Bettiah Christians
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bettiah Christians (Hindustani: Béttiah Masīhī or Béttiah ʿĪsāʾī), also known as Betiawi Christians, are the northern Indian subcontinent's oldest Christian community, which emerged in the 18th century.[2][1] The origins of the Bettiah Christian community lie in Champaran in what is now the Indian state of Bihar, in which the king of the Bettiah Raj, Maharaja Dhurup Singh, invited Roman Catholic missionaries of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin to establish the Bettiah Christian Mission there.[2]
Total population | |
---|---|
16,000[1] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Indian subcontinent | |
Languages | |
Religion | |
Roman Catholic Christianity | |
Related ethnic groups | |
|
Upper and middle-caste Hindus who converted to Christianity in the 18th and 19th centuries constitute the majority of the ethnoreligious community of Bettiah Christians, though it has incorporated those from former Muslim, Newar and scheduled caste heritage as well.[3][4][5][6]
Bettiah Christians are known for working in education, serving in the roles of teachers and professors.[7] A number of them have served in ecclesiastical positions as bishops, nuns, brothers and priests.[7] Their erudite background has led to a Bettiah Christian diaspora across northern India.[8]