Change and continuity in Angami Naga traditional morality: a critical appraisal with special reference to Kenyű, Mhosho, and Thenyi

The Angamis are one of the tribes in Nagaland situated in the North Eastern part of India. This thesis studies Angami Naga traditional notions and concepts of morality and how contemporary Christians reconcile their understanding of traditional morality with Christian morality. This will be explored by looking at Angami kenyü and mhosho through which morality was prescribed in the pre-Christian Angami context. It sets out to examine the significance of kenyü and mhosho in guiding the moral life of the pre-Christian Angamis oriented by the value of ‘relationalism.’ It goes on to investigate how the competing value of ‘individualism’ surfaced with the introduction of Christianity. It then proceeds to investigate how contemporary Angami people live with these two values and how Christian and traditional moralities converge and diverge in the contemporary context.

The investigation is done by taking the ethnographic approach with Khonoma as the site for fieldwork. The data is collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and informal conversations. Although there may be other aspects of traditional morality, this thesis is limited to kenyü and mhosho as central to Angami traditional morality. The thesis demonstrates how these two values were practised in everyday lives and in the celebration of thenyi in the past and how they are practised in the contemporary context. This research provides the Angami Nagas with a broader perspective of their own contexts. This research contributes to the study of the Angami traditional morality and the interface between Christian values and traditional values in Angami Naga society.