FINNISH MISSION HISTORY: A STUDY ON SOCIO-CULTURAL IMPACTS MADE BY FINNISH MISSIONARIES IN THE NORTH-EASTERN HIMALAYAS, INDIA

Once Winston Churchill rightly said and I quote: “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” History is not just a past to remember but history is an opportunity to explore new things and learn from it. With a great vision and mission-heart, Finnish missionaries came in the Himalayan belt in the early nineteenth century. They had a vision of entering Tibet as soon as they set foot on Indian territory. They stayed and lived difficult lives since India is riven by caste, creed, and regional backwardness, which a few of them (missionaries) correctly termed as "darkness." The Himalayan people are living considerably more comfortable lives after several decades, yet the efforts and services of Finnish missionaries are still mostly unknown among Himalayan natives. Few of numbers of published articles and books are here to describe their major contributions and chronological evidences of Finnish missionaries’ arrival to India. In this article, a thorough analysis of the socio-economic repercussions of Finnish missionaries in the Himalayan belts and Buxaduars regions of Indian states West Bengal and Sikkim was conducted using collected primary and secondary data. Therefore, this article carry out this study by collecting data (qualitative and quantitative) and information from various sources viz. Published and unpublished articles and notes, collection of primary data/information from various sources remained in India and Finland and through analysis of historical documents of Finnish Mission History. KEYWORDS:Finnish missionaries, Himalayas, Socio-economic, mission history, education, community, Scandinavian Alliance Mission, Education, Livelihood, Darjeeling, Sikkim, Buxaduars.

Indian Territory

American Indians residing in Indian Territory fought for both the Union and the Confederacy in the American Civil War. When war came to the region in 1861, the Five Nations—Creek, Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole—made choices derived from their cultural, political, and economic interests as sovereign nations. Military action ebbed and flowed through Indian Territory over four years, which displaced significant portions of the population at different times. At war’s end the Natives found themselves on opposing sides, both between and within the individual nations. The external as well as internal civil war deepened tribal divisions and caused substantial physical destruction and considerable human suffering.

The Battle of Helena, the Little Rock Campaign, and the Capture of Fort Smith, 1863

The Battle of Helena, the Little Rock Campaign, and the capture of Fort Smith led to Union control over the Arkansas River Valley and most of Arkansas to the north of the river. Militarily this resulted in impeding Confederate operations in Missouri, the establishment of a potential base of operations for Union campaigns in Texas, and easier logistical support for Union forces in Indian Territory. A major result of these movements was the emancipation of thousands of slaves. Politically they brought a restoration of a pro-Union government in Arkansas. The occupation of Little Rock produced renewed economic prosperity and, under the benevolent policies of Union Maj. Gen. Frederick Steele, a return of normal social activity among the civilian population, though producing privation and disruption of gender and age roles in the surrounding countryside.

Pali Tipitaka in The Perspective of Plant Invasion in India

This communication is an effort to decipher phytogeographic alterations particularly due to exotic plants associated with the teachings and disclosures of Lord Buddha. The various exotic taxa on Indian landmass in Lord Buddha’s time had an important role to play in human sustenance and civilization. The present author, therefore, analysed plant species as contained in ‘Pali Tipitaka’ in view of plant invasion in ancient period in Indian territory. It was possible to identify total 70 exotic plant species pertaining to 66 genera and 41 angiospermic families. Majority of them (47 species) are introduced for cultivation in India to sustain human life, while 19 species exhibit wildness and integral to Indian biodiversity in present time. Their native geographical regions are deciphered consulting relevant literature. They belong to both Old and New Worlds. Importance of ancient religious scriptures is brought under clearer focus from standpoint of phytogeography and plant invasion.

COVID-19 in the Indian Territory of Lakshadweep – Role of MMR Vaccination in the Management of COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus, is a contagious disease which has spread across the entire world within one year and four months of its first appearance in Wuhan, China. Since then new mutated strains of SARS-CoV-2 have been detected in most of the countries including India; the first variant being detected in the United Kingdom (B 7.1.1). We had reported earlier that some regions of Indian Territory had minimal spread of COVID-19 in the population. Among them, one exception was territory of Lakshadweep which did not have even a single case of COVID-19 until December, 2020. However, the first case of COVID-19 emerged in Lakshadweep in January, 2021. The significance of spread of COVID-19 in the population which were previously immunized with MMR (Mumps Measles Rubella) vaccine with plausible role of MMR vaccination in management of COVID-19 has been evaluated in this article.

Origins of Alien Species and Plant Invasion in India as Tapped from Kurma Purana

Ancient Sanskrit Puranas are literary heritage of India. They are studied from different perspectives but appeared largely neglected from the viewpoint of plant invasion in Indian territory. The present attempt dealt with the alien plant species as encoded in Sanskrit plant names in various verses of Kurma Purana. As many as 24 alien plant species belong to 23 genera of 16 families of angiosperms. They are analysed carefully floristically, habital categories and status regarding cultivation or naturalization. They are also studied for their nativity consulting relevant taxonomic literature. The data indirectly also indicated about utilities and awareness about classification of plants based on habits. Such investigations are warranted for better understanding of the development of natural wealth in past.

[A Retrospective Analysis of The Arrival of Islam to India and Its Impact on Regional Geopolitics] Analisis Retrospektif Kemasukan Islam ke India dan Impaknya Terhadap Geopolitik Serantau

The Indian subcontinent is one of the first regions into which Islam entered since the era of the Righteous Caliphs. The Indian territory also witnessed the advancement of Islamic civilization due to the emergence of Islamic powers in the area. Nevertheless, the historical accounts of Islam’s entry into India which focused more on futuhat (Islamic expansion) movements gave rise to the view that Islam came to the region only through expansionist policies. In light of those, this study aims to examine Islam’s expansion into India and its impact on the geopolitics of the region. In general, this study used a qualitative research method via approaches of historical study and content analysis in collecting and analyzing information from the relevant primary and secondary sources. The findings of the study showed that the spread of Islam into the Indian territory was achieved via two ways, namely by trade and by futuhat. The wise approach and good conduct of Muslim preachers, traders and armies towards the local communities enabled the spread of Islam to India. Furthermore, India was also host to the emergence of a number of Islamic kingdoms, beginning from the Ghaznavid dominion to the emergence of the Mughal Kingdom. Keywords: Futuhat, Umayyad-era India, Muhammad ibn al-Qasim, Arab-Indian trade, Islamic military history Abstrak Wilayah India merupakan antara kawasan yang awal menerima Islam, iaitu sejak era Khulafa’ al-Rashidin. Wilayah India turut menyaksikan perkembangan tamadun Islam disebabkan kemunculan kuasa Islam di kawasan berkenaan. Namun begitu, naratif sejarah kemasukan Islam ke India yang lebih tertumpu kepada gerakan futuhat telah menimbulkan pandangan bahawa Islam datang ke wilayah tersebut hanya melalui futuhat. Sehubungan itu, makalah ini bertujuan meneliti kemasukan ke India dan impaknya terhadap geopolitik di wilayah berkenaan. Secara keseluruhannya, kajian ini menggunakan kaedah kajian kualitatif menerusi pendekatan kajian sejarah dan analisis kandungan dalam mengumpul serta menganalisis maklumat daripada sumber-sumber utama dan sekunder yang relevan. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan kemasukan Islam ke wilayah India ialah menerusi dua cara, iaitu perdagangan dan futuhat. Pendekatan berhikmah dan layanan baik daripada golongan pendakwah, pedagang dan tentera Islam terhadap masyarakat tempatan telah memungkinkan penyebaran Islam ke India. Tambahan pula, India turut menjadi tapak kemunculan kerajaan-kerajaan Islam yang lain, bermula dari penguasaan Kerajaan Ghaznawi hingga kemunculan Kerajaan Mughal. Kata kunci: Futuhat, India era Umawi, Muhammad ibn al-Qasim, perdagangan Arab-India, sejarah ketenteraan Islam