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Has Christianity brought a cultural shift among Indian tribes?

By Worrinphi Ronra Shimray and Priyansha


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Inclusion of unique practices in the existing tribal communities of India through religious influence has often been a subject of discussion. In the eastern state of Jharkhand where total of 32 tribes inhabit, people of faith say that cultural shift has been the result of education and exposure over the years.

“Education among tribes is one of the biggest reasons that have led to the lifestyle changes. Earlier relying on jungle, livestock, hunting, and agriculture were some of the main practices that were followed, but now with time, due to migration from villages to cities and developments coming in the land, people have started adopting the modern ways of living," said Kulkant Kushal Hemrom, 35, from Jamshedpur.

Hemrom who belongs to the Munda tribe and follows Christianity added,

“Tribes originally prayed to everything related to nature like river, fire, trees, etc but slowly they started going to temples and started adopting different religions. This influence by religion has caused them to adopt various religious activities. There came a tradition of sacrificing animals but those who took up Christianity didn’t continue with the practice. These changes have come with time and generation. But many of the traditions are still being practiced even after the adoption of different religions like playing certain instruments, dance, cuisines and ways of celebration.”

He believes that religion is not the sole reason behind the cultural shift for the tribes in Jharkhand. Changes in lifestyle have come through modernization and is moving towards a world full of opportunities. He said, “Even today people make kutcha houses out of mud and straw in villages. Those who move to cities and earn, save money, and plan to make a pucca cemented house to avoid timely maintenance. Changes have come with the reach of development, education, health facilities, and participation in sports; these have given exposure to tribes you cannot just blame religion for a cultural shift. If religion was everything we wouldn’t have such a diverse environment in our country. ”


Hemrom explained through an example of a local girl who was selling hats made of tree leaves called gungu outside JSCA Stadium in Ranchi ahead of T20 India- New Zealand cricket match. The stadium turned out to be a platform for the girl to sell those caps in the stadium when she was invited by the authorities, which added to the promotion of her culture. “So this is how she was shown a way to spread the tradition, art, and culture of using leaves as part of attire which was originally used by tribes," he said.


Another person from Jharkhand belonging to the Kharia tribe, who wish to remain anonymous said, “There are various reasons why tribes weren’t classified under forward castes. Tribes were excluded from the levels of caste system which means we were free of caste and religion.

We were the habitants of jungles. Later we were termed as scheduled cast by the society.”


Speaking on the religious affiliation of the tribes, he added, “In the Indian culture where do tribals fit in the periphery of society? They lived in jungles, depended majorly on agriculture and hunting. But later, due to religious categorization, we had to mark ourselves. ”

In 1951, during the first government census, the word tribe was available as one of the options under religion column. It was removed later and the tribes are now left with no choice but to choose themselves under a specific religion.


“Over the years the cultural shift has come through education, tradition, and rituals. Christianity hasn’t eradicated the tribal ways. Only when it comes to the rituals followed during the birth (christening), death and wedding ceremonies are now religiously influenced otherwise everything remains in tribal way. During weddings, tribal rituals are followed along with the Christian rituals. Wedding is only in church, ring, and garland exchange and there’s also a custom of putting sindur (red powder applied by married Hindu women) to the bride which is not part of the Christian ritual,” he further added.


The Tangkhul Naga tribe belonging to the mongoloid race, inhabits in the Manipur hills. The tribe is rich in culture, natural resources, and language with each village having its own language. Unfortunately, the Tangkhul tribe had no written script, yet the history was passed on orally from generation to generation. History may still be read and comprehended through oral dialogue, songs, and people's traditions. It is said that any foreigner that they encountered was beheaded, a practice known as headhunting.


According to Paul Kasar, President of The Tangkhul Literature Society, long before Christianity arrived at the land of the Tangkhuls, cultural identity and practices were strictly emphasized in day-to-day life. The Tangkhul culture is divided into nine different sections which are Shiyan Chikan – law, Mawun – administration, Shimsak – architecture, Kathi-kasar – ceremony of the death, Luivat – cultivation, Phanit Phanao – festivals, Shanvai chonvai – dress, Khapan-rampan – lifestyle and Ameoyan – religion (dharma).


The Tangkhuls gave their utmost respect to the king. They live their life according to the rules and laws given by the king and his ministers (Hanga Wungnao). A form of democratic government is followed by the Tangkhuls, where all the heads from every clan were selected to sit by the king to assist him, to govern, and also as a voice for the layman. When it came to architecture and construction of houses, the Tangkhuls were very skilled craftsmen. Huge totem poles were erected and detailed pictographs were carved into the poles and also on the pillars of the houses. The Tangkhuls do everything collectively. Even in cultivation, no family did their work alone. Everything was done or helped by the village as a whole.


The Tangkhuls properly venerate the death. When a person dies, the whole village mourned for the death and also for the family. Until the dead body is buried, the villagers would watch over the body. A festival where the deaths were sent to the afterlife (Thisham) was also practiced. The Tangkhuls have 16 different festivals according to the seasons in a year. Among these festivals, the most important and the grandest is the Luira. The seed sowing festival. In this particular festival, a beauty contest is held in the form of Laa Khanganui. Folk songs and dances are a part of these festivals. When it comes to attires and dressing, the Tangkhuls are a colorful tribe and they have a variety of clothes and ornaments for both men and women. Some dominant names of clothes and ornaments worn by the Tangkhuls are, Pāsi, Kongsāng, Haorā, Luirim, chāngkhom, Phāngyai.


The collection of clothes that the Tangkhuls have, outnumbers a lot of other Naga tribes. The Tangkhuls have a deep relation and understanding with nature and its manifestations. They were people who believed and worshipped spirits. Superstitions and taboos were believed and practiced long before Christianity arrived. Some people still practice and observe these superstitions. Even human sacrifices were practiced in some Tangkhul villages.



A Christian Tangkhul wedding

Christianity was introduced to the Tangkhuls in the year 1896 by William Pettigrew. Since then, a lot of things have changed in their beliefs, culture, and lifestyle. They no longer worship or believe in spirits but God alone. Since most activities and practices were directly or indirectly connected to the spirits they worshipped, many were discarded and forgotten, such as Thisham, sacrificial offerings, and practices, as it was contradictory to Christianity. The post-Christianity period for the Tangkhuls was a phase where development and exposure to the outer world started. The post-Christianity period brought about changes in every individual, both intellectually and materialistically. Western clothes are more preferred over traditional clothes. Even then, many fashionists have started modernizing and at the same time promoting the Tangkhul attires. Many folk stories, folk songs, and folk dances are slowly being forgotten and so is history. Many festivals are out of practice or forgotten, but some festivals are still practiced.






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