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Mizoram University Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (A Bi-Annual Refereed Journal) Vol IV Issue 2, December 2018 ISSN: 2395-7352 eISSN:2581-6780 Cultural Factors of Christianizing the erstwhile Lushai Hills (1890-1940) Zadingluaia Chinzah* Abstract Alexandrapore incident became a turning point in the history of the erstwhile Lushai Hills inhabited by simple hill people, living an egalitarian and communitarian life. The result of the encounter between two diverse and dissimilar cultures that were contrary to their form of living and thinking in every way imaginable resulted in the political annexation of the erstwhile Lushai Hills by the British colonial power,which was soon followed by the arrival of missionaries. In consolidating their hegemony and imperial designs, the missionaries were tools through which the hill tribes were to be pacified from raiding British territories. In the long run, this encounter resulted in the emergence and escalation of Christianity in such a massive scale that the hill tribes with their primal religious practices were converted into a westernised reli- gion. The paper problematizes claims for factors that led to the rise of Christianity by various Mizo Church historians, inclusive of the early generations and the emerging church historians. Most of these historians believed that waves of Revivalism was the major factor in Christianizing the erstwhile Lushai Hills though their perspectives or approach to their presumptions are different. Hence, the paper hypothesizes that cultural factors were integral to the rise and growth of Christianity in the erstwhile Lushai Hills during 1890-1940 as against the claims made before. Keywords : ‘Cultural Factors of Conversion,’ Tlawmngaihna, Thangchhuah, Pialral, Revivals. I. Introduction chiefs. C. L. Hminga (1987:43) and Zaire- Bengkhuaia, a Lushai chief’s raid on ma (1978:1-2), pioneer church leaders the tea garden at Alexandrapore (Reid, opine that the Alexandrapore incident was 1978:10) resulted in the capture of Mary the immediate cause for the arrival of Winchester. The British Government sent Christianity. Consolidation of British rule the military expeditions, into the erstwhile in the erstwhile Lushai Hills further iso- Lushai Hills, from different angles, not lated the annexed tribes from all possible only in response to the Alexandrapore in- links with the plains people. Hence, the cident but also to subdue other Lushai missionaries were given acquiescence of * Ordained minister of the Lairam Jesus Christ Baptist Church, Lawngtlai, Mizoram. 84 Cultural Factors of Christianizing the erstwhile Lushai Hills (1890-1940) settlement, with a stringent condition of troduces his stage model to integrate dif- pacifying (McCall, 2003: 318) the tribes. ferent disciplines in the study of conver- With the arrival of the missionaries and sion; a heuristic construction that will help the presence of colonial rulers, ancestral study the process of conversion without practices and traditions soon gave way to claiming to cover everything or to even- Christianity. At the initial stage Christian- tually lead to a perfect understanding of ization was gradual but within a span of conversion (Naomi Kok, 2006: 10; Ram- five decades, majority of the population bo: 165).3 The “Cultural Factors of Con- of erstwhile Lushai Hills 1became Chris- version” theorised by Lewis Rambo com- tians. prises seven stages; 1. Context; 2. Crisis; 3. Quest; 4. Encounter; 5. Interaction; 6. This paper highlights certain hypoth- Commitment; and, 7. Consequence, eses to consider issues such as the factors (Naomi Kok:10). involved wherein a populace which, in isolation had been living a culture hand- II.1 Rambo’s use of Conversion ed down to them from their fore-bearers While admitting that no model can for centuries could suddenly surrender encompass the whole of reality, Rambo their practices. It seeks to locate whether chooses four basic components of conver- British consolidation resulted as the con- sion: cultural, social, personal and reli- sequence of the intended pacification. It gious systems. Changes in an individual’s also looks to find if Christianization was thoughts, feelings and actions often pre- a cultural process of change or the impact ceded by anguish, turmoil, despair, con- of westernization comprising the work of flict, guilt, and other difficulties; religion both colonial and missionaries’ hegemo- as the sacred, encounter with the holy, ny. The emphasis of the paper is to anal- constituting both the goal of a conversion. yse if there can be sufficient validation The important fact Rambo identifies in where cultural factors for the most part conversion is the idea of respect consid- are dependent in the process of Christian- ering what the convert has to go through izing the erstwhile Lushai Hills. in the process (Rambo: 8-9). Rambo views that there is no one cause of conversion, II. Methodology: ‘Cultural Factors of no one process, and no one simple conse- Conversion’ quence; Rambo explains conversion, In Understanding Religious Conver- which he finds are of three kinds: a) Con- sion, Lewis Rambo interprets his conver- version is a process overtime, not a single sion model, “Religious Factors of Con- event; b) Conversion is contextual and version.” Rambo’s intended research lim- thereby influences and is influenced by a its conversion within Christianity. Ram- matrix of relationships, expectations, and bo questions the factors that make con- situations, and; c) Factors in conversion version viable for people especially in the process are multiple, interactive and cu- modern world (1993:ix-xiv).2 Rambo in- mulative (Rambo: 5-7). This connotes 85 Zadingluaia Chinzah conversion as a process, has its compli- eral population of the hills is spoken of as cations, is not immediate, repeatedly de- Mizo (‘introduction’). The Mizo are be- bated, and is a gruesome process that can lieved to belong to the Sino-Tibetan (or be met with resistance or acceptance. Tibeto-Chinese) in origin. In his analysis Rambo thus defines: of the Mizo, Baveja tells an interesting story of a conversation he had with an eld- Conversion is paradoxical. It is erly Mizo person who says that the Mizo elusive. It is inclusive. It destroys and people, in a very ancient legend, were in- it saves. Conversion is sudden and volved in the construction of a long and gradual. It is created totally by the thick wall in China, and was once living action of God, and it is created totally there (Baveja, 1970: 1). The uniqueness by the actions of humans. Conversion of the Mizo migration is that it was not en is personal and communal, private masse but sporadic with a hiatus of years and public. It is a retreat from the in between their migration, the first batch world. It is a resolution of conflict and arriving around 16th century. Lalrimawia empowerment to go into the world explains that ‘the oral traditions available and to confront, if not create, conflict. and the ethnography of Mizo language as Conversion is an event and a process. of Mongoloid by some, Tibeto-Burman by It is an unending and beginning. It is other could probably point to some possi- final and open-ended. Conversion bility. And in the southwards they moved leaves us devastated – and trans- into present Burma. They settled peace- formed (Rambo: 176). fully in the Shan State, Kabaw Valley and in Khampat. They planted a Banyan tree III. Identifying the Mizo and their Ori- at Khampat with the hope of returning be- gin fore they were forced to leave Khampat H. Lalrinthanga, in tracing the differ- by a defective ruler century’ (Lalrimawia, ent traditions about the usage of the term 1995:14). Mizo concludes with acceptance of the primary knowledge gained by J. Shakes- III. Encounter of Cultures pear (1898-1904), the first Superintendent Geography of Mizoram did not allure of erstwhile Lushai Hills. J. Shakespear’s Colonial British attention since it offered identification of the term Mizo has more nothing new. Their isolation and inter-vil- factual statement considering his exper- lage skirmishes kept them busy for de- tise of knowing the Mizo from his own cades. The expansion of the tea gardens experience, and his comparison with oth- and elephant hunting gradually threatened er ethnic groups (Shakespear, 1975: 1). their isolation and their self-acclaimed Shakespear wrote: Among the people sovereignty (Ralte, 2008:1). Hence, Mizo themselves the Lusheis are sometimes spo- chiefs raided villages under the British ken of as Duhlian,at the derivation of jurisdiction causing damages and alarm. which I will hazard no guess, and the gen- Kipgen analyses the following factors of 86 Cultural Factors of Christianizing the erstwhile Lushai Hills (1890-1940) raids by Mizo chiefs with the following for the expedition sent by the Governor- objectives: First they were directed General in Council was: against kindred clans whom they drove It was the desire of the Supreme Gov- out of their hills; second, they were di- ernment to show the Lushais that they rected against tea gardens encroaching are completely in our power, to estab- upon their lands; thirdly, it provided boo- lish permanent friendly relations with ties of war and slaves to serve their them, to induce them to promise to chiefs; and, lastly, the prized trophy of receive our native agents, to make head-hunting (Kipgen, 1997:130). Ralte, travelling safe to all, to demonstrate puts the factors of Mizo raids in the fol- the advantages of trade and com- lowing way which are closely similar to merce, and to prove them in short, Kipgen’s proposed factors: a) To secure they had nothing to gain but every- their territory; b) For want of Iron and thing to lose by acting against British metals which were forged into weapons Government (Reid: 17). of war and for use in agricultural works; c) Head-hunting; and, d) For want of ven- The Lushai Expedition of 1871-72 geance (Ralte: 35-37).

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