THE COMING OF PRINT: THE ROLE OF MISSIONARIES AND COLONIALISM IN SHAPING A NEW MIZO IDENTITY

Abstract

This paper explores the transformation of Mizo identity through the transition from orality to print in the Lushai Hills. It traces the profound cultural shifts initiated by British colonialism and Christian missionary intervention in the late 19th century. Traditionally, Mizo society relied on oral narratives, communal storytelling, and performative rituals to transmit memory, knowledge, and values. The arrival of missionaries such as J.H. Lorrain and F.W. Savidge marked a pivotal moment, as they not only introduced Christianity but also formal education and print technology. This transition inaugurated a new epistemological order, replacing oral cosmologies with written scripture and modern texts, and fostering the emergence of a distinctly Christian-Mizo identity.
By examining key themes—including the replacement of oral traditions, the ideological role of print, and the reconfiguration of historical consciousness through works like Mizo Chanchin Laisuih- the paper investigates how Mizo identity was reshaped through a fusion of indigenous and Western worldviews. It argues that this transformation was not merely one of cultural erosion but a negotiated rearticulation of identity that integrated Christian faith, colonial governance, and modern textual practices