Legend has it that Christianity reached India in A.D. 52, when Saint Thomas the Apostle is supposed to have landed on the Malabar Coast and may have died in India. However, others believe that the first missionary to arrive in the country was Saint Bartholomew.
Historically, Christian missionary activity started with the advent of Saint Francis Xavier in 1544. Then came missionaries from Portugal and, later on, from Denmark, Holland, Germany and Great Britain. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, both Roman Catholic and Protestant missionaries preached Christian doctrines in India and also made important contributions to social improvement and education in India.
Many modern influences in Indian society can be attributed to the advent of Christianity in India. Christian missionaries helped establish schools and colleges all over India, and also spread the message of faith and goodwill in the country. Christianity and its teachings influenced a number of intellectuals and thinkers in India, including Mahatma Gandhi.
Today, there are about 30 million Christians of different denominations in India, out of a total population of one billion.
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