Portions of the Book of Common Prayer in Hindi (1874)
Portions of the Book of Common Prayer in Hindi.
Bihāna aur sāñjha kī prārthanā aur prabhu bhoja aur baptismā kī vidhi.
Ludhiana: Mission Press, 1874.
Historical introduction
The translation into Hindi of the orders for Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, Holy Communion, and Baptism is not listed in David Griffiths' Bibliography of the Book of Common Prayer 1549-1999 (London: The British Library; New Castle, Delaware: Oak Knoll Press, 2002) or in William Muss Arnolt's Book of Common Prayer among the Nations of the World (1914). Muss-Arnolt discusses the history of other liturgical translations into Hindi in Chapter XXVII, and this publication may be a later, local printing of the 1870 Bishop's College, Calcutta translation of identical portions by Jabez Cornelius Whitley (1837-1904):
A revised Hindi translation of the Morning and Evening Prayer, the Communion and Baptismal Services, was published in 1870 at Bishop's College, Calcutta, followed in 1872-73, by Hindi translations of the forms of the Ordering and Ordaining of Deacons and Priests (including the Veni Creator Spiritus), Ranchi. This translation was made primarily for the educated natives of Chhota Nagpur, not for the villagers, among whom different dialects are found embracing languages of the Dravidian family as well as of the Kolarian. The translations were made by the Rev. J. C. Whitley.
Jabez Cornelius Whitley was born in London, England, January 20, 1837. He graduated B.A. (Sen. Opt.) from Queen’s College, Cambridge, in 1859, was ordered deacon in 1860, and ordained priest in 1861. He served as S.P.G. missionary at Kurnaul and at Delhi, in the Delhi Mission, from 1862 until 1869; and at Ranchi, Chhota Nagpur, Bengal, from 1869 to 1890. On March 23, 1890, he was consecrated first bishop of Chhota Nagpur, in St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral, Ranchi, India. He died in his diocese at Darjeeling on November 17, 1904, falling asleep without pain or lingering sickness. Whitley was a fine scholar and author of a number of Hindi helps and translations of devotional books, among which may be mentioned especially a prayer book for private use (Benares, about 1874). and a hymnal (Benares, 1880; 2nd edition, enlarged, 1888).
This document was digitized in 2012 by Richard Mammana from a copy of the original provided by the late Thomas N. Rae.