History of Christianity in Mizoram

The history of Christianity in Mizoram covers the origin and development of all forms of Christianity in Mizoram since the British occupation at the end of the 19th century. Christianity arrived as a consequence of tribal warfare, raids of British plantations, and the ensuing punitive British military expedition called the Lushai Expedition of 1871. The subsequent annexation of the erstwhile Lushai Hills to the British Empire opened the gateway for British Christian missions to evangelise the Mizo people.^[1][2][3]

By the 1890s, the British Empire occupied all of Lushai Hills. It was still a chaotic administration as the natives were still under the influence of several tribal chiefdoms, practising animistic rituals and completely illiterate. Their rituals and tribal lifestyles were serious hindrance to law and order. There was an urgent need to introduce formal education. The solution came in the form of Christian missionaries. The pioneers were James Herbert Lorrain (He was given a Mizo name as Pu Buanga) and F.W Savidge (He was given a name Sap Upa) sent by the Arthington Aborigines Mission in London, who entered Lushai Hills in 1894, the year venerated in Mizoram as the "advent of the Gospel".^[4] The Arthington mission was of Baptist persuasion and the first two missionaries were of the Baptist Church, the first church in Mizoram was a Baptist Church. It was established at Sethlun, Lunglei which is still a venerated establishment by the Mizo populus. Even, the recorded first christian conversion was that of the cheiftain of Durtlang, Aizawl, by the name M.Suaka. Other denominations soon arrived, including Catholic, Salvation Army, United Pentecostal Church, Seventh-day Adventists and others. Half a century later, the Mizos by and large were converted. A variety of indigenous denominations also emerged. The new religion was immensely effective at overturning the traditional culture. Christianity turned into a new culture and ethnic identity.^[5][6] By the end of 20th century, Mizoram became the most Christian populated state (and third highest in literacy rate as of 2011 census) in India, and the native population is almost entirely of Christians.^[7][8]