Conversion to Baptist Christianity in the Twentieth Century Liangmai Nagas of Manipur, India

Abstract This article explores the rationale for conversion among the Liangmai Naga of Manipur, applying ethnographic and archival materials analysed through psychological, utilitarian, and intellectualist perspectives. It delineates three distinct phases of conversion: early resistance and expulsion of converts; mid-twentieth-century conversion driven by factors such as education, socio-economic advancement, and a desire to free oneself from traditional rituals; and late conversion motivated mainly by kinship ties and the yearning for social reintegration. The process of conversion among the Liangmai was not a singular event but a gradual transition influenced by political landscapes, missionary efforts, and family connections. This article contributes to the scholarship on religious conversion in India. It highlights the need for a nuanced, community-based understanding of their motivations to convert.