Prof. Rev.
Tinnevelly Christian Historical Society owes much to stalwarts such as Rev. D. A. Christudoss, the author of this book. He is one of the earliest clergy from South India who has systematically recorded the happenings during his lifetime in the vibrant Christian landscape of Tinnevelly and beyond. He has researched, documented, collated and presented narratives with historical accuracy in the form of useful books to the growing Christian community of South India in both Tamil and English. Though he donned many hats, writing remained his passion. It has to be recorded here that one of our team members Sujith stumbled upon the research ledger and handwritten notes of Rev. D. A. Christudoss kept in the Stephen Neil Library in Palayamkottai. The discovery proved to be a great inspiration for all of us to keep on searching and preserving the history of this region and if possible in the high standards set by Rev. Christudoss. We are grateful to God for his pioneering work in recording not only the ‘greats’ of history but also the ‘ordinary’ men and women who walked by faith.This biography of the Apostle of the Dornakal and the first Anglican Bishop, Rev. Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah is a testament to the beautiful penmanship of Rev. Christudass. It was first published in1974 in the Tamil language. We are glad to publish this English translation of the same so that it may reach a wider audience. This book has been an essential resource for many national and international scholars.
