Introduction: Rev. Benjamin Schultze was one of the remarkable Christian Missionaries who ever came to India and made lasting contribution to the field of Translation, Religion, Education, Social justice etc. His historical journey from Sonnenburg via Halle to Tranquebar had established some new milestones in the social, religious and intellectual map of Tamil Nadu and India and arrests our attention and deserves our perusal. His profile would be definitely useful to the Historians, Christians and the readers and will enlighten our minds with new vision, mission and social responsibilities.
Rev. Benjamin Schultze
Rev. Benjamin Schultze' Parents and Birth: Rev. Benjamin Schultz was born at the historical Sonnenburg in Bradenburg in Europe in the year 1689, it will be appropriate to say one fact here that another great Danish Halle Mission missionary who ministered at Tranquebar Rev. Christian Friedrich Schwartz also was born in Sonnenburg.
Rev. B. Schultze landed at Tranquebar: Tranquebar Mission began to grow, and the mission needed more missionaries. and to meet that demand three new Danish Missionaries including Mr. Benjamin Schultz were sent from Europe to Tranquebar. While these missionaries were on their journey to Tranquebar, Rev. B. Ziegenbalg died in Tranquebar. Mr. Schultze and his companions arrived at Madras on 25th July 1719. and proceeded to Tranquebar. When Schultze and his companions arrived, they heard of Ziegenbalg's death and Grundler's illness. [ J. Ferd. Fenger, History of the Tranquebar Mission, Tranquebar, 1863, p 110]. In Tranquebar, Rev Grundler ordained Mr Schultze and appointed him as his substitute [ Ibid. pp 110 and 111] But Rev. Grundler died on 19th March 1720 and was buried the next day in New-Jerusalem Church, Tranquebar near to Ziegenbalg and Rev. Schultze preached the funeral sermon from Revelations 14.13[ [Ibid, pp.111,112, and 312] The death of Rev Grundler affected Rev Schultz very much. At Grundler's death, the work of the Mission fell upon Rev. Schultze.
Rev. B. Schultze at Tranquebar: The day after Rev Grundler's death Schultze assembled his colleagues in the Mission Library and exhorted them not to allow their confidence and grit to sink but to continue the work they had begun for which the Lord would give strength and blessing, if they trusted entirely to him. His colleagues vowed to him assistance in carrying out the work which had been begun. and gave him their hands in assurance thereof. Rev. Schultze was a man of much mental power to whom it was easy to learn foreign languages. Schultze took extra effort to learn Tamil and in April 1720 he preached in Tamil for the first time. and afterwards there was no turning back Schultze became a Tamil scholar. [ Ibid. p. 131].
A Page from First Tamil Bible
Rev. B. Schultz Moved to Madras: The completion of Ziegenbalg's translation of the Bible thoroughly occupied Schultze' time. When he had almost finished the translation, three new Missionaries, Bosse, Pressier, and Walther arrived in Tranquebar on the 19th of June 1725, and Schultze became very busy in helping the new Missionaries to learn the languages; but when they made a little progress Schultz was very happy to leave them as there was not perfect unanimity between him and his colleagues. In the year 1726 on Sexagesima Sunday Rev Schultz bade adieu to the native Tranquebar congregation. Rev Schultze reached Madras via Cuddalore [ Kadalur] and he determined to reside in Madras and so he obtained the consent of the other Danish Halle missionaries during a hasty journey to Tranquebar [ Ibid.p.139 and 140].
Rev. Schultz Renewed an Abandoned School in Madras: As the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel [SPCK] could not sent any Englishman as Missionary to propagate the Christian Knowledge in India, and the SPCK continued to employ Danish and German Lutherans to conduct the missionary work in the British Settlements of Fort George and Fort St. David. [ The Rev. A. Westcott, M.A, Our Oldest Indian Mission: A Brief History of the Vepery [Madras] Mission, published by Madras Diocesan Committee of the SPCK, 1897, Chapter 1]..The SPCK took Rev Schultze into its service and determined to found a mission in Madras But until the consent of the Society [ SPCK] was received, Schultze had to pass some time inactive. Schultze asked the Governor Mr James Macrae, to permit him to renew a School for the heathen children which had formerly existed in Madras but had fallen into ruin. Schultze not only received permission but also help. {J. Ferd. Fenger, op. cit.. pp.140 141] Schultz decided to commence his missionary work in Madars by opening a School in Black town. With this end in his mind, he posted a notice on the four gates of Black Town on September 5th,1726, stating that by order of the Governor he intended to open a school for Malabar Children and nine days later he began the school with twelve students. The Governor , Mr. James Macrae, contributed 4/5 monthly towards the expenses of the school, and when in the following year Schultze was anxious to purchase a permanent home for Mission, the president and various members of Governor's Council subscribed liberally for the purpose But at the moment when a convenient house was offered for sale, Schultze had only collected 300 pagodas, when the bidding reached 500 pagodas, one of his friends in high place stepped in to the arena and commenced to bid for Schultze and Schultze got that house for 600 pagodas. A few days later Rev. Schultze erected a stone pulpit in the newly acquired mission house and began his regular preaching there. .[ The Rev. A. Westcott, M.A, op. cit, Chapter 1].
The SPCK appointed Rev. Schultze as its First Missionary: Rev. Schultze was able to settle and commence his evangelical work in Madaras. In 1728, the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge acceding to a request from Schultze determined to undertake a mission work in Madras. Before giving its consent, the SPCK, obtained the permission of the King of Demark and a promise of protection from the English East India Company. In due course of time the SPCK in London took responsibility for his support, supplying Schultze with a salary of 60 British Pound a year, and moreover magnanimously did not try to interfere in the direction of Schultze' work. Rev. Schultze thus became the first member of what came to be generally known as the English Mission. [ [i] The Rev. A. Wescott, M.A.,op.cit, Chapter 1 ;[ii] Stephen Neill. F.B.A, A History of Christianity in India, 1797- 1858, Cambridge University press, Cambridge, 1985, p. 41.]
A Perusal of Rev Schultze' Missionary Work in Madaras: After having received the permission from the SPCK in 1728, Rev. Schultze made a spectacular and rapid progress in his missionary work that from 1728- 1730 he had collected a congregation of above 200 persons. In 1730, he received a fellow labourer by name Rev.Johann Anton Sartorius, and after two years he got another missionary by name Rev. Johann Ernst Geister. In 1736 when Schultze was with his two colleagues the congregation only increased 13 persons in the course of the year, but from the middle to the end of 1737, Schultze alone baptised 117 people and in the following year 63 adults and one child. [ J. Ferd and Fenger, op.cit. p. 142]. It can be inferred that Rev Schultze preferred to work alone in his own style and way. When Sartorius and Geister left him in 1737 to found a Mission at Cuddalore, Schultze was enlivened and felt a sort of relief. On receipt of his appointment Schultze handed over the account of the Mission to the newly formed local Committee. [The Rev.A. Westcott, M.A, op. cit, Chapter 1]. Up to 1742, Rev Schultze led 700 persons to Christian faith. [ G. Samuel Iyer and corrected by his son S. Gnanamonickam , op.cit,p. 41]
Conclusion: Rev. Benjamin Schultze was a remarkable man. His eminence and inevitable significance are not adequately recognised and understood by the modern-day Christians. Rev. Schultze was an adept to learn foreign languages. While he was serving as a Christian minister in Madras, he learned the Telugu language and translated Rev. Dr. Martin Luther's Short Catechism into Telugu and between the years 1727-1732, he translated the New Testament into Telugu and afterwards the whole Bible -into Telugu. Later he translated the great German Lutheran Theologian Arnd's "True Christianity" and "Garden of Paradise" into Telugu. He also wrote a Telugu Grammar book. In the year 1739, Schultze eagerly endeavoured to learn the Indian language Hidustani language and succeeded in his attempt. He finished the translation of the New Testament, the Psalms, the prophecy of Daniel and some chapters in Genesis, before he left India. For his noteworthy translation works Rev Schultze deserves our appreciation and adoration. After having served in India for 24 years physically he became very weak and so he left the Madras Mission in the charge of Rev. Johann Philipp Fabricius and returned to Europe in1743. He reached Halle and stayed there till his death. and in Halle he continued his linguistic studies with relentless enthusiasm and unbated energy. Rev. Benjamin Schultze died at Halle in November 1760, aged 72.[ Rev. J. Ferd. Fenger, op.cit, pp. 141-144].As a Linguist Schultze was an inspiration and forerunner to his succeeding European Missionaries like Rev. Robert Caldwell and some others. It is not possible to accommodate all the accomplishments of Rev. B. Schultze within the space of this Blogspot and so I will end this blogpost with the following sentence. " Rev. Benjamin Schultze was a man of God, he founded the English Mission {Madras Mission] in Madras, we thank God for him "
END.
By. P. Babu Manoharan, M.A., [ All rights are reserved. This Blogpost will be enlarged, modified or corrected later if needed].
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