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Impact of Christianity Among the Tangkhul Naga Tribe of North-East India

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Impact of Christianity Among the Tangkhul Naga Tribe of North-East India Polytheism to Monotheism: Impact of Christianity among the Tangkhul Naga Tribe of North-East India RIMAI JOY Amity Institute of Anthropology, Amity University, Noida Sec 125, Uttar Pradesh E-mail: [email protected] KEY WORDS: Animism. Polytheism. Monotheism. Christianity impact. Tangkhul Naga. North-East India. ABSTRACT: Religion as one of the basic institution is a system of beliefs usually involving the worship of supernatural forces or beings which continues to have major influence on human society. This article is an attempt to discuss a sea of change in religion among a rural tribal community who were living a relatively isolated life in the North-Eastern part of India. The people had a traditional religion but with the coming of Western missionary they are now living a converted Christian life. The author has discussed how the change from polytheism to monotheism has taken place among Tangkhul Naga tribe of North-East India. INTRODUCTION entire hills. Another very important discussed in this The research article is an outcome of intensive research article is on the way Christianity swept across fieldwork among a tribe in North-East India called this indigenous tribal community and the process of Tangkhul Naga for six months. The tribal community conversion. Finally analyse the life of the people after which is under study had their own traditional, conversion. So the current research article is the ancestral religion but they are now living a converted product of my research among a tribal community Christian life. The Tangkhul Naga tribe constitutes who had a drastic change from head hunting live to a the major bulk of the population among the hill tribes new Christian convert. of Manipur State of India occupying a District called METHODOLOGY Ukhrul which constitutes 4409 sq km out of the total 22,356 sq km of Manipur with a population of 183,115 The research article is part of the fieldwork (Census of India, 2011). They are mongoloid stock conducted for Ph.D. thesis so the first authorization speaking Tibeto-Burman dialect and the district carves and permission comes from the University through an international boundary with Myanmar (Burma) the Ph.D. supervisor and the Head of the Department. (Shimray, 2007). On reaching the field, all the informants were During my research I wanted to find out about informed from the beginning and in the process of their religion, specifically on the religion they are collecting data that their identity will be protected following now, the God they worship and about and such none of their names will figure at any time different rituals and ceremonies and about the religion of my research publication but the rapport established they have left behind, the abandoned traditional to the level that many people from the tribe had no religion and the way Christianity swept across the problem even if their name figured. The topic of research being on religion, observation played an Assistant Professor important role, observing the people in the religious South Asian Anthropologist, 2014, 14(1): 73-80 New Series ©SERIALS 73 74 Rimai Joy settings, in the religious festivals, rituals, and their wards to employ the word consistently in that sense normal day to day life sometimes compelling me to throughout his work (Frazer, ’32: 224). be part of the event but that only helps me find the According to Sinha (’77:11) religion is a subject answer to the present converted Christianity so to look of great concern even in an advanced society of today back into a religion that had been abolished, oral where futility of science has often compelled man to narration played an important role. There were elders search for God, or a supernatural power so that his among the tribe who were living a traditional life and faith in the order of things is not absolutely lost. are now living a converted Christian life. Sitting down Science is based essentially on the cause effect theory with them and interviewing them for days converting and certain natural laws or axioms. Religion is based them into months yielded enormous amount of data on simple faith imbued with a sense of on the traditional religion called Hao. Even to a small supernaturalism. Religion in preliterate societies tribal community like the Tangkhul Naga, literacy and exercises a more profound influence over man’s migration has its impact so administering thoughts and behaviour who ultimately surrender all questionnaire consisting both open-ended and close- their actions to him. ended was an important part of the five years research. My area of research interest was also on religion From a mere interaction to structured interview was among the Tangkhul Naga tribe who occupy the another blend that was used trying to confine to the North-Eastern part of India. The people had a religion topic. Other methodology that shaped the whole called Hao but with the coming of Western research includes genealogy, life history and many missionaries, the people have now embraced mechanical aid such as photography to capture their Christianity. A paradigm change in their faith which religious setting and a recorder to recollect and listen has become an important area of research. to their narrations as writing all the narration at the Weber (’22) said it is not possible to define time of interview was not possible. religion, to say what it “is,” at the start of a THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK presentation such as this. Definition can be attempted, if at all, only at the conclusion of the study. The Religion as one of the basic institution “essence” of religion is not even our concern, as we (Srivastava, ’97) is a system of beliefs usually make it our task to study the conditions and effects of involving the worship of supernatural forces or beings. a particular type of social action. The external courses Religious beliefs provide shape and meaning to one’s of religious behaviour are so diverse that an perception of the universe. In other words, it is the understanding of this behaviour can only be achieved religion that people lean on to, when inexplicable from the viewpoint of the subjective experiences, things happen which is beyond their control. For most notion, and purposes of the individuals concerned— religious people, their beliefs about the supernatural in short, from the viewpoint of the religious behaviour. are at the very core of their worldview. Thus religion To define religion for the people of Tangkhul was easy is a set of beliefs and practices generally held by an if the definition was to be given based on the Christian individual and community involving adherence to faith they have at present but to define it from the codified beliefs and rituals. Religion is both traditional religion the people had, was one tough personal and communal faith stemming from shared thing. There was no god, there was no name to their conviction. Therefore it is an abstract set of ideas, religion, rather only the spirits which also vary from values or experiences developed as a part of cultural village to village. The outcome of my six months effort matrix. to study their religion can be analysed in the following Sir James Frazer (1932) said, there is probably way. no subject in the world about which opinions differ Sinha (’77) who wrote about the religion of the so much as the nature of religion, and to frame a North-East India said; the religion, as discovered in definition of it which would satisfy everyone must the North-Eastern cultural region is different from obviously be impossible. All that a writer can do first what it is in other parts of tribal India. There are as is to say clearly what he meant by religion and after many as thirty tribes speaking some fifty different Polytheism to Monotheism: Impact of Christianity among the Tangkhul Naga Tribe 75 dialects and living in these far stretched regions of was called kameo and not kamyou while the priest North-East Frontier, spread over some thirty thousand was called khunong and maiba is a term used by the square miles in what I call a continuous cultural belt. Meitei people so is lai which is called chipee by the Each tribe here has its own distinct religion which Tangkhul people. Rather than criticise Hodson, the they have maintained over ages, uninfluenced by any purpose of this article is to present the people as it is cultural traits. They have some elements of religion on their conversion from traditional religion to in common, such as naturism or animism propelling Christianity which according to Tylor (’29) is a a belief in the hierarchy of functional gods, deities development of religion from polytheism to and spirit reigning over them in a kind of kingdom monotheism. and in a soul-substance hovering around their life. Sinha (’77:11) said religion is a subject of great They have a basic philosophy of religion which binds concern even in an advanced society of today where them all and invokes their faith in the supernatural. futility of science has often compelled man to search Their whole religion can be better studied as forming for God, or a supernatural power so that his faith in a part of some great cultural system (Sinha, ’77: 6). the order of things is not absolutely lost. Science is Therefore religion is a basic social and universal based essentially on the cause effect theory and certain institution. natural laws or axioms. Religion is based on simple faith imbued with a sense of supernaturalism. Religion DISCUSSION in preliterate societies exercises a more profound influence over man’s thoughts and behaviour who Traditional Religion of The Tangkhul Naga ultimately surrender all their actions to him.
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