APPENDIX A: CHRONOLOGY OF BENJAMIN BAILEY’S LIFE

**1791**
– 17 November: Benjamin Bailey born in Dewsbury, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, to Joseph Bailey (shoemaker) and Sarah Bailey.

**c. 1805-1811**
– Apprenticeship as a printer in Yorkshire. Acquires skills in typesetting, press operation, and the printing trade.

**c. 1808-1811**
– Experiences evangelical conversion. Begins to sense a calling toward missionary service.

**1814**
– Enters the Church Missionary Society Training College at Islington, London. Studies theology, languages, and mission methods.

**1815**
– Marries Elizabeth Ella. Appointed by the CMS for service in Travancore, India.

**1816**
– Departs England with Elizabeth. Arrives at Madras and proceeds to Alleppey (Alappuzha), Travancore. Meets Thomas Norton, the first CMS missionary in Travancore.

**1817**
– Relocates to Kottayam. Begins establishing the mission station that will be his home for thirty-three years. Commences study of Malayalam.

**1820**
– CMS Press equipment arrives from England.

**1821**
– Establishes the CMS Press at Kottayam—the first printing press in Travancore. Begins the challenging work of designing and casting Malayalam type.

**1824**
– Publishes *Cherupaitangalku Upakarardhamulla Pusthakam* (A Book for the Benefit of Children), the first book ever printed in Malayalam.

**1829**
– Publishes the Malayalam New Testament, the first printed edition of the Christian scriptures in the Malayalam language.

**1830s**
– Expands the network of village schools across Travancore—the “Kottayam System.” Continues refining Malayalam type and publishing educational materials.

**1836**
– The Synod of Mavelikara: The Syrian Christian hierarchy formally rejects the reforming agenda of the CMS missionaries. A turning point in mission-Syrian relations.

**1837**
– Construction begins on Christ Church, Kottayam.

**1841**
– Publishes the complete Malayalam Bible (Old and New Testaments), the culmination of more than two decades of translation work.
– Christ Church consecrated for Anglican worship.

**1846**
– Publishes *A Dictionary of High and Colloquial Malayalam and English*, the first comprehensive Malayalam-English dictionary.

**1848**
– Launches *Njananikshepam* (The Treasury of Knowledge), the first Malayalam periodical.

**1850**
– After thirty-four years of service, departs Travancore due to declining health. Returns to England with Elizabeth.

**1850-1871**
– Retires in England. Continues revising the Malayalam Bible translation. Serves as advisor to the CMS on Travancore matters.

**1871**
– 3 April: Benjamin Bailey dies at the age of seventy-nine. Buried in England.
– Obituaries published in the *Church Missionary Intelligencer* and other periodicals.

**Post-1871**
– Elizabeth Bailey survives her husband for several years, living into her eighties.

**1947**
– Formation of the Church of South India, incorporating the Anglican congregations that trace their lineage to Bailey’s ministry.

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## APPENDIX B: COMPLETE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF BAILEY’S MAJOR PUBLICATIONS

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**Note:** This bibliography lists Bailey’s major published works. It is not exhaustive, as Bailey produced numerous tracts, smaller educational works, and revised editions that are difficult to catalogue completely. Dates are of first known editions; many works went through multiple printings.

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### Scripture Translations

Bailey, B. (Trans.). (1829). *The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Translated from the Original Greek into the Malayalam Language*. Kottayam: CMS Press.

Bailey, B. (Trans.). (1841). *The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments, Translated into the Malayalam Language*. Kottayam: CMS Press.

Bailey, B. (Trans.). (Various dates). *Portions of the Holy Scriptures* (individual books and selections published separately before the complete Bible). Kottayam: CMS Press.

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### Lexicographical Works

Bailey, B. (1846). *A Dictionary of High and Colloquial Malayalam and English, Dedicated by Permission to His Highness the Rajah of Travancore*. Kottayam: CMS Press.

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### Educational Works

Bailey, B. (1824). *Cherupaitangalku Upakarardhamulla Pusthakam* [A Book for the Benefit of Children]. Kottayam: CMS Press. [The first book printed in Malayalam.]

Bailey, B. (Various dates, 1820s-1840s). *Malayalam Readers* (multiple levels). Kottayam: CMS Press.

Bailey, B. (Various dates). *Arithmetic for Beginners*. Kottayam: CMS Press.

Bailey, B. (Various dates). *Geography for Schools*. Kottayam: CMS Press.

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### Grammatical and Language Studies

Bailey, B. (Various dates). *An Outline of Malayalam Grammar*. Kottayam: CMS Press.

Bailey, B. (Various dates). *A Guide to the Malayalam Script*. Kottayam: CMS Press.

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### Liturgical and Devotional Works

Bailey, B. (Trans.). (Various dates). *The Book of Common Prayer in Malayalam*. Kottayam: CMS Press.

Bailey, B. (Trans. & Comp.). (Various dates). *Malayalam Hymns*. Kottayam: CMS Press.

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### Periodicals

Bailey, B. (Ed.). (1848-1850). *Njananikshepam* [The Treasury of Knowledge]. Kottayam: CMS Press. [First Malayalam periodical; continued after Bailey’s departure.]

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### Tracts and Shorter Works

Bailey produced numerous religious tracts, catechetical materials, and short devotional works throughout his career. Many were published without date or with minimal bibliographic information. A comprehensive bibliography would require systematic examination of the CMS Press archives and surviving collections.

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## APPENDIX C: GLOSSARY OF TERMS

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### Malayalam and Sanskrit Terms

**Abugida:** A writing system in which consonant characters carry an inherent vowel sound, modifiable by diacritical marks. Malayalam is written in an abugida script.

**Ezhava:** A community in Kerala traditionally associated with toddy-tapping, agriculture, and Ayurvedic medicine. Positioned below the Nairs in the traditional caste hierarchy.

**Grantha:** An ancient script used for writing Sanskrit in South India. Related to the development of the Malayalam script.

**Gurukula:** The traditional system of education in which students lived with their teacher (guru) and received instruction, primarily in religious and classical texts.

**Kalari:** A training school for the martial art of Kalaripayattu, traditional to Kerala.

**Kathanar:** A priest in the Syrian Christian tradition.

**Malpan:** A teacher or scholar in the Syrian Christian tradition, particularly one versed in Syriac language and theology.

**Nair:** A martial and landowning caste in Kerala, positioned below Nambudiri Brahmins in the traditional hierarchy.

**Nambudiri:** The highest caste of Brahmins in Kerala, traditionally landowners and scholars of Sanskrit and the Vedas.

**Njananikshepam:** “The Treasury of Knowledge.” The first Malayalam periodical, founded by Benjamin Bailey in 1848.

**Palm-leaf manuscript:** A text written on dried and treated palm leaves, the traditional medium of textual transmission in South India before the advent of printing.

**Paraiyar:** A community classified as “untouchable” under the traditional caste system.

**Pattukal:** Songs or poems in the Malayalam literary tradition.

**Peshitta:** The standard Syriac version of the Bible, used by the Syrian Christian community.

**Pulaya:** A community classified as “untouchable” under the traditional caste system, traditionally agricultural labourers.

**Thali:** A marriage pendant, the tying of which forms a central ritual in Hindu and Syrian Christian weddings in Kerala.

**Tharavad:** A matrilineal joint family household, characteristic of Nair society.

**Theyyam:** A ritual performance tradition in northern Kerala, involving spirit possession and elaborate costumes.

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### Missionary and Historical Terms

**Catechist:** A lay worker who provides religious instruction, often in village settings where ordained clergy are not available.

**Church Missionary Society (CMS):** An Anglican missionary society founded in 1799, strongly influenced by the evangelical revival. The sponsoring organisation for Bailey’s work in Travancore.

**Church of South India (CSI):** A united Protestant church formed in 1947, bringing together Anglican, Methodist, Congregational, and Presbyterian traditions. The successor body to the churches founded by CMS missionaries in Travancore.

**Compositor:** A worker who sets type for printing, selecting individual metal letters and arranging them in a composing stick.

**East India Company:** The British trading company that exercised political control over large parts of India until the Indian Rebellion of 1857, after which the British Crown assumed direct rule.

**Evangelical:** A movement within Protestant Christianity emphasising personal conversion, the authority of the Bible, and active mission. The theological orientation of Bailey and the CMS.

**Formal equivalence:** A translation philosophy that seeks to reproduce the original text as closely as possible, word for word, as opposed to dynamic equivalence which prioritises natural expression in the target language.

**Monitorial system:** A method of education in which more advanced students (monitors) teach younger ones under the supervision of a teacher, enabling mass instruction at low cost.

**Punch (typefounding):** A steel rod with a character engraved in relief on its end, used to create matrices for casting metal type.

**Resident:** The British political officer stationed at the court of an Indian princely state under the subsidiary alliance system.

**Subsidiary alliance:** A system under which Indian princely states accepted British paramountcy in external affairs in exchange for internal autonomy and military protection.

**Syrian Christians:** An ancient Christian community in Kerala, tracing their origins to the Apostle Thomas and historically using Syriac as their liturgical language.

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## APPENDIX D: GAZETTEER OF KEY LOCATIONS

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### Alleppey (Alappuzha)
A port town on the Malabar Coast where Bailey first landed in Travancore in 1816. A major centre of the spice trade in the 19th century, known for its network of canals. Bailey was initially stationed here before relocating to Kottayam.

### CMS College Campus, Kottayam
The site of the original CMS mission compound, including Bailey’s residence, the CMS Press buildings, and the educational institutions that grew into CMS College. Many original structures have been modified or replaced, but the campus remains an active educational institution.

### Christ Church, Kottayam
Anglican church built between 1837 and 1841, consecrated during Bailey’s tenure. Located on the CMS compound, it remains an active place of worship belonging to the Church of South India. Contains memorial plaques commemorating Bailey and other early missionaries.

### Dewsbury, West Riding of Yorkshire
Bailey’s birthplace and childhood home. A market town in the industrial West Riding, centre of the woollen industry. Bailey was born here on 17 November 1791.

### Islington, London
Site of the CMS Training College where Bailey studied from 1814 to 1815 before departing for India. The college provided theological education and practical preparation for missionary candidates.

### Kottayam
Inland town in central Travancore, chosen by Bailey as the site of the primary CMS mission station in 1817. Became the centre of Bailey’s operations: the CMS Press, Christ Church, the mission schools, and CMS College. Remains a major centre of Malayalam publishing to this day.

### Mavelikara
Location of the historic synod of 1836, at which the Syrian Christian hierarchy formally rejected the reforming agenda of the CMS missionaries. A pivotal event in the history of CMS-Syrian Christian relations.

### Old Seminary (Kottayam College)
Theological training institution established with the support of Colonel John Munro, intended for the education of Syrian Christian clergy. Became a site of cooperation and later tension between the CMS and the Syrian Church.

### Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Capital of the princely state of Travancore, seat of the Maharaja and the British Resident. The political centre whose policies shaped the context in which Bailey operated.

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## APPENDIX E: BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY

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### European Missionaries and Colleagues

**Baker, Henry Jr.** (dates): CMS missionary who arrived in Travancore in 1838, representing the second generation of the mission. Known for expanding evangelistic outreach and developing vernacular education.

**Fenn, Joseph** (d. 1840): CMS colleague of Bailey, arrived in Travancore in 1818. Focused on theological education and pastoral work among Syrian Christians. His death in 1840 was a significant loss to the mission.

**Munro, Colonel John** (c. 1775-1858): British Resident in Travancore, 1811-1819. A devout evangelical Christian who invited the CMS to Travancore, provided financial support for the Old Seminary, and used his influence to facilitate the mission’s establishment.

**Norton, Thomas** (dates): The first CMS missionary to arrive in Travancore (1816). Provided early leadership to the mission alongside Bailey.

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### Indian Christians and Syrian Church Leaders

**Cheppad Dionysius** (c. 1781-1856): Metropolitan (bishop) of the Syrian Orthodox Church in Travancore during Bailey’s time. Presided over the Synod of Mavelikara in 1836, which rejected CMS attempts to reform the Syrian Church.

*(Note: The names of most Indian assistants, translators, teachers, and catechists who worked with Bailey are not preserved in the historical record. Their contributions, though essential, remain anonymous. This absence is itself a significant feature of the archival record, reflecting the unequal documentation of European and Indian lives in missionary sources.)*

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### British Political Figures

**Gowri Lakshmi Bayi, Rani** (1791-1815): Regent of Travancore during Bailey’s arrival. Granted permission for the establishment of the CMS mission.

**Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma** (1813-1846): Maharaja of Travancore, who came of age during Bailey’s early years in the kingdom. A noted patron of the arts and composer of Carnatic music.

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## APPENDIX F: FURTHER READING AND RESOURCES

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### Primary Sources

CMS Archives, University of Birmingham, Special Collections. The correspondence, journals, and reports of Benjamin Bailey and his CMS colleagues. The most important primary source for the study of Bailey’s life and work.

British Library, India Office Records. Government documents relating to Travancore, including materials on the CMS mission and its relationship with the colonial administration.

Kerala State Archives, Thiruvananthapuram. Records of the Travancore government, including materials on education, printing, and missionary activity.

CMS College Archives, Kottayam. Institutional records, photographs, and publications relating to the history of the college and the CMS mission.

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### Books and Articles

Bayly, Susan. (1989). *Saints, Goddesses and Kings: Muslims and Christians in South Indian Society, 1700-1900*. Cambridge University Press.

Blackburn, Stuart. (2003). *Print, Folklore, and Nationalism in Colonial South India*. Permanent Black.

Chandran, K. N. (2006). *The Evolution of Malayalam Script and Typography*. Kerala Sahitya Akademi.

Cherian, C. V. (1935). *A History of Christianity in Travancore*. Kerala Historical Society.

Cox, Jeffrey. (2008). *The British Missionary Enterprise Since 1700*. Routledge.

Forrester, Duncan B. (1980). *Caste and Christianity: Attitudes and Policies on Caste of Anglo-Saxon Protestant Missions in India*. Curzon Press.

Frykenberg, Robert Eric. (2008). *Christianity in India: From Beginnings to the Present*. Oxford University Press.

George, K. M. (1968). *A Survey of Malayalam Literature*. Asia Publishing House.

Israel, Hephzibah. (2011). *Religious Transactions in Colonial South India: Language, Translation, and the Making of Protestant Identity*. Palgrave Macmillan.

Jeffrey, Robin. (1992). *Politics, Women and Well-Being: How Kerala Became a ‘Model’*. Palgrave Macmillan.

Kawashima, Koji. (1998). *Missionaries and a Hindu State: Travancore, 1858-1936*. Oxford University Press.

Kesavan, B. S. (1985). *History of Printing and Publishing in India, Vol. 1: South Indian Origins of Printing*. National Book Trust.

Menon, A. Sreedhara. (1967). *A Survey of Kerala History*. Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society.

Neill, Stephen. (1985). *A History of Christianity in India: 1707-1858*. Cambridge University Press.

Priolkar, A. K. (1958). *The Printing Press in India*. Marathi Samshodhana Mandala.

Stanley, Brian. (2001). *Christian Missions and the Enlightenment*. Eerdmans.

Sugirtharajah, R. S. (2002). *Postcolonial Criticism and Biblical Interpretation*. Oxford University Press.

Ward, Kevin, & Stanley, Brian (Eds.). (2000). *The Church Mission Society and World Christianity, 1799-1999*. Eerdmans.

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### Digital Resources

CMS Archives Digital Collections (where available through the University of Birmingham).

British Library Endangered Archives Programme (may include digitised materials from Kerala churches and institutions).

South Indian Typography Project (digital resources on the history of Indian scripts and printing, if available).

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## IMAGE CREDITS AND PERMISSIONS

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**Note for Version 1.0:** This section will be completed as images are sourced and permissions obtained for the Pressbook. Recommended image sources include:

– CMS Archives, University of Birmingham (missionary photographs and illustrations)
– CMS College, Kottayam (historic buildings and campus views)
– Kerala State Archives (historical documents and maps)
– Contemporary photographs of heritage sites (Christ Church, mission compound, etc.) taken by the author or obtained under Creative Commons licensing
– Scans of early CMS Press publications from library collections, used under fair dealing for educational purposes

All images should be accompanied by appropriate alt text for accessibility and credit lines identifying the source and any applicable license.

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## ABOUT THE AUTHOR/EDITOR

George Varghese is an independent researcher and digital curator focused on the intersection of classical literature and modern educational technology. This  BOOC (Books as Online Content)  and  the Benjamin  Bailey LMS are  attempts to explore the role of  H5P  interactive resources in  a Pressbooks OER