Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c46.12

c46.12

guese, the propaganda was not extended far beyond the original settlements of the Nestorian Church. The Roman Catholic missionaries, under the political aegis of Goa, ranged over a large portion of Southern India, and, to this day, three fourths of the Christian population of India belongs to the Dravidian tracts, and more than half to the Church of Rome. The differentiation of the convert to this religion from his Brāhmanic fellows varies, usually according to the numbers and homogeneity of the local congregation. The breach with old custom is more marked where conversion is comparatively sporadic, and slighter in the case where Christianity has been hereditary for generations, or, if of comparatively recent acceptance, has been embraced by considerable numbers of more or less the same social position. This position, owing mainly to the restrictions of the caste system, is generally low, as the change is there not only less of a sacrifice to people who have no hope of rising, but may even bring with it some chances of ameliorating their lot.