The Christianisation of the Northeast:
It all began on the eve of Independence
There is an important difference between the
Northeast and other regions of high Christian presence that we have mentioned
above. Christianity had arrived in most of the latter regions before the
twentieth century, while Christianisation of the Northeast has taken place entirely
in the twentieth century, mostly after Independence. The number and share of
Christians did indeed rise considerably in several States of southern and
central India during the twentieth century, but there was a significant Christian
presence there already at the beginning of the century. In States like Kerala
and Goa, the share of Christians has in fact been declining, since the middle
of the twentieth century in the former and since the beginning of the century
in the latter. In the Northeast, on the other hand, there were almost no
Christians at the beginning of the twentieth century; their numbers and share
began to rise dramatically in the decades immediately before and following
Independence, and there has been no let-up yet in the rapid expansion of
Christianity in this region.
It all began on the eve of Independence
The Northeast
forms a major region of Christian concentration in India today. Of 2.78 crore
Christians counted in 2011, 78 lakh are in the Northeast (including Assam).
This is among the largest concentration of Christians in India. But unlike
other regions of Christian concentration in India, the spread of Christianity
in the Northeast is almost entirely a phenomenon of the twentieth century. Much
of the Christian expansion in the Northeast occurred on the eve of Independence
during 1931-51, perhaps largely during 1941-51. That expansion has continued
unabated since 1951. The tribal populations of Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland
have now become almost entirely Christian. In Meghalaya also Christianisation
of the tribal people is nearing completion, though some tribes are resisting
conversion even now. Arunachal Pradesh escaped Christianisation up to 1971; but
Christianity began to obtain a foothold there with the establishment of the
civil administration and now more than 30 percent of the population has been
Christianised. The share of Christians in the population of several tribes and
districts of Arunachal Pradesh is much higher. We have discussed Christian presence
in the specific tribes of the State in an earlier note and shall it discuss
further for Arunachal Pradesh and other States of the Northeast in a subsequent
note. Sikkim in the neighbourhood of the Northeast has also been witnessing
rapid expansion of Christianity since 1971; the share of Christians in the
population there has reached nearly 10 percent from less than 0.8 percent in
1971. There has been a similarly rapid rise in the share of Christians in the
neighbouring Darjiling district of West Bengal.
The history and
timing of Christianisation of the Northeast indicates that administrative,
political and strategic impulses have played a large role in this phenomenon.
The early beginning of Christianisation in the hill States of the region was
encouraged and facilitated by the British administrators. This facilitation
went to the extent of vesting the entire responsibility and budget of school
education on the Church in the area that now forms Meghalaya. Christian
missionaries obtained similarly close cooperation from the British
administration in the Lushai hills, which now form Mizoram. The tentative
spread of Christianity through the cooperation of the British administration in
the earlier part of the twentieth century was followed by a great spurt at the
eve of Independence. The data clearly shows that Christianity got entrenched in
the tribal populations mainly during 1931-51. In that period and following
Independence, the Church began to inspire and lead the various militant
assertions of tribal and regional sub-nationalism in this region. This seems to
have helped the continued expansion of Christianity throughout the region after
1951. The expansion has now started encompassing Arunachal Pradesh.
Distribution of
Christians in the Country
Though Christian evangelism is active throughout
India, the larger populations of Christians are in a few well-defined pockets.
Of 2.78 crore Christians counted in 2011, 1.1 crore are in the two States of
Kerala and Tamil Nadu; there are another 26 lakh of them in the western coastal
States of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. Thus nearly half of all Christians in
India are concentrated mainly on the western coast. After this, their next largest
concentration is in the Northeast (including Assam); the seven States of the
region accommodate 78 lakh Christians, forming 28 percent of the Indian total.
There are also 37 lakh Christians in the central Indian
States of Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh and in the neighbouring districts
of West Bengal. This region has long been a particular target of Christian
evangelisation because of its large tribal population.
Outside these major regions of Christian concentration,
the States that stand out for considerable Christian presence are Punjab, where
Christian evangelisation achieved an early success in one particular Scheduled
Caste community; and, Andhra Pradesh, where Christians seem to have achieved a
foothold among the Scheduled Castes in the recent past. In 2011, 11.3 lakh
Christians have been counted in Andhra Pradesh; their actual number there may
be much larger. There are 3.5 lakh Christians in the relatively small State of
Punjab. The number of Christians elsewhere is small, though they have a
considerable share of 21.3 percent in the population of Andaman and Nicobar
Islands as a whole and of 70.9 percent in the Nicobar Islands.
The Map below shows the distribution of Christians in
India according to the Census of 2011. In our analysis so far, we have
described the major areas of Christian concentration in Tamil Nadu, Kerala,
Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa, in Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh and in
Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. In this note, we describe the Christian presence in
Northeast, which happens to be the most recent region to have acquired a major Christian
concentration.
Christianisation
of the Northeast is a recent phenomenon
Christian growth in the Northeast began after 1901
Christians in the Northeast, 1901-2011
|
|||
Population
|
Christians
|
%C
|
|
1901
|
42,71,978
|
35,434
|
0.83
|
1911
|
50,58,699
|
65,555
|
1.30
|
1921
|
60,05,043
|
1,32,778
|
2.21
|
1931
|
71,72,512
|
2,49,583
|
3.48
|
1941
|
86,18,116
|
64,766
|
0.75
|
1951
|
1,02,60,371
|
6,59,115
|
6.42
|
1961
|
1,41,64,014
|
11,22,223
|
7.92
|
1971
|
1,91,14,785
|
17,82,172
|
9.32
|
1981
|
2,41,19,765
|
27,19,430
|
11.27
|
1991
|
3,06,82,756
|
42,12,882
|
13.73
|
2001
|
3,73,46,058
|
61,38,507
|
16.44
|
2011
|
4,37,77,884
|
74,13,801
|
16.94
|
As seen in the Table here, there were only 35.4
thousand Christians in the Northeast in 1901 when the total population of the
region was nearly 43 lakh; they formed less than 1 percent of the population
there. After 1901, their numbers began expanding slowly; by 1931, their numbers
had multiplied seven times to 2.5 lakh and their share had risen to about 3.5
percent. Compilation of data for the wartime Census of 1941 was somewhat abridged;
the drastically reduced number of Christians in that year may not be very
reliable. But, in the first Census following Independence, their numbers had
reached around 6.6 lakh and they had acquired a significant share of 6.4
percent in the total population. Their growth after Independence has been rapid
and continuous. In the six decades since Independence, their numbers have
multiplied by 11 times, while the population of the region has increased by 4.3
times. The share of Christians in the population of the Northeast has now
reached near 17 percent. In the 11 decades since the beginning of the twentieth
century, the number of Christians in the region has multiplied by 209 times,
while the total population has risen by only 10 times.
Growth has been
far more dramatic in the Hill States
Northeast minus Assam and Triupura
|
|||
Population
|
Christians
|
%C
|
|
1901
|
9,82,298
|
21,658
|
2.68
|
1911
|
12,10,082
|
42,600
|
4.34
|
1921
|
13,68,063
|
89,232
|
8.39
|
1931
|
16,12,141
|
1,67,962
|
13.66
|
1941
|
19,23,326
|
26,839
|
1.90
|
1951
|
22,31,515
|
4,93,415
|
30.98
|
1961
|
33,26,685
|
8,49,050
|
38.86
|
1971
|
49,57,144
|
13,85,449
|
47.23
|
1981
|
67,10,356
|
21,59,986
|
53.66
|
1991
|
91,32,992
|
34,22,043
|
62.09
|
2001
|
1,17,88,498
|
50,49,429
|
67.40
|
2011
|
1,39,56,035
|
60,88,052
|
68.42
|
The spread of Christianity in the Northeast has been
limited largely to the tribal people of the Hill States. If we exclude Assam
and Tripura, the two States that are blessed with vast plains and valleys, then
the growth of Christianity in the remaining Northeast seems far more dramatic.
There were a total of 21.7 thousand Christians in the Hill States of the
Northeast in 1901. Of these, nearly 20 thousand were in Meghalaya; there were
only about 691 Christians in Nagland, Mizoam and Manipur put together. The
region corresponding to Arunachal Pradesh was then sparsely populated and no
Census was conducted there until 1971. The number of Christians in the other
four Hill States of the Northeast nearly doubled every decade after 1901 and
reached 1.68 lakh in 1931. Between 1931 and 1951, their numbers tripled and
their shared reached the significantly high level of 31 percent. Since then,
Christianity has been continuously growing and spreading to newer areas and
tribes in these States. The number of Christians in this region has reached 61 lakh,
beginning from less than 0.22 lakh in 1901; they now have a commanding share of
68.4 percent in the population of these States compared to their insignificant
presence of 2.7 percent in 1901.
The history of Christianisation of each of the seven
States of the Northeast has been somewhat different. Below, we look at this
process separately for each State.
Assam
Christians in Assam, 1901-2011
|
|||
Population
|
Christians
|
%C
|
|
1901
|
32,89,680
|
13,638
|
0.41
|
1911
|
38,48,617
|
22,817
|
0.59
|
1921
|
46,36,980
|
41,686
|
0.90
|
1931
|
55,60,371
|
79,025
|
1.42
|
1941
|
66,94,790
|
37,599
|
0.56
|
1951
|
80,28,856
|
1,60,438
|
2.00
|
1961
|
1,08,37,329
|
2,63,134
|
2.43
|
1971
|
1,46,25,152
|
3,81,010
|
2.61
|
1981
|
1,80,41,248
|
5,34,572
|
2.96
|
1991
|
2,24,14,322
|
7,44,367
|
3.32
|
2001
|
2,66,55,528
|
9,86,589
|
3.70
|
2011
|
3,12,05,576
|
11,65,867
|
3.74
|
Growth of Christians in Assam has not been as dramatic
as in the Hill States of the Northeast. Yet, their number here has increased
from just 13.6 thousand in 1901 to 11.7 lakh now. This implies a multiplication
of 85 times, while the population of Assam has multiplied by less than 9.5
times in this period. The share of Christians in the population has
consequently increased from 0.41 to 3.74 percent. If we ignore the unreliable
figures of 1941, the share of Christians in Assam has been rising slowly and
steadily throughout the last eleven decades. Only in the last decade of
2001-11, the rise seems to have slowed down. As we have discussed in our
detailed note on Assam, extraordinary growth of Muslims there has led to a
great decline in the share of Hindus in the population and has also restricted the
growth of Christians. In that note, we have also discussed the distribution of
Christians in different parts of the State up to the sub-district level and
have mentioned their rapid growth in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hsao. Incidentally,
most of the Christians in Assam at the beginning of the century were tea
plantation labourers from the Chhota Nagpur region. During the twentieth
century, especially during the second half, Christianity has spread to other groups
also.
Tripura
Christians in Tripura, 1901-2011
|
|||
Population
|
Christians
|
%C
|
|
1901
|
1,73,325
|
138
|
0.08
|
1911
|
2,29,613
|
138
|
0.06
|
1921
|
3,04,437
|
1,860
|
0.61
|
1931
|
3,82,450
|
2,596
|
0.68
|
1941
|
5,13,010
|
328
|
0.06
|
1951
|
6,39,029
|
5,262
|
0.82
|
1961
|
11,42,005
|
10,039
|
0.88
|
1971
|
15,56,342
|
15,713
|
1.01
|
1981
|
20,53,058
|
24,872
|
1.21
|
1991
|
27,57,205
|
46,472
|
1.69
|
2001
|
31,99,203
|
1,02,489
|
3.20
|
2011
|
36,73,917
|
1,59,882
|
4.35
|
As in Assam, the growth of Christianity in Tripura has
been nowhere as rapid as in the rest of the Northeast. Even so, their numbers
in Tripura have increased from just 138 in 1901 to 5,262 in 1951 and to nearly
1.6 lakh in 2011. This implies that the population of Christians in the State
multiplied 38 times between 1901 and 1951 and has multiplied 30 times again
between 1951 and 2011; and, their share in the population has risen from almost
nil to 0.82 percent in 1951 and 4.35
percent now in 2011. As seen in the Table here, rise in the Christian share has
become noticeably sharper after 1981. The reach of Christianity among the tribes
of Tripura has become much deeper in the last few decades; nearly all of the
Christians in the State are from the Scheduled Tribes, as we shall see in a
later note.
Meghalaya
Christianity in
the Northeast achieved its first success in Meghalaya
Christian proselytization in the Northeast achieved
its first significance success in Meghalaya. At the beginning of the twentieth
century in 1901, there were already 21 thousand Christians in Meghalaya; they
had a share of 6.2 percent in the population. As we have seen, there were also
about 14 thousand Christians in the much larger State of Assam at that time and
there were hardly any of them in the other five States.
Education in
Meghalaya was handed over to the Church
Christians in Meghalaya, 1901-2011
|
|||
Population
|
Christians
|
%C
|
|
1901
|
3,40,524
|
20,967
|
6.16
|
1911
|
3,94,005
|
36,699
|
9.31
|
1921
|
4,22,403
|
48,728
|
11.54
|
1931
|
4,80,837
|
75,530
|
15.71
|
1941
|
5,55,820
|
1,056
|
0.19
|
1951
|
6,05,674
|
1,49,390
|
24.67
|
1961
|
7,69,380
|
2,70,910
|
35.21
|
1971
|
10,11,699
|
4,75,267
|
46.98
|
1981
|
13,35,819
|
7,02,854
|
52.62
|
1991
|
17,74,778
|
11,46,092
|
64.58
|
2001
|
23,18,822
|
16,28,986
|
70.25
|
2011
|
29,66,889
|
22,13,027
|
74.59
|
That early success of Christian missions in Meghalaya
is known to have been the consequence of the then British administration
handing over the entire budget and the responsibility for running school
education in this area to the Church from around the middle of the nineteenth
century. Those who joined the government schools, run by the Christian
missions, invariably lost their religion and got converted to Christianity. The
identity between school education and conversion became so deeply established
in the imagination of the tribal people that admission to a school was often
confused with baptism. A Christian historian in this context approvingly quotes
an Indian observer to the effect that: “The Garos think that Christianity and
education go together. After a child gets into school, he is regarded as a
Christian even by his Songsarek (non-Christian) parents. During my fifteen
years of stay among the non-Christian Garos, I found only one literate male who
continued to regard himself as Songsarek.” [History
of Christianity in India, vol.5 part5, Northeast
India in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Century, by Frederick S. Downs, The
Church History Association of India, Bangalore, 1992, p.55.]
Christianity in
Meghalaya has grown continuously since 1901
Between 1901 and 1931, the number of Christians in
Meghalaya rose to 75.5 thousand and their share in the population jumped to
15.7 percent. Between 1931 and 1951, the process of accretion to their share
continued; it reached 24.7 percent in 1951. In the decades following
Independence, the share of Christians in the State has risen rapidly from
decade to decade, but the extent of growth in different decades has varied
widely. In 2011, it has reached 74.6 percent. This is indeed high growth, but
notwithstanding the early start Christianity had in Meghalaya its spread in the
following decades has not been as dramatic or as complete as in Mizoram and
Nagaland, as we see below. It seems that some of the tribes of Meghalaya are
continuing to resist Christianisation. We shall discuss the level of
Christianisation of different tribes in a subsequent note.
Mizoram
Christianisation
of Mizoram began after 1911
Christians in Mizoram, 1901-2011
|
|||
Population
|
Christians
|
%C
|
|
1901
|
82,434
|
45
|
0.05
|
1911
|
91,204
|
2,461
|
2.70
|
1921
|
98,406
|
27,720
|
28.17
|
1931
|
1,24,404
|
59,123
|
47.52
|
1941
|
1,52,786
|
47
|
0.03
|
1951
|
1,96,202
|
1,77,563
|
90.50
|
1961
|
2,66,063
|
2,30,509
|
86.64
|
1971
|
3,32,390
|
2,86,141
|
86.09
|
1981
|
4,93,757
|
4,13,840
|
83.81
|
1991
|
6,89,756
|
5,91,342
|
85.73
|
2001
|
8,88,573
|
7,72,809
|
86.97
|
2011
|
10,97,206
|
9,56,331
|
87.16
|
There were only 45 Christians counted in Mizoram in
1901 and 2,461 in 1911. Their number suddenly increased to 27.7 thousand in
1921 and further to 59.1 thousand in 1931. The share of Christians in the
population by then had reached 47.5 percent. This was the highest Christian presence
in any of the States of the Northeast and was the second highest in the country
after Goa, where their share in 1931 was 49.0 percent. Christian presence in
Goa, as we have seen in an earlier note, has been declining from the beginning
of the twentieth century and it soon fell far behind Mizoram.
Mizoram was fully
Christianised between 1931-1951
The number of Christians counted in Mizoram was only
47 in 1941. This was probably a reflection of the lack of clarity in the
British policy regarding the Christianisation of the Mizos. But whatever
ambiguity was there on this issue, it was settled in the decades leading to
Independence. In 1951, when the first Census of Independent India was conducted,
the share of Christians in the population had reached 90.5 percent. After 1951,
their share has been somewhat lower than this peak. This is because of the
non-tribal and Buddhist population of the State. The non-Buddhist tribes of
Mizoram, as we shall see in a subsequent note, have been entirely converted. In
2011, in the total Schedule Tribe population of 10.36 lakh, 9.33 lakh are
Christians; of the rest, 91 thousand are Buddhists, who are concentrated mainly
in the southern Lunglei and Lawngtlai districts.
Conversion of
Mizoram is seen as one of the successful “mass movements” of the Church
In the Church literature, the sudden spurt in the
number of Christians in Mizoram that began after 1911 is seen as a great and
successful “mass movement”. Before Independence, the current State of Mizoram
formed the Lushai Hills district of Assam. An important text of the history of
the Church in India describes the success of evangelism in the Lushai Hill of
Assam in the following terms:
“Some of the most spectacular mass movements in India
have taken place among the mountain tribes of this little-known province. …In
the remote Lushai Hills two Baptist missionaries began work in 1893. Welsh
missionaries followed a little later. The Baptist work in South Lushai, the
Welsh in North Lushai.
“The Superintendent of the Census of Assam (1921)
describes the progress made by Christianity as one of most remarkable features
of the decade of 1911-21.
“ ‘In a district of 7,000 square miles, sparsely
settled by less than 100,000 people, there are now 27,000 Christians, where ten
years ago there were only 2,000. At the present times it is quite a fashion to
be a Christian and even the Chiefs are joining the movement.’
“The 1931 Census reports 59,000 Christians in this territory.
In many villages and groups of villages in these hills, the entire population
belongs to a single tribe, and has adhered to Christianity almost en masse. …”
[From Christian
Mass Movements in India: A Study with Recommendations, J. Waskom Pickett,
Director Mass Movement Study, National Christian Council of India, Burma and Ceylon,
Foreword by John R. Mott, Christian International Missionary Council, The Abingdon
Press, Cincinnati, 1833, p.52]
This is because
Christianity is confined to the Hill Districts of Manipur
Manipur is divided into two distinct parts: the
Manipur Valley comprising the districts of Bishnupur, Thoubal, Imphal West and
Imphal East; and, the Hill District comprising Senapati, Tamenglong,
Churachandpur, Ukhrul and Chandel. As seen in the Table below, Christianity in
Manipur is confined mostly to the Hill Districts. Of 11.8 lakh Christians
counted in Manipur in 2011, 11.2 lakh are in the Hill Districts and only 59
thousand are in the Valley. On the other hand, of the same 11.8 lakh Hindus in
Manipur, 11.0 lakh are in the Valley and only around 77 thousand in the Hill
Districts.
Religious Demography
of Manipur Valley and Hills, 2011
|
||||
Manipur Valley
|
Hill Districts
|
|||
Population
|
%Share
|
Population
|
%Share
|
|
Total
|
16,33,672
|
100.00
|
12,22,122
|
100.00
|
Hindu
|
11,04,651
|
67.62
|
77,225
|
6.32
|
Muslim
|
2,30,511
|
14.11
|
9,325
|
0.76
|
Christian
|
59,324
|
3.63
|
11,19,719
|
91.62
|
Sikh
|
932
|
0.06
|
595
|
0.05
|
Buddhist
|
2,720
|
0.17
|
4,364
|
0.36
|
Jain
|
1,366
|
0.08
|
326
|
0.03
|
ORP
|
2,28,661
|
14.00
|
5,106
|
0.42
|
RNS
|
5,507
|
0.34
|
5,462
|
0.45
|
Christianisation
of the Hill Districts is nearly complete
Christians form 91.6 percent of the population of the
Hill Districts. Thus, contrary to the impression of limited Christian growth in
Manipur created by the aggregate numbers for the State, the Christianisation of
the Hill Districts is nearly as complete as in Mizoram and Nagaland, which we
discuss below. We shall see in a subsequent note that Christianisation of the
Scheduled Tribes in Manipur is so complete that among their total population of
11.7 lakh, only 30 thousand are counted as non-Christian.
Muslims have a
considerable presence in the Valley
Another remarkable feature of the religious demography
of Manipur compiled in the Table above is the considerable presence of Muslims
in the Valley. There are 2.30 lakh Muslims in this part of Manipur, and they
form more than 14 percent of the population. On the other hand, there are only
a few Muslims in the Hill Districts, where they form 0.76 percent of the
population.
There is also
considerable number of ORPs in the Valley
There are also nearly 2.3 lakh people counted under
the category of Other Religions and Persuasions (ORP) in the Valley districts.
There are only 5 thousand such persons in the Hill Districts. Nearly all of the
ORPs in the Valley record their religion as Sanmahi. In 2001, of 2.35 lakh
persons counted as ORPs, 2.22 lakh were Sanmahis. Their number seems to have
somewhat declined during the last decade. The breakup of the ORPs among
different religions and persuasions in 2011 has not been yet published.
Nagaland
Half of
Nagaland was Christianised during 1931-1951
Christians in Nagaland, 1901-2011
|
|||
Population
|
Christians
|
%C
|
|
1901
|
1,01,550
|
601
|
0.59
|
1911
|
1,49,038
|
3,308
|
2.22
|
1921
|
1,58,801
|
8,734
|
5.50
|
1931
|
1,78,844
|
22,908
|
12.81
|
1941
|
1,89,641
|
9
|
0.00
|
1951
|
2,12,975
|
98,068
|
46.05
|
1961
|
3,69,200
|
1,95,588
|
52.98
|
1971
|
5,16,449
|
3,44,798
|
66.76
|
1981
|
7,74,930
|
6,21,590
|
80.21
|
1991
|
12,09,546
|
10,57,940
|
87.47
|
2001
|
19,90,036
|
17,90,349
|
89.97
|
2011
|
19,78,502
|
17,39,651
|
87.93
|
As in Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura, there were only a
few Christians in Nagaland at the beginning of the twentieth century. Their
number in 1901 was just 601 and they formed 0.59 percent of the population.
After 1901, their numbers began to slowly expand and reached near 23 thousand
in 1931; at that stage they formed 12.8 percent of the population. In the next
two decades, during which the process of Independence of India reached its
culmination, there was a major spurt in the number and share of Christians in
Nagaland. In the first Census of Independent India conducted in 1951, nearly a
lakh Christians were counted in Nagaland and they formed nearly half of the
then population of 2.13 lakh.
Complete
Christianisation of Nagaland was achieved over the next five decades
Thus, Nagaland was substantially Christianised during
1931-51, but the process was nowhere as complete as in Mizoram. It took another
five decades for the share of Christians in the State to reach near 90 percent;
a major part of the accretion occurred during 1961-81. Their share reached the
peak of 90 percent in 2001. During the last decade, there has been some decline
in the number and share of Christians.
More than 98
percent of the Scheduled Tribes in Nagaland are Christian
The Christianisation of the Scheduled Tribes of
Nagaland is much more complete than what is indicated by the share of Christians
in the total population. Of 17.10 lakh Scheduled Tribe persons counted in
Nagaland in 2011, 16.80 lakh are Christians; they thus have a share of 98.2
percent in the Scheduled Tribes. Their share in 2001 was slightly higher at
98.5 percent. We shall discuss the religious profile of the Scheduled Tribes in
greater detail in a subsequent note.
There has been
a slight decline in the population of Nagaland during 2001-11
Another significant aspect of the demography of
Nagaland is the slight decline in the total population and also of the Christian
and Scheduled Tribes populations during the last decade. The decline needs to
be studied, but it should be remembered that this decline of about 0.6 percent
has taken place following three consecutive decades of very high growth. The
population of the State grew by 33.4 percent during 1971-81, 35.9 percent
during 1981-91 and by 39.2 percent during the previous decade of 1991-2001.
Christianisation
of Nagaland and Mizoram is related to the politics of sub-nationalism
As we have seen, Christianity began to take root in
Nagaland only after 1931, perhaps during 1941-51; a large part of the expansion
of Christianity in this State has occurred after Independence. The sudden spread
of Christianity in Nagaland on the eve of Independence and in the following
decades is generally acknowledged to be related to the assertion of Naga
sub-nationality. The Church seems to have encouraged and provided leadership
for this assertion. This is true also of Mizoram, but some Christian conversion
in that State had occurred even earlier, prior to the various assertions of
militant sub-nationalism in the Northeast that began with the dawn of
Independence. Christian inspiration and leadership of such movements is acknowledged
even by the Church historians. [See, for example, ‘Christian Conversion
Movements in the Northeast India’ in Religious
Conversion in India: Modes, Motivations and Meanings, ed. Rowna Robinson
and Sathianathan Clarke, OUP, New Delhi 2003].
Arunachal
Pradesh
The Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh was created
only in 1972; before that the area constituting Arunachal Pradesh formed the
North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA). Arunachal Pradesh was bestowed the status of
a fully-fledged State in 1987. Regular census operations in Arunachal Pradesh
were conducted for the first time only in 1971.
Christianisation
of Arunachal Pradesh began after 1971
Christians in Arunachal P, 1971-2011
|
|||
Population
|
Christians
|
%C
|
|
1971
|
4,67,511
|
3,684
|
0.79
|
1981
|
6,31,839
|
27,306
|
4.32
|
1991
|
8,64,558
|
89,013
|
10.30
|
2001
|
10,97,968
|
2,05,548
|
18.72
|
2011
|
13,83,727
|
4,18,732
|
30.26
|
The Census of 1971 counted only 3,684 Christians in a
population of 4.68 lakh; Christians then formed just 0.79 percent of the
population. But their numbers and share in the population began to rise soon
after the establishment of civil administration. Their numbers rose to 27 thousand
within the first decade and their share in the population reached 4.3 percent.
Since then, the number of Christians has been rising rapidly from decade to
decade; and, now in 2011, they have already acquired a significant share of
more than 30 percent in the population. In many of the districts, their share
is much higher than the average of the State and many of the tribes in the
State seem to have been largely converted to Christianity in the course of the
four decades since 1971.
We have discussed the Christianisation of different
districts and tribes of Arunachal Pradesh in an earlier note. This recent
spread of Christianity in Arunachal Pradesh also seems strongly inspired and
motivated by political and sub-national consideration. We shall discuss the
religious profile of the different tribes in further detail in a later note.
Sikkim
Christians in Sikkim, 1901-2011
|
|||
Population
|
Christians
|
%C
|
|
1901
|
59,014
|
136
|
0.23
|
1911
|
87,920
|
285
|
0.32
|
1921
|
81,721
|
370
|
0.45
|
1931
|
1,09,808
|
276
|
0.25
|
1941
|
1,21,520
|
44
|
0.04
|
1951
|
1,37,725
|
304
|
0.22
|
1961
|
1,62,189
|
2,813
|
1.73
|
1971
|
2,09,843
|
1,663
|
0.79
|
1981
|
3,16,385
|
7,015
|
2.22
|
1991
|
4,06,457
|
13,413
|
3.30
|
2001
|
5,40,851
|
36,115
|
6.68
|
2011
|
6,10,577
|
60,522
|
9.91
|
Sikkim is not generally counted among the States of
the Northeast. But geographically, it falls within the same region. Like
elsewhere in the region, the number of Christians in Sikkim was negligibly
small in 1901. It remained fairly low up to 1971, when there were less than 2
thousand Christians in the State forming barely 0.8 percent of the population.
After 1971, however, the number of Christians has started multiplying rapidly.
In 2011, more than 60 thousand Christians have been counted in a population of
6.1 lakh; they now have a share of nearly 10 percent in the population of
Sikkim. The rise in the Christian share during recent decades has been much
larger than Tripura or Assam. The strong growth of Christianity in Sikkim
represents another success of the vigorous evangelical activity in the
Northeast. In the neighbouring Darjiling district of West Bengal also the share
of Christians has risen rapidly from 3.6 percent in 1971 to 7.7 percent in
2011.
CONCLUSION
1. The northeast forms one of the major regions of
Christian concentration in India. Of 2.78 crore Christians counted in 2011, 78
lakh are in the Northeast. This is the largest concentration of Christians in
India after the coastal region starting from southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala and
stretching through coastal Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.
2. Unlike the other major regions of Christian
concentration in India, the spread of Christianity in the Northeast is almost
entirely a phenomenon of the twentieth century.
3. Much of the Christian expansion in the Northeast
occurred on the eve of Independence during 1931-51, perhaps largely during
1941-51. That expansion has continued unabated since 1951.
4. The earliest part of the Northeast to witness
expansion of Christianity was Meghalaya. This was largely because the British
administrator handed over the responsibility and the budget for school
education to the Christian missions. Notwithstanding the early arrival of
Christianity in Meghalaya, the spread of Christianity there was relatively slow
after Independence. But the share of Christians in the population of Meghalaya
has continued to rise robustly from decade to decade and has reached near 75
percent in 2011. It seems some of the tribes in Meghalaya are still resisting
conversion.
5. Mizoram was the next State to be Christianised.
There was a sudden spurt in the number and share of Christians in the
population of this State during 1911-1931. And, in the next two decades of 1931
to 1951, nearly the whole of the tribal population of Mizoram was converted to
Christianity. The share of Christians in the population of Mizoram in 1951 was
above 90 percent; it was less than 3 percent in 1911.
6. Manipur has been Christianised mainly in the
decades following Independence. The share of Christians in Manipur now is 41
percent; it was around 2 percent in 1931 and 12 percent in 1951. The share of
Christians in the total population seems less than in the neighbouring States,
but this is mainly because of the large non-tribal population of the Manipur
Valley. The hill districts of Manipur, which have mainly tribal populations,
are almost fully Christian now.
7. Christianisation of Nagaland has happened mostly in
the decades leading to and following Independence. The share of Christians in
the population of the State was around 2 percent in 1911, 13 percent in1931 and
46 percent in 1951. By 1991, the share of Christians had reached above 87
percent; by that time the tribal population of Nagaland was nearly fully Christianised.
Of the Scheduled Tribes population of 10.61 counted in that year, 10.44 lakh
were Christians; they formed more than 98 percent of the population of the
Scheduled Tribes.
8. Arunachal Pradesh remained beyond the reach of the
Church up to 1971, when the area was brought under civil administration. Since
then, the share of Christians has been rising rapidly from to decade to decade
and has reached above 30 percent now. Many of the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh
have now acquired large Christian majorities. We have discussed the
Christianisation of Arunachal Pradesh in an earlier note.
9. Assam, like Meghalaya, had acquired a significant
Christian presence already in 1901; about 22 thousand Christians were counted
in the State then. These early Christians were mostly from the migrant tribes
in the tea plantations of Upper Assam. The number of Christians in Assam has
since multiplied 85 times and their reach has spread to many of the indigenous
tribes. Their share in the population, however, is much less than in the
surrounding hill States. Christians had a share of 0.4 percent in 1901; their
share in 2011 is 3.75 percent. Their share in the tribal-dominated districts of
Karbi Anglong and Dima Hsao, and in some of the Bodo districts, is much higher.
10. There were only about 5 thousand Christians in
Tripura in 1951; their number in 2011 is 1.6 lakh. Much of the rise in their
numbers and share has taken place after 1981 and particularly during the last
two decades. They have a significant share of 4.5 percent in the population
now.
11. There has also been rapid expansion of
Christianity in Sikkim since 1971. Christians now form nearly 10 percent of the
population of the State; their share in 1971 was barely 0.8 percent. Sikkim is
not counted among the States of the Northeast, but geographically it falls
within the same region. The share of Christians in the neighbouring Darjiling
district of West Bengal has also increased from 3.6 percent in 1971 to 7.7
percent now.
12. The Christianisation of the Northeast, especially
of the Hill States of the region, during the earlier part of the twentieth
century happened largely with the help and encouragement of the British
administration. The early spurt in the Christian population of Meghalaya was
mainly a result of the handing over of the responsibility of running the
government schools there to the Church in the middle of the nineteenth century.
13. The large spread of Christianisation that has
occurred in the Northeast in the decades preceding and following Independence
was to a large extent a consequence of the Church adopting the role of
inspiring and leading the various movements of militant assertion of
sub-national identities which began in the region with the advent of
Independence.
14. Christianisation of Arunachal Pradesh that has
begun over the last two or three decades seems a further expansion of the same
phenomenon.
15. Christianisation of the Northeast, thus, seems to
be at least partly, if not largely, a result of political and strategic considerations.
It certainly is not an entirely religious phenomenon.
