Christian Missionaries Enterprise during Pakistan’s Pre-Partition Era; A Case Study of Punjab

Abstract

This study aims at highlighting the importance and significant role of Christian missionary institutions during the first two decades after partition in India for imparting modern and scientific education on secular lines with new blended model based on Pakistan’s ideology. The study further highlights that in the absence of Christian missionaries and their modern education policy, the political governments not only failed to keep the pace of economy but also to incorporate neoliberal education and to develop coordination between national education and global education field. On the other hand, the Christian missionaries continued imparting education with secular and international approach. The unstable education policies, undefined role of ideology and the constitutional crisis during the first two decades caused fundamentalism, extremism and fanaticism and the indicators were: low rate of economic growth and a great gender gap in male and female education. The basic task of this study is to identify the significance of Christian Missionary Services in Punjab that became hallmark after partition in 1947. This research would also deal with different educational problems faced by Pakistani society with special focus on role of Christian missionary institutions in Punjab. Therefore, the analysis of the educational policies of the institutions run by the Christian missionaries would advance the understanding of this issue.