The Protestant Legacy

ABSTRACT

We study the long-term impact of Protestant missions in colonial India on present-day literacy, education, and gender equality in human capital outcomes. We combine contemporary administrative and survey data with archival information on the spatial distribution of missions and the gender composition of missionaries in early 20th-century India. We document a positive long-run link between Protestant missions and human capital today. The relationship is particularly strong for women and for missions with higher female presence. While the data to fully explore the underlying mechanisms are limited, we show that exposure to Protestant missionaries may have induced shifts in gender attitudes.