History of the Nagas

A photograph of a group of Nagas taken c. 1870
Naga tribemen wearing warpaint c. 1905

The history of the Nagas dates back centuries, but first appear in written records of Ahom kingdom during the medieval period of Indian history. Aside from developing contacts with the Ahom kingdom, which was established in 1228 in Assam, the Nagas generally lived an isolated existence from the outside world. This changed in the 19th century, when the Burmese Empire launched several invasions of Assam between 1817 and 1826, which led the Nagas to briefly fall under Burmese rule. However, the neighboring British Empire annexed Assam in 1828 following the 1826 Treaty of Yandabo.[1][2]

During the 1830's, the British dispatched several expeditionary forces to Assam in order to solidify their control over the region; in 1845, British officials signed a non-aggression pact with several Naga chiefs to bring an end to Naga raids on British-controlled territory in Assam. However, the Naga violated the agreement and continued to launch raids on British-controlled territories.[3] During the 19th century, British attempts to subdue the Naga tribes and abolish traditional Naga practises such as headhunting and intertribal violence were resisted with guerrilla tactics from the Naga, in particular the Angami Naga. The colonial authorities responded by launching a series of successive punitive expeditions, which brought this resistance to an end.[4]

During World War I, 2,000 Nagas enlisted in the British Indian Army (BIA) and served in the Western Front. In World War II, a larger number of Nagas enlisted in the BIA and fought in the Burma campaign against invading Japanese forces.[5] After India became independent from British rule in 1947, the Naga became Indian citizens, though an ongoing ethnic conflict exists in the region since 1958.[6]

  1. ^ Tezenlo Thong, "A Clash of Worldviews: The Impact of Modern Western Notion of Progress on Naga Culture, 1832-1947," Journal of Race, Religion and Ethnicity, No. 2, 5 (2011): 1-37
  2. ^ https://www.britannica.com/place/Nagaland/Government-and-society#ref46186
  3. ^ Upadhyay, R. Naga Insurgency - A confusion of war or peace (Paper No. 1256, 17 February 2005, South Asia Analysis)
  4. ^ https://www.britannica.com/place/Nagaland/Government-and-society#ref46186
  5. ^ Drouyer, Isabel, Drouyer René, THE NAGAS: MEMORIES OF HEADHUNTERS, White Lotus, 2016, p.1
  6. ^ https://www.britannica.com/place/Nagaland/Government-and-society#ref46186

© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search