AmericanMissionaries and Their Interactions with Nestorians of Urmia and the Surrounding Villages (1251-1259/1835-1843)

Upon the religious movement of “the second great awakening” in America, a good number of missionaries were sent from America to other countries. Two of them, named Smith and Dewhite, were sent to Iran by the American Missionary Association. After a long search, they selectedto follow their activitieswith Iranian Nestorians. The presence of American missionaries in Iran is considered one of their early interactions with the Iranians. Accordingly, analyzing the measures taken by them in interactingwith the Iranian Nestorians proves essential. The present paper—via adopting a descriptive-analytic method—aims to investigate the measures taken by the American missionaries in interacting with Nestorians during 1251-1259/1835-1843. Establishing institutes, inventing new orthography, establishing printing office, holding religious rituals, and translating religious texts were among the activities done by the American missionaries during this period.