The Indianapolis journal., 1903-09-27
Native Converts PerpIexed-Some
Drop Former Designations.
London Globe.

London Globe.
In discussing the practice. common TO
nearly all native converts TO Christianity.
of adopting Chritian names instead OF
their former designations, the lndlan Chrls-
tan Messenger is manfuny graphing WITH
some of the secondary questions OF tne
day among Indian Christians. In an ar
ticle on Names it touches a thorny sub
1ect. one which often perplexes the mis-
siOnary. When Islam came into India IL
brought its own Persian and Arabic names
which became so naturalized that almost
the only vernacular MOnammedan names
which one meets with are those OF certain
Pathans or Rajputs, such as Nathe hnap'
but Christianity has no such series OF re-
ligious names. Biblical names have become
incorporated in each language Oh the
Christian peoples in varing forms, ana
usually as a minority among the mass OF
names. To introduce English names among
Indian Christians as a matter of principle
would stamp them, not as specially Chrls-
tian, but as related to Westerns. Hence
a habit has been formed in many quarters
of retaining the old Hindu or Mohammedan
name, but after time the owners not un-
naturally feel that Fateh Muhammad or
Rain Das is not the suitable kind of name
for a Christian. Again, If name is
adopted ending with Masih or Allah, this
last part presently is used by itself as
surname; and 10 call man Nash or Allah
IS as unpleasant as to hear Mohammedan
schoolboys wranging with each other as
khaliq (Creator) Ghatur (absolver), etc.
An ingenius way of escape has been de-
vised by some Indian Christian gentlemen.
who have first used 'tahhaluS or
nom de plume of their own choice, and
when this has gained more less cur
rency, have adopted ii as a surname, but
this desire is now limited in its application.
Others again. who come of a superior tribe
caste, adopt this as their surname, as
Bedi, Puri, or even Khan; but these again
form a limited class. The Messenger
the whole advocates the prefxing of Bib
lical name to the old non-Christian one, as
John Abdulah or David Ram Lal We, re-
marks the Mission News, in discussing the
matter, rather prefer the reverse order. but
1t is probable that the consciousness of the
Indian Christian community will work it's
own way out of the difficulty by various
methods: and in some cases the process of
Anglicizing pronunciations will continue TO
be adopted as in Massey for Nash, Alley
for Ali, and so on.
1t seems desirable at the time of baptism
to give the full name to village Christians
who have been using the common abbrevi
ated forms. as Sadr- -ud-din for Saddu.
Rangi Lal for Ranga, and the like. But
here, too, Indian ideas will have their way.
We remember a baby whose parents called
him ESQ equivalent to Esau). He was
duly registered as such. but two or three
years later, when inquiry was made, no
ESQ could be found in the family. The child
was identified by his age under the name
of Sabbu, but why the change? At last
his mother bashfully confessed that her
baby had fallen very I'll and his life was
despaired of. The wise woman of the
''thatthi'' was called in, but her remedies
were vain. AT last she inquired his name.
Who was ESQ? The bad brother of Jacob.
she was told. "How could they expect the
child TO get well with such a name?" she
asked. Indignantly. 1t was pure waste of
good medicine and skill 10 treat an ESQ. So
covered, but thenceforth shed his baptis-
NAL appellation.