New Book Documents Life of American Missionary Satyanand Stokes
A new book titled Samuel to Satyanand Stokes has been launched in Shimla to document the life of the American missionary who introduced apple farming to Himachal Pradesh and joined India's freedom movement.
Book Launch Details
The book was released on Tuesday during the opening day of a three-day international conference on Himalayan culture, history and art. The event is organised by the Himachal Pradesh State Museum in Shimla. The author of the book is Vinod Bhardwaj, a Shimla-based former senior editor with the Information and Public Relations Department.
Life and Contributions of Satyanand Stokes
The book traces how Samuel Evans Stokes came to India from America in 1904 for missionary work and later became Satyanand Stokes. He contributed to education, healthcare, agriculture, horticulture, social reform and the Indian independence struggle. He ran a mobile library, opened a school in 1923, and helped with relief work after the 1905 Kangra earthquake.
Role in Freedom Struggle and Apple Economy
Stokes became a fierce opponent of the British after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919 and joined the Congress party. He was the first American in India to be imprisoned for participating in the freedom movement, spending six months in jail in 1921. He also brought apple plants from the United States in 1916, which began bearing fruit in 1926 and transformed the economic landscape of the region. He later left Christianity in 1932 and embraced Hinduism.