Samuel to Satyanand Stokes: Book about American missionary who transformed Himachal’s apple economy launched in Shimla

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

–> Samuel to Satyanand Stokes: Book about American missionary who transformed Himachal’s apple economy launched in Shimla ANI | Updated: Oct 06, 2026 17:18 IST

Join our Whatsapp channel Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], October 6 (ANI): A new book titled ‘Samuel to Satyanand Stokes’ documenting the extraordinary life and contribution of Satyanand Stokes, the American missionary who introduced apple cultivation to the hills of Himachal Pradesh and later became a participant in India’s freedom movement, was launched in Shimla on Tuesday. The book was released on the opening day of a three-day international conference on Himalayan culture, history and art being organised by the Himachal Pradesh State Museum in Shimla.Written by Vinod Bhardwaj, a Shimla-based former senior editor with the Information and Public Relations Department, the book traces the transformation of Samuel Evans Stokes into Satyanand Stokes and highlights his contribution to education, healthcare, agriculture, horticulture, social reform and India’s freedom struggle.Speaking to ANI in Shimla, Bhardwaj said Stokes was much more than the “father of apple cultivation” in Himachal Pradesh and that his wider contribution to the social and economic transformation of the hills remained largely unknown to the younger generation.“My name is Vinod Bhardwaj. I am a resident of Shimla and retired from the Information and Public Relations Department. I have written the book ‘Samuel to Satyanand Stokes’. The book tells the story of Satyanand Stokes, who was popularly known as the father of apple cultivation in Himachal Pradesh,” Bhardwaj said.”He came to India from America in 1904 for missionary work. So, this book focuses on his life philosophy and the work he did in the mountains, how his life progressed here, and how an American who came wearing traditional Pahari attire adopted the local culture and traditions,” said Bhardwaj. Bhardwaj said Stokes worked in several areas beyond horticulture, including education, healthcare and agriculture, and believed that social change could come only through education and integration with local communities.“He also ran a mobile library in the Kotgarh area, taking books from village to village to encourage a reading habit. When he opened a school in 1923, he taught his own children there alongside the village children. He believed that since his kids played with the village kids, they would only absorb the local culture if he taught them in his own school,” he said.Stokes also played a significant role in relief work following the devastating Kangra earthquake of 1905 and was subsequently recognised by the British government for his efforts, Bhardwaj said. During the First World War, Stokes also served as a recruitment officer. However, his relationship with the British administration changed dramatically following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919. ”He did a lot of relief work during the 1905 Kangra earthquake, for which he was honoured by the British government. He also worked as a recruitment officer during the First World War. After that, when the Jallianwala Bagh massacre happened in 1919, he became a fierce opponent of the British. He joined the Congress and attended the Nagpur session as a delegate of Punjab, since Kotgarh was part of Punjab. He went there and became a true follower of Gandhiji. He also travelled around the country with Gandhiji and came back to open a school. The apple saplings he had planted from America in 1916 started bearing fruit in 1926. He was deeply influenced by Indian culture, our scriptures, and the Arya Samaj. In 1932, he left Christianity and embraced Hinduism. After that, he continuously worked for the economic upliftment of his area and the region,” added Bhardwaj. Bhardwaj said Stokes’ role in India’s freedom struggle was particularly significant because he was among the very few Americans to openly participate in the Indian independence movement and was imprisoned in 1921.

“He was the first American in India to be imprisoned for participating in the freedom movement. He spent six months in jail in 1921,” Bhardwaj said while talking to ANI. The book also highlights Stokes’ role in introducing commercial apple cultivation to the hills. Bhardwaj said Stokes had brought apple plants from the United States in 1916 and that the trees began bearing fruit around 1926, eventually transforming the economic landscape of Himachal Pradesh.“He brought apple plants from America in 1916, and by 1926 they had started bearing fruit. What followed changed the economic condition of the hills. He was greatly influenced by Indian culture and the teachings of the Arya Samaj. In 1932, he left Christianity and adopted Hinduism. Thereafter, he remained continuously engaged in the development of the people and the region,” he addedThe author said Stokes also understood that the success of apple cultivation would depend upon transportation infrastructure and fought for better road connectivity for the hill farmers.”You’ll be surprised to know that when apples started growing along the Hindustan-Tibet Road, trucks weren’t allowed there at first. Back then, all the apples used to come on mules to Shimla. When that got too expensive, they fought for this too. They rerouted the road from Sanjoli via the Victory Tunnel, which the British built in 1945. This was so that during the three-month period when they got permission for apple trucks, they could actually reach the railway station, which wasn’t possible before,” said Bhardwaj. He urged the government to consider incorporating Stokes’ life and philosophy into the school curriculum.“Satyanand Stokes was a remarkable humanist, and his philosophy should be included in the school curriculum. There should be detailed and authentic information about his work so that future generations can know how a man who came to India as an American missionary eventually became an Indian, adopted the Pahari way of life and contributed to the country’s freedom movement. A fitting tribute would be to install his statue on the Ridge and establish a major institution in his name so that people can know about the American who came to India, became an Indian, contributed to the freedom struggle and transformed the economic landscape of the hills,” said Bhardwaj. The book was released as part of the inaugural day proceedings of the three-day international conference organised by the Himachal Pradesh State Museum, which has brought together researchers and scholars working on the history, culture, archaeology, art and heritage of the Himalayan region.The conference is aimed at providing a common platform for scholars from different parts of India and abroad to share research and examine the Himalayan region beyond contemporary political boundaries.The story of Stokes, presented through ‘Samuel to Satyanand Stokes’, adds another dimension to the conference’s focus on Himalayan history and cultural heritage by documenting the life of an American who became deeply rooted in the region and left an enduring imprint on its social, agricultural and political history. (ANI)