Pagans and Competitive Conversions

The first people in every land had believed that an in-dwelling spirit or soul, the Latin word anima, resided within all living as well as inanimate things. The first religious forms in all societies were, therefore, called Animist. The tribal dwellers of dangerous forests and nomadic pastures believed that there was a spirit in every mountain, rock, tree, river or waterhole. Spirits that had to be appeased with small offerings of food and flowers so that they would grant food and safety and protect them from dangerous animals, climates, pests or diseases. Over time, these spirits were symbolised as idols and gradually became objects of worship.

The emergence of great cities first in Egypt and Babylon followed by those of the India, China and Persia required the management of thousands of soldiers, artisans, courtiers, workmen, cooks, traders, courtesans and priests clamouring for the attention of the kings and competing for space amid increasing noise, filth and tension. These needed rules for order and social positioning. Social and moral laws to restrain violence, theft, adultery, dishonesty and other actions that disturbed order were reinforced by new religious sanctions enforced by increasingly powerful orders of priests. A new religious system emerged.

The forest dwellers and nomads lived in small mobile communities where everyone had social position and occupation. They did not need the moral and social religions of the urban civilisations and were despised by these new city dwellers as Pagans (from the word pagan meaning pasture) or Heathens (living on a heath or pasture) or Kafir (cattle herder).

The new religions of Moses, Buddha, Confucius or Zoroastra abandoned the multiplicity of tribal deities and began defining just one god or no god at all. Their Ten Commandments or Eight Fold Path and other similar injunctions were more concerned with man's behavior than with his spiritual evolution. Dharma that, for tribal people, had been defined by what one ’was', now became determined by what one ’did'. The traditions of these early prophets were refined by later ones like Jesus and Mohammed but it was their regimented orders of priest that made these religions strong enough to spread far from their places of origin.

There were usually five elements in all religions. The first were the sages or prophets who had found a new harmony or truth through enlightenment or revelation. They were the founders but their vision would have perished if there had not been the apostles like Peter and Paul or the first four Arab Khalifs. It was they and not the prophets who had the scriptures written years after the deaths of their prophets. They also defined the duties, behaviour and rituals for their priests.

The priests were the third element and they soon became the competitive salesmen or soldiers of their brands of God. There were many saintly priests but most of them soon learned that hatred was a stronger uniting force than the loose bonds of love. There is usually rivalry when people love together but unity when there is a common bond of hatred. The prophets of all religions had preached love but the priests were intolerant of anything that deviated from their narrow dogmas. They proclaimed rituals and myths that could magically promise salvation and remove sorrow. Heresy, blasphemy and ostracism were weapons used to keep their flocks in line. More blood was shed in the name of religion than any prophet would ever have imagined.

They were encouraged by the fourth element, the patrons. The kings and rich merchants found the priests very useful for keeping the masses docile, industrious and obedient because all religions encouraged the masses to suffer the sorrows of this life in expectation of rewards in the next. In heaven, the promised land or in reincarnation. It was a symbiotic relationship that strengthened the kings and enriched the priests. The patrons endowed the priests with great temples and places of worship along with magnificent costumes with which they could awe the masses.

Finally there were all the common people who were persuaded that their diligent worship, offerings, sacrifices, penances and pilgrimages, supervised by the priests, would provide them with spiritual insurance policies to ensure a safe passage through the uncertainties of the future. Both in this life and in the afterlife as well.

Despite the rapid emergence of great cities and civilisations tribal people continued to exist in diminishing communities all over the world. Though they were despised as primitive pagans they were useful laborours for the new urban conquerors of ancient tribal lands. These joyous care-free people were easy targets for conversion by the priests of Islam in Africa and South East Asia and by the priests of Christianity in China, Africa and the Americas. Animists who already worshipped many gods had no problem in adding another god to their pantheons and continued worshipping them all.

In India, tribal societies like the Baigas, Bhils, Gonds and Santhals remain big elements in the population and remain animist to this day belonging to no religion at all. Most of them are not Hindu as they do not worship Shiv or Vishnu but their own deities, know nothing of the Vedas and have no Brahmins to direct their ceremonies or worship. Even most Jats tribes had not come within the fold of Brahminism till recent times.

Forcible conversions had certainly been a factor in the past but not during the past 200 years. Food, security and social uplift had been more useful persuaders. During the past century many Christian missions have worked among the tribals and done good work in education and health. Many of the missionaries have been people of great dedication and devotion. Being strong believers in the need to save the Heathen they certainly encouraged their students and patients to follow their beliefs. A number of tribal conversions have been taking place continually but rarely a conversion of Hindus. A few Hindu organisations like the Ramakrishna mission have also done good work with similar success.

Till recently, this process went virtually unnoticed but now there is a new force of eager young people, inspired by strident Hindutva ideals who consider all Indians who are not specifically Muslim, Jain, Christian, Buddhist or Sikh are automatically Hindu. They deeply resent the activities of the Christian missions in stealing people who they consider must be Hindu. Though few of them have done anything significant for the tribals they fervently believe in their faith and cannot understand why many tribals are so half-hearted about becoming proper Hindus. A few tribals who do follow them are attracted by their fiery fervour and often become their instruments for venting their frustration and fury on defenseless missionaries.