The name is absent

conversion to Christianity. By conversion to Christianity
the missionaries extended their territory and increased
their power and prestige over the Anglo-Indians who were
baptised as Christians. (15) As the English hegemony over
India increased at the expense of the Portuguese and other
European powers, so the English language and Christianity
increasingly linked the Anglo-Indians to the English. (16)

The cultural ties of language, religion and ethnicity were
insufficient to establish close ties with the English
however, because of racism. The Indians did not trust the
Anglo-Indians because the community had rejected their
Indian cultural heritage in favour of learning the English
language and embracing Christianity. The rejection of the
mother's cultural heritage set the community apart. That
was reflected in Anglo-Indian schools where Christianity,
the English language and the English way of life became
dominant. These themes are the subject of the next section.

3. The impact of colonialism and the Christian
missionaries on the Anglo-Indian community.

From the beginnings of the Anglo-Indian community,
Christian educational institutions (both Catholic and
Anglican) taught religion and the three "R^,s" to the
Anglo-Indians. As a result, the Anglo-Indian community was
and largely remains a Christian community.

Also, from the beginning, missionary education in India had
both evangelical and political overtones. (17) Later, when
political dominance of India was important for the East
India Company, conversion was seen to be a display of
loyalty to the English.

As a consequence, religious instruction would help the
Anglo-Indians to be loyal, unlike the earlier Portuguese

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