ABSTRACT
Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah was publicly silent about the controversy surrounding his appointment. As a new, highly visible symbol of Indian Christianity, Azariah would set precedents for future Indian bishops in every aspect of his demeanor. Azariah got a first taste several months after his consecration when he participated in the consecration of the new Bishop of Lahore in Simla. During the difficult period of uncertainty leading up to his consecration, Azariah was confronted with the challenge of defining, for himself and for India, a suitable identity for a first Indian bishop. Azariah and most of his peers wore exactly such ‘loathsome and intensely vulgar’ modern round caps during their student days at Madras Christian College. Through Azariah, the Indo-Anglican church also contributed to this process of bolstering the dignity of the Raj through orientalization of its official religious institutions. The threat of a racially divided church reemerged in the negotiations over Azariah’s appointment.
