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Christianity in Manipur

Christianity is the fastest growing and second most followed religion in Manipur, a state in Northeast India, according to 2011 census data of India.

Religion in Manipur (2011)[1]

  Hinduism (41.4%)
  Christianity (41.3%)
  Islam (8.40%)
  Other religion (8.9%)

Early missionaries

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Rev Willian Pettigrew guess (1902) - first missionary to the Kingdom of Manipur

Christianity in Manipur can traced back to an Anglican named William Pettigrew,[2] who lived in India when Surchandra Singh was the maharaja of Manipur. Pettigrew, who was born in Edinburgh and educated in London, applied to work with the Arthington Aborigines Mission in India and travelled to Bengal in 1890. He worked for two years in Dhaka and Silchar. In 1891, Pettigrew applied for permission to work in Manipur, but this was not granted until 1894. He worked for a time as a teacher in Imphal, teaching the children of government civil servants and soon afterwards opened a school for boys in Manipuri and established a permanent mission station there.[3]

Origins

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The first Meitei to convert to Christianity is debated. It is traditionally believed that Angom Porom Singh of Phayeng was the first to be converted in around 1896, but another tradition says that Ningol Kaboklei met a Christian missionary in Sylhet (presently in Bangladesh) and converted to Christianity in around 1893, a few years earlier than the arrival of William Pettigrew. Those claiming that Porom Singh was the first Christian convert, have intentionally ignored the other tradition about Kaboklei. It may well be true that Kaboklei became a Christian before Porom Singh, not in Manipur but in Sylhet.[4][5]

Some theological scholars believe that Porom Singh was baptized on 3 January 1896. However, given the fact that Rev. William Pettigrew was ordained on December 23, 1895 at Sibsagar Baptist Church in Assam and also given the fact that it took approximately 20 days to reach Imphal from Sibsagar, it is practically impossible to authenticate that Porom Singh's baptism on January 3, 1896 unless it was by some unknown sect of Christianity. Nevertheless, it is important to note Porom Singh's role in the formation of Christianity in its early days. In December 1912, he became the headmaster of a school at Ukhrul, where his teaching responsibilities included preaching the gospel. He was one of only seven Christians who stood by Pettigrew. At the outbreak of the First World War, he helped Pettigrew to raise a labour corps, later becoming a corps leader and an interpreter. He received excellent testimonials when he served in France and on his return to India, was exempted from house tax.[6]

Followers

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Protestants (mostly Baptist) outnumber Catholics in Manipur.[7] A Manipur Baptist Convention exists. The Reformed Presbyterian Church North-East India Synod has its seat in Manipur.[8] The Presbyterian Church in India and the Church of Christ are present in the state, too.[9][10] The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Imphal has its seat in the state. The Manipur Section of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has about forty congregations.[11] The All Manipur Christian Organisation (AMCO) exists.[12]

Demography

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Christians in Manipur
Year Number Percentage
2001[13]
857,285
37.37
2011[14]
1,179,043
41.29
Historical Christian Population in Manipur
YearPop.±%
1901 45—    
1911 132+193.3%
1921 4,050+2968.2%
1931 10,401+156.8%
1941 25,727+147.4%
1951 68,394+165.8%
1961 152,043+122.3%
1971 279,243+83.7%
1981 421,702+51.0%
1991 626,669+48.6%
2001 857,285+36.8%
2011 1,179,043+37.5%
Source: Centre for Policy Studies[15]
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Percentage of Christians in Manipur by decades[15]

Year Percent Increase
1901 0.02% -
1911 0.04%

+0.02%

1921 1.05%

+1.01%

1931 2.33%

+1.28%

1941 5.02%

+2.69%

1951 11.84%

+6.82%

1961 19.49% +7.65%
1971 26.03% +6.54%
1981 29.68% +3.65%
1991 34.11% +4.43%
2001 37.37% +3.26%
2011 41.29% +3.92%

The Christian population in the state have increased from 0.02% in 1901 to 41.3% in 2011. Christians formed an overwhelming majority in the autonomous hilly regions of Manipur (which is 90% of the total land area) of the state respectively.[16] According to 2011 Census, there are total 9 districts in Manipur, of which 5 districts are Christian-majority.[17]

Tribes

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Percentage of Christians in the Scheduled Tribes[18]

Tribe Christians Percent
Thadou 211,272 97.85%
Tangkhul 175,200 98.11%
Poumai 126,092 98.99%
Kabui 93,416 89.90%
Mao 92,602 99.21%
Kacha Naga 64,357 97.28%
Paite 54,815 98.69%
Hmar 47,804 98.82%
Vaiphei 42,224 98.29%
Kuki 27,784 98.03%
Maram 27,221 98.90%
Maring 25,858 97.86%
Zou 23,718 97.63%
Anal 23,107 98.29%
Gangte 16,859 98.14%
Kom 14,345 98.74%

Non-ST Christians

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Non-ST Christians in Manipur are mainly Meiteis numbering between 1-3 lakh in the state.[19][20][21]

List of denominations

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Sources[22] [23][24][25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Table C-01 Population by religious community: Manipur". Census of India. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  2. ^ Naresh, Huirem (10 May 2019). "Reverend William Pettigrew and Modern Education in Manipur - Imphal Times". www.imphaltimes.com. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Papers of William Pettigew - Archives Hub". archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  4. ^ "Theological Scholars of Manipur Commemorate Saroj Nalini Arambam, First Theologian and First Woman BA, MA". 12 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Angom Porom Singh remembered".
  6. ^ "THE IMPORTANCE OF CHAKPA COMMUNITY IN RELATION TO THE ORIGIN OF CHRISTIANITY IN MANIPUR".
  7. ^ "Metrocog.net". Metrocog.net. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  8. ^ "Icrconline.com". Icrconline.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  9. ^ Luisterenddienen.nl (in Dutch).
  10. ^ Silbano Garcia, II. (17 November 2013). "Church-of-christ.org". Church-of-christ.org. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  11. ^ "Adventistyearbook.org". Adventistyearbook.org. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  12. ^ "Golias-editions.fr" (in French). Golias-editions.fr. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  13. ^ "Total population by religious communities". Censusindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  14. ^ "Indian Census 2011". Census Department, Government of India. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  15. ^ a b "The Christianisation of the Northeast" (PDF). Centre for Policy Studies. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2018.
  16. ^ "Manipur violence: How Christianisation widened socio-cultural gap between Meiteis of Valley and Hill tribes". 5 May 2023.
  17. ^ https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/11383/download/14496/DDW14C-01%20MDDS.XLS [bare URL]
  18. ^ Christianity among the Scheduled Tribes of the Northeast: Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland, Centre for Policy Studies, 18 October 2016, archived from the original on 13 February 2017
  19. ^ "Meitei unspecified in India".
  20. ^ "Caught in the middle of Manipur's ethnic conflict, Meiteis who follow Christianity". 31 May 2023.
  21. ^ "Remove our churches from SC petition: Meitei Christians tell Kuki groups". 11 June 2023.
  22. ^ World Christian Encyclopedia, Second edition, 2001 Volume 1, pp. 369–370.
  23. ^ "Imphal The Pentecostal Mission Church | The Pentecostal Mission Church in Imphal, Manipur - WowCity.com". In.wowcity.com. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  24. ^ "Kuki Kahi Kakipah E". Archived from the original on 13 August 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2012..
  25. ^ "Manipur Baptist Convention | CBCNEI".
  26. ^ "MELC at a Glance". 15 February 2015. Archived from the original on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  27. ^ MELC INDIA - Manipur Evangelical Lutheran Church, India Archived 10 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine (formerly known as Zomi Christian Church)
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