What about in the #Indian subcontinent?
Great question. In the **Indian subcontinent**, the dynamics were different from Rome or Japan, but there *were* times when saying *“I am a Christian”* could carry **life-or-death consequences** — though often tied to politics, caste, and colonialism.
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## 📜 Historical Phases
### 1. **Early Arrival of Christianity (1st century onwards)**
* Tradition holds that **St. Thomas the Apostle** reached Kerala around 52 AD.
* The early “St. Thomas Christians” (Syrian Christians) mostly lived peacefully under Hindu and later Muslim rulers.
* Unlike Rome, being Christian didn’t automatically mean death; they were considered one more religious community.
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### 2. **Islamic Rule (Delhi Sultanate & Mughals, 13th–18th centuries)**
* Under certain rulers (esp. **Aurangzeb**), Christians, like Hindus, could face jizya tax and restrictions.
* Forced conversions occurred sporadically, especially in frontier or conflict zones.
* Declaring *“I am Christian”* didn’t always mean execution, but it could mean **loss of protection, pressure to convert, or punishment** if seen as resisting authority.
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### 3. **Portuguese Era in Goa (16th–18th centuries)**
* This is where life-or-death truly entered.
* The **Goa Inquisition (1560–1812)** punished Hindus, Muslims, and even local Christians who didn’t conform to Roman Catholic orthodoxy.
* People suspected of “crypto-Hinduism” or local Christian practices (e.g., Syrian rites) were interrogated, tortured, and sometimes executed.
* Here, saying *“I am Christian”* wasn’t enough — you had to be the “right” kind of Christian.
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### 4. **British Raj (18th–20th centuries)**
* The British promoted missionary activity.
* Being Christian could give some **social mobility** (access to English education, jobs, escape from caste oppression).
* But in villages, converts often faced **violent backlash**, excommunication, or even lynching from their own communities.
* It wasn’t the state killing you, but local social order could make *“I am a Christian”* a dangerous admission.
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### 5. **Partition & Modern India (20th century – today)**
* During Partition (1947), Christians were caught in the crossfire between Hindu–Muslim violence, though not usually targeted as Christians.
* In some regions today (e.g., tribal belts, Orissa/Kandhamal 2008), **saying “I am a Christian”** has meant mob violence, house burnings, or lynching.
* Anti-conversion laws in some states put legal risk on openly identifying as Christian, especially if suspected of converting others.
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## ⚡ Summary
* In **India**, unlike Rome, Christianity wasn’t always criminalized outright.
* The danger came in **waves**: Portuguese Inquisition in Goa, Mughal zeal under Aurangzeb, caste backlash under the British, and more recently **Hindutva mob violence**.
* At different times, saying *“I am a Christian”* meant:
* **Martyrdom** under colonial Catholicism.
* **Persecution** under Islamic zeal or Hindutva mobs.
* **Social exile** under caste society.
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👉 So yes, even in the subcontinent, there *were* and still *are* moments when answering “Yes, I am a Christian” could be fatal.
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