Hi,
I've always heard about all the Christianization attempts of the colonial empires, and although that was prominently in the earlier colonial empires (i.e the Portuguese and Spanish), I've wondered, were there Jesuits, or European missionaries, who traveled through India to secure converts, like in Africa, Japan, China, and the Americas, or was there too much of a societal and cultural pressure to allow for even a small number of converts to found a Christian community in Indo-Pakistan?
India has long been the target of Christian missionary activity. This begins with the legends of the Apostle Thomas' activity in India (the claimed roots of the "St. Thomas Christians" which are ancient, native Christian communities in India) and continues to this day. Yet between this ancient activity and modern missionary efforts, there have been many Christian missions in India.
Francis Xavier, A Jesuit, was sent and arrived in Goa in 1542. Though he had some fruit in his children focused ministries, he did not say in Goa long. Colonized by the Portuguese, he found Goa to be too westernized and decided to move deeper into India. According to Ruth A. Tucker, author of From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya: A Biographical History of Christian Missions, his ministry was largely influenced by castes: Brahmans were largely antagonistic but Paravas were generally open to the change that Christianity could bring. Tucker goes on to argue that Xavier's evangelistic mission was superficial at best: his young converts were more interested with smashing idols than knowing the tenets of the Christian faith. Other Jesuits like Matthew Ricci would also spend time in India.
A second major time of Christian missionary activities in India would come in the wake of the 18th century Evangelical Revival. Mark Noll in The Rise of Evangelicalism states that the Moravians were active in Tranqueber. He also argues that "imperialism, trade, and missionary interests would advance together," this being exemplified by Charles Grant. Grant, as director (then chairman) of the East India Company, would champion the "Christianization of India," leading to the formation of the Anglican Church Mission Society (CMS). The CMS would be one of many Protestant mission societies active in India, the most famous being the Baptist Missionary Society.
The BMS' most famous missionary was William Carey. Carey, who is now known as "the Father of Modern Missions" was sent to India in 1793. Carey went to Serampore. According to Michael Haykin in The Baptist Story, by 1821 hundreds of Indians were converted due to the work of the mission.
Christian missionaries have long been active in India and the subcontinent as a whole. Other names to look up would be Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg (a Lutheran missionary) and Edwin W. Clark (influential in the near entire conversion of state of Nagaland in the early 20th century).