Bengali Christian
| বাঙালি খ্রিস্টান (Bangali Khrishtan), ফিরিঙ্গি (Firingi) | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 1,065,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Bangladesh
|
550,000 |
 India
|
515,000 (West Bengal) |
| Languages | |
| Bengali | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Bengali Muslims, Bengali Hindus, Bengali Buddhists | |
Bengali Christians (Bengali: বাঙালি খ্রিস্টান) also known as Firingis, are adherents of Christianity among the Bengali people. They speak the Bengali language and are native to Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. The majority of Bengali Christians are Roman Catholics.
Christianity took root in Bengal after the arrival of Portuguese voyagers in the 16th century. It witnessed further conversions among the Bengali elite during the 19th century Bengali renaissance.
Bengali Christians have made significant contributions to Bengali culture, commerce and society. The region is home to venerable Christian missionary institutions, including the Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa.
Christianity was established in Bengal by the Portuguese in the 16th century. The Portuguese settlement in Chittagong hosted the first Vicar Apostolic in Bengal.Jesuit missionaries also established churches in Bandel and Dhaka. In 1682, there were 14,120 Roman Catholics in Bengal.William Carey translated the Bible into Bengali in 1809. Many upper-class Bengalis in the British Indian capital Calcutta converted to Christianity during the Indian Renaissance.
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Wikipedia