This study in regional social history deals with what the British census referred to as 'The Punjab and its Dependencies'. Since that time the region has been subdivided several times, most importantly in 1947 when the partition line separating India and Pakistan went right through the middle of the region. Today it encompasses the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, the Union Territories of Delhi and Chandigarh, as well as the Pakistani states of Punjab and the North-West Frontier Province. While ecclesiastical and civil boundaries rarely coincided, ties among Christians within this area have been strong enough to make the north-west a workable and meaningful unit for studying the history of Christianity. This history will cover the entire north-west up to 1947.

"The strength of this volume lies in its ability to bring wide-ranging primary data to bear upon its detailed narration of the social experience of Christians in this often overlooked region of India ... The book is an excellent resource not only for the student of South Asian religion, but also for those interested in comparing trends (for example, urban-rural, nationalist versus colonial) in India with those in other parts of the Global South." - Chandra Mallampalli, Journal of Ecclesiastical History