Henry Martyn
Missionary to India and Persia
Born	February 18, 1781, Truro, Cornwall, England
Died	October 16, 1812, Tokat, Ottoman Empire
Venerated in	Anglican Communion
Feast	19 October
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Henry Martyn (18 February 1781 - 16 October 1812), was an Anglican priest and missionary to the peoples of India and Persia. Truro (ˈtruːrəʊ Truru is a city in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, and is the centre for administration leisure Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Tokat is the capital city of Tokat Province of Turkey, at the mid Black Sea region of Anatolia. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Christianity is India's third-largest religion, with approximately 24 million followers constituting 2 Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Malankara Church of India is the Christian church believed to be started by St The Syrian Malabar Nasrani people are an Ethnoreligious group from Kerala, India. This article addresses the Saint Thomas Christians and the various churches and denominations that form the Nasrani people. Malankara Metropolitan is the title of the head of Malankara Church of Kerala, India, believed to be started by St See also Syrian Malabar Nasrani Knanaya (Hebקנאים Malayalam ക്നാനായ Arقينان literally meaning "Knai people" are an The Synod of Diamper, held at Udayamperoor /Diamper ( Kerala, India) formally united the ancient Christian Church of the Malabar Coast Saint Thomas The Coonan Cross Oath was taken in 1653, by a group of Saint Thomas Christians, reacting to the persecution of their Church by the Portuguese colonials The Goa Inquisition was the office of the Inquisition acting in the Indian state of Goa and the rest of the Portuguese empire in Asia Thomas the Apostle, also called Judas Thomas, Doubting Thomas, or Didymus, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Saint Francis Xavier ( Konkani / Konknni: Sam Fransisku Xavier/ Sanv Fransisk Xavier Basque: San Frantzisko Xabierkoa Spanish: San Francisco Mother Teresa, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, (born August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997) was an Albanian ref>Spink Reginald Heber ( April 21, 1783 - April 3, 1826) was a Church of England bishop now remembered chiefly as a hymn-writer Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara was the co-founder and first prior-general of the Congregation of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate and of the Congregation of the George Edward Lynch Cotton ( October 29, 1813 – October 6, 1866) was an English and educator and churchman renowned for his connections William Carey may refer to William Carey (1761&ndash1834 an English Protestant missionary William Carey (c Biography Early life Groves was born in Newton Valance, Hampshire, England Hugh Findlay ( Newmilns, Ayrshire, Scotland, June 9, 1822 &ndash March 2, 1900 in Fish Haven Idaho Advent Christian Conference Anglican Church of India Apatani Christian Fellowship Apostolic Christian Assembly Chaldean Syrian Church is the name used for the Assyrian Church of the East in India. The Church of North India (CNI the dominant Protestant denomination in northern India is a United church established on 29 November 1970 by The Church of South India ( Abbreviation: CSI) is a union of many Protestant Denominations spread throughout South India. The Brethren are a Christian Evangelical Premillennial religious movement The Indian Pentecostal Church of God (IPC is the largest indigenous Pentecostal movement in India, with its headquarters at Hebron Kumbanad, Kerala The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church is the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in Kerala, India. Malabar Independent Syriac Church is also known as Thozhyur Sabah (church and Anjoor church The Mar Thoma Church is a Christian denomination from Kerala, the South Western State of India. The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (also known as the Malankara Orthodox Church, Orthodox Church of the East, Orthodox Syrian Church of the East, The Roman Catholic Church in India is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. St Thomas Evangelical Church of India (STECI is an Evangelical, Episcopal denomination based in Kerala, India. The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church (also known as Malankara Syrian Catholic Church Malankara Syriac Catholic Church) The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is a Chaldean Rite Major Archiepiscopal Church in Full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Events 3102 BC - Epoch (origin of the Kali Yuga. 1229 - The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II Holy Year 1781 ( MDCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 456 - Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British The Qajar dynasty (also known as Ghajar or Kadjar ( ( - or دودمان قاجار) is a common term to describe Iran (then known as Persia) under Born in Truro, Cornwall, he was educated at St John's College, Cambridge. Truro (ˈtruːrəʊ Truru is a city in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, and is the centre for administration leisure Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar St John's College, an institution known formally as The Master Fellows and Scholars of the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge is a A chance encounter with Charles Simeon led him to become a missionary. Charles Simeon September 24, 1759 – November 13, 1836) was an English evangelical clergyman He was ordained a priest in the Church of England and became a chaplain for the British East India Company. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or

Martyn arrived in India in April 1806, where he preached and occupied himself in the study of linguistics. He translated the whole of the New Testament into Urdu, Persian and Judaeo-Persic. Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised He also translated the Psalms into Persian and the Book of Common Prayer into Urdu. Psalms ( Hebrew: Tehilim, תהילים, or "praises" is a book of the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) included The Book of Common Prayer is the common title of a number of prayer books of the Church of England and used throughout the Anglican Communion. From India, he set out for Bushire, Shiraz, Isfahan, and Tabriz. Bushehr or Bushire ( Persian:بوشهر pop 165377 (in 2005) is a city on the southwestern coast of Iran, on the Persian Gulf Shiraz ( شیراز Shīrāz) is the fifth most populated city in Iran and the capital of Fars Province. Esfahān or Isfahan (historically also rendered as Ispahan or Hispahan, Old Persian: Aspadana, Middle Persian: Spahān Tabriz ( تبریز, تبریز) is the largest city in northwestern Iran.

Martyn was seized with fever, and, though the plague was raging at Tokat, he was forced to stop there, unable to continue. Tokat is the capital city of Tokat Province of Turkey, at the mid Black Sea region of Anatolia. On 16 October 1812 he died. Events 456 - Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year He was remembered for his courage, selflessness and his religious devotion. In parts of the Anglican Communion he is celebrated with a Lesser Festival on 19 October. See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches Lesser Festivals are a type of observance in the Church of England, considered to be less significant than a Principal Feast, Principal Holy Day, or Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal.

Early life

Martyn was born in Truro, Cornwall. Truro (ˈtruːrəʊ Truru is a city in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, and is the centre for administration leisure Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar His father, John Martyn, was a "captain" or mine-agent at Gwennap. Gwennap is a Civil parish and village in the Carrick District of Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. As a boy, he was educated at Truro grammar school under Dr Cardew and he entered St John's College, Cambridge, in the autumn of 1797, and was senior wrangler and first Smith's prizeman in 1801. St John's College, an institution known formally as The Master Fellows and Scholars of the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge is a At the University of Cambridge, a Wrangler is a student who has completed the third year (called Part II) of the Mathematical Tripos with First-class In 1802, he was chosen as a fellow of his college. ^[1]

He had intended to go to the bar, but in the October term of 1802 he chanced to hear Charles Simeon speaking of the good done in India by a single missionary, William Carey, and some time afterwards he read the life of David Brainerd, a missionary to the Native Americans. Charles Simeon September 24, 1759 – November 13, 1836) was an English evangelical clergyman See also Evangelism, Christianization A Christian mission has been widely defined since the Lausanne Congress of 1974 as that which William Carey may refer to William Carey (1761&ndash1834 an English Protestant missionary William Carey (c David Brainerd, ( April 20, 1718 &ndash October 9, 1747) was an American Missionary to the Native Americans. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. He resolved, accordingly, to become a missionary himself. On 22 October 1803, he was ordained deacon at Ely, and afterwards priest, and served as Simeon's curate at the church of Holy Trinity, taking charge of the neighbouring parish of Lolworth. Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Ely (, rhyming with "freely" is a Cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England. Lolworth is a civil parish in the district of South Cambridgeshire, England, located approximately northwest of Cambridge city centre ^[1]

Missionary work

Martyn wanted to offer his services to the Church Missionary Society, when a financial disaster in Cornwall deprived him and his unmarried sister of the income their father had left for them. The Church Mission Society, known as the Church Missionary Society in Australia and New Zealand is a group of evangelistic societies working with the Anglican Church It was necessary for Martyn to earn an income that would support his sister as well as himself. ^[2] He accordingly obtained a chaplaincy under the British East India Company and left for India on 5 July 1805. The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England. Year 1805 ( MDCCCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or ^[1] On his voyage to the East, Martyn happened to be present at the British conquest of the Cape Colony on 8 January 1806. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The Battle of Blaauwberg, fought near Cape Town on 8 January 1806, was a small but significant military engagement The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652 with the founding of Cape Town. Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army Year 1806 ( MDCCCVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He spent that day tending to the dying soldiers and was distressed by seeing the horrors of war. He would come away feeling that it was Britain's destiny to convert, not colonize, the world. ^[3] He wrote in his diary:

India

Martyn arrived in India in April 1806, and for some months he was stationed at Aldeen, near Serampur. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Serampore (also called Serampur Srirampur is a city and a Municipality in Hooghly district In October 1806, he proceeded to Dinapur, where he was soon able to conduct worship among the locals in the vernacular, and established schools. Danapur, sometimes known as Dinapur, located on on the right bank of the Ganges, is a satellite town of Patna in Bihar state of India ^[4] In April 1809, he was transferred to Cawnpore, where he preached to British and Indians in his own compound, in spite of interruptions and threats from local non-Christians. Kanpur ( Hindi: कानपुर Urdu: کان پور spelled as Cawnpore before 1948 is one of the most populous cities in the north India ^[2]

He occupied himself in linguistic study, and had already, during his residence at Dinapur, been engaged in revising the sheets of his Hindustani version of the New Testament. Hindustani (हिन्दुस्तानी ہندوستانی Hindustānī, hɪn̪d̪ʊst̪aːniː also known as " Hindi-Urdu," is a term covering He now translated the whole of the New Testament into Urdu also, and into Persian twice. Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised He translated the Psalms into Persian, the Gospels into Judaeo-Persic, and the Book of Common Prayer into Urdu, in spite of ill-health and "the pride, pedantry and fury of his chief munshi Sabat. Psalms ( Hebrew: Tehilim, תהילים, or "praises" is a book of the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) included The Book of Common Prayer is the common title of a number of prayer books of the Church of England and used throughout the Anglican Communion. "^[5] Ordered by the doctors to take a sea voyage, he obtained leave to go to Persia and correct his Persian New Testament. From there, he wanted to go to Arabia, and there compose an Arabic version. The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab) Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language ^[1] On 1 October 1810, having seen his work at Cawnpore rewarded on the previous day by the opening of a church, he left for Calcutta, from where he sailed on 7 January 1811 for Bombay. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1810 ( MDCCCX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental Year 1811 ( MDCCCXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial The ship reached port on his thirtieth birthday. ^[4]

Final voyage and death

From Bombay he set out for Bushire, bearing letters from Sir John Malcolm to men of position there, as also at Shiraz and Isfahan. Bushehr or Bushire ( Persian:بوشهر pop 165377 (in 2005) is a city on the southwestern coast of Iran, on the Persian Gulf For the American Revolution figure see John Malcolm (Loyalist. Shiraz ( شیراز Shīrāz) is the fifth most populated city in Iran and the capital of Fars Province. Esfahān or Isfahan (historically also rendered as Ispahan or Hispahan, Old Persian: Aspadana, Middle Persian: Spahān After an exhausting journey from the coast he reached Shiraz, and was soon plunged into discussion with the disputants of all classes, "Sufi, Muslim, Jew, and Jewish Muslim, even Armenian, all anxious to test their powers of argument with the first English priest who had visited them. "^[5] He next traveled to Tabriz to attempt to present the shah with his translation of the New Testament, which proved unsuccessful. Tabriz ( تبریز, تبریز) is the largest city in northwestern Iran. Shah is an Iranian term for a Monarch (leader that has been adopted in many other languages The British ambassador to the shah was unable to bring about a meeting, but did deliver the manuscript. Although Martyn could not present the Bible in person, the shah later wrote him a letter:

At this time, he was seized with fever, and after a temporary recovery, had to seek a change of climate. He set off for Constantinople, where he intended to return on furlough to England to regain his strength and recruit help for the missions in India. Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey ^[2] On 12 September 1812, he started with two Armenian servants and crossed the Aras River. Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani Urged on from place to place by their Tatar guide, they rode from Tabriz to Erivan, from Erivan to Kars, and from Kars to Erzurum. Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups Yerevan (Երևան Երեւան or Երեվան ˌjɛrəˈvɑːn sometimes written as Erevan, Iravan, Erewan, Ayrivan, and Erivan Kars may refer to Kars Turkey Kars Province, Turkey Kars Oblast, Russian Empire Kars Province Theodosiopolis redirects here it is also a name of the ancient city of Apros, Thrace They departed Erzurum and though the plague was raging at Tokat, he was forced to stop there, unable to continue. Tokat is the capital city of Tokat Province of Turkey, at the mid Black Sea region of Anatolia. He wrote his final journal entry on 6 October. It read, in part:

On 16 October 1812 he died and was given a Christian burial by Armenian clergy. Events 456 - Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year A Christian burial is the Burial of a deceased person with ecclesiastical rites typically in Consecrated ground The Armenian Apostolic Church (Հայաստանեայց Առաքելական Եկեղեցի Hayasdaneaytz Arakelagan ^[1]

Legacy

His devotion to his tasks won him much admiration in Great Britain and he was the hero of a number of literary publications. ^[1] Thomas Babington Macaulay's Epitaph, composed early in 1813, testified to the impression made by his career:

John McManners wrote in his Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity that Martyn was a man remembered for his courage, selflessness and his religious devotion. The Rev Professor John "Jack" McManners CBE FBA ( December 25, 1916 - November 4, 2006) was a British religious ^[3] In parts of the Anglican Communion he is celebrated with a Lesser Festival on 19 October. See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches Lesser Festivals are a type of observance in the Church of England, considered to be less significant than a Principal Feast, Principal Holy Day, or Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. ^[1]

See also

List of missionaries in India

References

Further reading

• Bentley-Taylor, David. My Love Must Wait: the Story of Henry Martyn, Downers Grove: IVP (1975).
• Henry, B. V. Forsaking All for Christ: A Biography of Henry Martyn London: Chapter Two, 2003.
• Sargent, John. Memoir of the Rev. Henry Martyn B. D. , London: Hatchard (1816). Links to editions from 1820 and 1844

• Smith, George. Henry Martyn, Saint and Scholar, London: Religious Tract Society (1892).