century the USPG went by the name of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG). This collection includes letters, reports, and supplementary material compiled by its Indian and Sri Lankan branches during the period 1770–1931.

The collection contains the correspondence left by Rev. Christian David who became the first Indian ordained into the Anglican priesthood. It also includes annual diocesan reports from across India and Sri Lanka. The standardised structure of these reports enables the progress and reach of each mission to be tracked over time. These papers allow students and researchers to survey the spread of Christianity in South Asia, life under the British Raj, and the causes and impact of the partition of India.