Integrating ‘Modern’ Values:

Glimpses into Twentieth Century Naga Hills through a Newspaper

Abstract

This study examines the significant social and cultural changes experienced by the Ao Nagas during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, a period marked by the establishment of colonial rule and the arrival of the American Baptist Mission. Beginning in 1872, the Ao Nagas were the first Naga tribe to be consistently evangelized by the American Baptists, leading to a period of cultural transition for the local communities. Focusing on the role of education as a means of adaptation, this study explores the concerns of the emerging literate class, educated primarily in mission schools, as they engaged with modernity. Through an analysis of Ao Milen, the first newspaper in the Ao vernacular, the study traces the issues prioritized by this new literate class, examining the values they debated and negotiated in print. By exploring the content of the newspaper, the study sheds light on how the Ao Nagas navigated this transformative period, revealing insights into their evolving identity and engagement with the changing world around them. In this context, I show how ‘modern’ values were successfully integrated into local practices.