ZIEGENBALG, Bartholomew

[s. 827] : Born June 24, 1683, in Pullsnitz, Saxony. Died at Tranquebar, India, in 1719. King Frederick IV. of Denmark, aroused to his duty to give the Gospel to those under his sway in India by his chaplain. Dr. Liitken, directed him to seek men suitable for mi ionary service. Ziegenbalg and Plutschau, then students at Halle, young men of talent, learning, and Christian zeal, were appointed, and embarked at Copenhagen in 1705. After a long and dangerous voyage they arrived, July, 1706, at Tranquebar, a Danish po e ion on the Coromandel coast of Hindu stan. After several day’s delay the governor received them with great harshne . Ziegenbalg obtained a room near the heathen and Portuguese quarters, and began his work not only among hostile heathen, but with a govern in ent openly opposed, and a European population absorbed in busine , addicted to vice, and determined at all hazards to be rid of these earnest men. Ziegenbalg, having no grammar or dictionary to help him in learning the language, persuaded a native schoolmaster to bring his school to the mi ion room, and, sitting down with the children, he imitated them in making the letters in the sand till he had become familiar with their form. He then found a Brahman who knew a little English, and with his help was able in eight months to speak Tamil intelligibly. The teacher, however, was loaded with irons by the rajah and thrown into prison. Some of the Europe ans owning slaves, Ziegenbalg obtained their consent that “these poor outcasts might meet for two hours daily for instruction.” In le than a year five slaves were baptised. A native built a church at his own expense, and at the dedication Ziegenbalg preached in Tamil and Portuguese to a large congregation of Christians, Hindus, and Mohammedans. In the second year he made extensive preaching tours. In 1708 he visited Negapatam, and the Dutch magistrate invited the most learned Brahmans to a friendly conference with the mi ionary on religious subjects. The disand much information concerning the origin, history, and doctrines of Christianity was diffused among the native cu ion lasted five days, population. Ziegenbalg had so far mastered the language that in two years after his arrival he began Scripture translation, and a year later could speak Tamil with as much facility as his native German. He soon began the preparation of a grammar and two lexicons one of prose, the In 1711 he finished other of poertical words. the translation of the New Testament into Tamil the first into any language of India and a Not only to large part of the Old Testament. Hindus, but to the half-breed Portuguese and to the slaves of Tranquebar he preached the Gospel. He had also a German service weekly, which was largely attended. In 1714 his translation of the New Testament, the Danish Liturgy, and German hymns. — — — Zanesa Zlnzendorf with thirty-three Tamil works, including a dictionary he had prepared, were printed. His health failing, he returned to his native land in 1715. His account of the Hindus and his mi ionary work created great interest in Germany and England, vast crowds being moved by his glowing appeals, and kings, princes, and prelates giving liberally to the cause. He returned to India in 1719, but died soon after, at the early age of thirty-six, having in the brief period of thirteen years as the pioneer of modern mi ions in India accomplished a remarkable work. Three hundred and fifty converts and a large body of catechumens mourned his death. 827