Charles Freer Andrews facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles Freer Andrews
|
|
|---|---|
Charles Freer Andrews 1971 stamp of India
|
|
| Born | 12 February 1871 Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England
|
| Died | 5 April 1940 (aged 69) |
| Alma mater | Pembroke College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Anglican priest, missionary, educator, social reformer |
| Known for |
|
Charles Freer Andrews (born February 12, 1871 – died April 5, 1940) was a British priest and Christian missionary. He was also a teacher and worked to improve society. Charles Andrews was a strong supporter of India's freedom from British rule.
He became a very close friend of famous Indian leaders like Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi. He truly believed in India's fight for freedom. Andrews played a big part in convincing Gandhi to come back to India from South Africa. Gandhi had been a leader in the fight for Indian civil rights there.
Gandhi lovingly called Andrews Christ's Faithful Apostle. This was based on his initials, C. F. A. Because of his help in the Indian independence movement, Gandhi and his students gave him the name Deenabandhu. This means "Friend of the Poor".
Contents
Early Life and Education
Charles Freer Andrews was born on February 12, 1871, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. His father was a church leader. Charles was one of 14 children in his family.
He went to King Edward's School, Birmingham. Later, he studied old languages and history at Pembroke College at Cambridge University. In 1895, he won a special prize for his studies. During this time, he decided to join the Church of England as a priest.
In 1896, Andrews became a deacon (a type of church minister). A year later, he became a full priest. He also became a leader at a theological college in Cambridge. In 1899, he was chosen as a fellow at Pembroke College.
Working for Justice in India
Andrews was always interested in how his Christian faith connected with fairness and justice. This led him to care about people fighting for their rights in the British Empire, especially in India.
In 1904, he joined the Cambridge Mission to Delhi. He went to teach philosophy at St. Stephen's College. There, he became good friends with many Indian teachers and students. He was upset by the unfair and racist way some British officials treated Indians. He started to support India's goals for political freedom. In 1906, he even wrote a letter to a newspaper about his feelings. Andrews soon became involved with the Indian National Congress, a group working for India's independence. He also helped solve a strike by cotton workers in Madras in 1913.
Helping Gandhi in South Africa
Andrews was known for being convincing, smart, and very honest. Because of this, a senior Indian political leader, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, asked him to visit South Africa. He wanted Andrews to help the Indian community there solve their problems with the government.
Andrews arrived in January 1914. He met Mohandas Gandhi, who was 44 years old. Gandhi was leading the Indian community's fight against unfair treatment and laws that limited their freedoms. Andrews was very impressed by Gandhi's understanding of Christian ideas and his belief in ahimsa (nonviolence).
Andrews helped Gandhi in his talks with General Jan Smuts, a South African leader. He helped work out the final details of their agreements. Following the advice of Indian leaders, Andrews was very important in convincing Gandhi to return to India with him in 1915.
Friends with Tagore and Helping the Poor
In 1918, Andrews disagreed with Gandhi about recruiting soldiers for World War I. He felt it didn't fit with their ideas of nonviolence. He wrote that he found this "painful disagreement."
Andrews was chosen as the President of the All India Trade Union in 1925 and 1927. This showed his commitment to workers' rights.
He also worked to create understanding between Christians and Hindus. He spent a lot of time at Santiniketan talking with the famous poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore. Andrews also supported the movement to end the unfair practice of "untouchability" against certain groups of people. In 1919, he joined the famous Vaikom Satyagraha, a nonviolent protest. In 1933, he helped B.R. Ambedkar write down the demands of the Dalits, who were an oppressed group.
Andrews and Agatha Harrison helped arrange for Gandhi to visit the UK. He went with Gandhi to the second Round Table Conference in London. There, he helped Gandhi talk with the British government about India becoming more independent.
Work in Fiji
News reached India about the poor treatment of Indian workers in Fiji. These workers were under a system called "indentured labour," which was like forced work. In September 1915, the Indian Government sent Andrews and William W. Pearson to investigate.
They visited many farms and talked to workers, managers, and government officials. When they returned to India, they also spoke with workers who had come back from Fiji. In their report, Andrews and Pearson showed how bad the indenture system was. This report led to the end of sending Indian workers to British colonies.
In 1917, Andrews visited Fiji again. Even though he saw some improvements, he was still shocked by the conditions. He called for the immediate end of indenture. The system of Indian indentured labor was officially stopped in 1920.
In 1936, Andrews visited Fiji again while traveling in Australia and New Zealand. The former indentured workers wanted his help with new problems. However, Andrews was happy with the improvements he saw. He told the Fiji Indians to remember that Fiji belonged to the Fijians, and they were guests there.
Later Life and Legacy
Around this time, Gandhi suggested to Andrews that it might be best for British friends like him to let Indians lead their own freedom struggle. So, from 1935 onwards, Andrews spent more time in Britain. He taught young people about Christian ideas of helping others.
Gandhi's loving nickname for Andrews was Christ’s Faithful Apostle, using his initials "C.F.A." He was widely known as Gandhi's closest friend. He was perhaps the only major person who called Gandhi by his first name, Mohan.
Charles Andrews passed away on April 5, 1940, while visiting Calcutta. He is buried in the Christian cemetery there.
Remembering Charles Andrews
Andrews is widely remembered and respected in India.
- Two colleges of the University of Calcutta, the Dinabandhu Andrews College and the Dinabandhu Institution, are named after him.
- A high school in south Kolkata also honors his name.
- The Dinabandhu Andrews College was started to provide education to many children who had moved from what is now Bangladesh.
- In South India, hospitals like Deenabandhu Hospital in Palakkad, Kerala, are named after him.
In 1948, a minister named Joseph John was inspired by Gandhi's and Andrews' ideas. He left his ministry to help the poor and those without a caste in a remote area. He founded a village called Deenabandupuram.
Andrews was played by British actor Ian Charleson in the 1982 film, Gandhi. He is honored on February 12 in the church calendar of the Episcopal Church in the USA.
In 1971, India released a special postage stamp to celebrate 100 years since Andrews' birth. In 2024, Newcastle City Council announced plans to put a plaque at his birthplace to remember his life.
See also
- Delhi Brotherhood Society
