Dr Asangba Tzudir
“In those days, Nagas lived in constant fear of their enemies who might chop off their heads and the threat of their lives was an ever present reality. Village youths in turn would guard twenty-four hours a day. Into such a strange environment came Dr Clark, and only with the gospel of life and Salvation” (Clark’s B-File, ABHS Archives).
The above quote clearly illustrates the everyday life of the Nagas before the advent of Christianity in Nagaland. This year marks the 150th year since the inception of Christianity in Nagaland and today, it is no surprising to hear of moralizing accounts of a people that ‘once upon a time’ lived in savagery to being civilized and Christianized as the one given by a 46 year old Naga clearly illustrates in an article titled, The Soul Hunters of Central Asia: “My forefathers were the most ferocious headhunters among the Naga tribes. We were living in the Stone Age. We were like animals. We didn't know any other way of doing things. Christianity taught us tolerance. As God said, ‘Revenge is mine.’ Had missionaries not come, maybe we would still be living like animals.”
With the coming of the Saint Helena Act of 1833, the East India company lost all its commercial monopolies, and the inclusion of clauses relating to administrative reforms led to a flood of foreign missions to India from England, Netherlands, Germany and other European nations, and then, increasingly, from North America. The American Baptist Missionary Union occupied Assam in 1836 and subsequently carried out wide-scale conversions in the hill districts of Assam.
Once settled in Sibsagar beginning 30 March 1869, Rev Clark did his own geographical survey of the Hills people residing in about 40 odd villages from the perspective of ‘mission outreach.’ As much as tea trade and production was important for the British in India, it also became an outreach area because of the concentration of people across 300 tea gardens stretching over 30,000 Acres and which had done much to render accessible to many hill tribes, the gardens being along the roads. This matrix became a turning point in Clark’s ‘Christianizing mission’ as he concluded that “tribe upon tribe of Nagas are accessible to the Gospel.” This was a time when the Home Board had been instructing Clark to acquire the language of the Assamese. It only became painful for him stationed at Sibsagar thinking about the many Nagas not having heard about the savior and the gospel of salvation.
The turning point for the Nagas finding a way to come to Christ also happened at Sibsagar precisely at the Mission school where students were learning with books and slates in their hands, and which they found it to be the “most wonderful!” (Bowers, 1929: 197). Then came the earnest invitation: “Come up to our village in the hills, Sahib, and teach our children to talk with the books.” In course of their meetings, the Nagas coming down for trade from the hills were told about a new God and religion - a God that will deliver them from hunger and famines, a God that will put an end to all wars for Peace to reign. This was too good an alternative. It was also a time when not a day would pass by without a ritual or sacrifice done especially in the face of sickness in the family, which they will not hesitate to run heavily in debt to get what is deemed necessary for sacrificial offerings.
One can draw the transforming effect from a correspondence of Godhula which Clark reproduced in his letter: “the Naga people are somewhat anxious about religion. Those calling themselves Christians do so understandingly, thus many people desire to meet me. At the present time there are 25 or 26 persons worshipping with me. The Naga people say that their forefathers, in worshipping evil spirits, found only the way to hell. We passed all our life time in fear. That there is death we know, besides this, that after death our spirits went below the earth in company with ghosts, this we learned from the mouth of our forefathers and so knew; that there is a heaven we knew, but that man could go to Heaven, this we never heard. But against the teachings of our forefathers a new doctrine has appeared; how true! how sweet! When we hear this new story, water appears from the eye.” (Clark. 31 October 1872)
In simple faith our forefathers embraced Christianity and the first Naga Church was established. However, the transition was not a smooth one considering the ‘deliverer’ God as professed by Godhula did not respond within the ‘time frame’ of the villagers. Sabbath as a day of rest also became an economic issue in the eye of the non-Christians. Thus began the conflicts between Christianity and the old ways.
However, Christianity slowly progressed but had its own share of lows within the conflicts that a reformation was so desired. It materialized in 1894 which resulted in the restructuring of the Church. It meant that the front space in the church where respected elder’s seats were kept were also removed; the Assamese dress code was put in place etc.; and most importantly it also resulted in the adoption of a covenant - that those willing to come to the side of Christianity should obey and abide by the Holy words in the Bible; that they will worship only the God of Heaven and none other; that they will become committed members of the Church and embrace Christianity whole-heartedly; that they will not drink rice beer nor smoke opium. To this restructuring and covenant only three members could give their approval and desired to form a church.
This is the first editorial of a three part series.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial to The Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
