58 SOCIAL SCIENTIST of religion did not always produce tangible benefits. In many cases, the new Christians actually had to face a deterioration of their position, since the new faith imposed unexpected restrictions on their customary way of life. In this article, an attempt will be made to investigate the socio-economic aspects of Christian conversion by focusing on the small native state of Travancore and, more especially, on the experiences of the local slave castes who associated with the mission and started working on the plantations. Referring to the recent discussion between Beteille and Dumont in Current Anthropology we will also raise the question, to what extent individualism and equality were part of the Christian message as preached by the missionaries, and how this message was received by the people both within and without the plantation sector. TRAVANCORE Travancore lay tucked away on the extreme south-western tip of the Indian peninsula. Geographically, it consisted of a long and narrow strip of land, stretching from north to south and locked in by the Arabian Sea and a high mountain ridge, the Chats. Along the Malabar coast it presents an extremely pleasant sight: waving palmtrees in a green landscape abounding in water. The region behind this coastland was made up of low hills and fertile valleys, where the cultivation of rice, pepper and nuts was fostered by a usually abundant rainfall. Still farther east the high lands were covered with rich forests. They were the traditional preserve of various tribal groups who in recent times had to face mounting pressure from plantations and timber companies. Because of the existing trade connections overseas, Christianity and Islam could enter Travancore at a very early date. There is insufficient historical evidence for the apostle Thomas' alleged visit to India, but there is no doubt whatsoever that Christianity had a firm footing in Travancore right from the beginning of our era and long before the Christianization of Europe had started. In the same way Islam had followed the channels of commerce to the Malabar coast and became an established community long before the first Muslim empires had been founded in north India. Nevertheless, Hinduism unmistakably was the dominant religion. One of the most fundamental problems in Hinduism is the question how the pure, i.e. that what represents life, can be guaranteed against the impure, i.e. that what relates to death and decay. The caste system with its specific rules with regard to food, marriage etc. and its specialization in certain occupations appears to be pre-eminently suited for the purpose of avoiding or at least regulating contact with the impure. In Travancore caste was a major consideration in the maintenance of social relations and nowhere in India was the hierarchical structure as rigid as in this region.