In
the past when the Portuguese invaded India, they
established several factories in Mangalore, Kundapore,
and Honavar, and through their influence the Catholic
Church was established.
In the 19th century, through the pioneering efforts
of the Protestant missionaries like Basil and
the Wesleyan Mission, the Church was established,
and Christianity gradually and steadily spread
throughout Karnataka.
It was the
Christian missionaries who first introduced printing,
making Kannada literature available in the state
of Karnataka, and it is an historical fact that
Christian missionaries rendered a great and valuable
service to the language and literature of the
Kannada speaking people.
Hermon Mongliv
of Basil Mission, published the Mangalore Samaachara,
which was the first newspaper available in the
Kannada language. Even today the English - Kannada
dictionary, published by Reverend Kettle, is recognized
as important literature in Kannada.
It was
the Christian missionaries who provided the opportunities
to the people of this land to learn English. Even
today the best educational institutions, hospitals,
and other establishments were founded and managed
by Christian institutions. No one can deny this
obvious fact.
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