Mokokchung district

Mokokchung is a district in the north-eastern Indian state of Nagaland. It is the home district of the Ao Naga community and is widely regarded as one of the cultural, educational and political centres of Nagaland. Its administrative headquarters is the town of Mokokchung.

Key facts

Geography

Mokokchung district lies in the north-central part of Nagaland. It is bordered by the state of Assam to the north, and by the Nagaland districts of Mon and Longleng to the east, Tuensang and Zunheboto to the south-east and south, and Wokha to the south-west. The terrain is largely hilly, formed of a series of parallel ridges that run roughly north-east to south-west, with the Dikhu and Tsurang (Disai) among the principal rivers draining the area. The climate is monsoonal, with cool winters and warm, wet summers.

Administration

The district is divided into several administrative sub-divisions and rural development blocks, with circle headquarters such as Mokokchung, Tuli, Changtongya, Mangkolemba, Chuchuyimlang, Kubolong, Longchem and Ongpangkong. Mokokchung town serves as the headquarters and is the seat of the Deputy Commissioner. Local Ao customary institutions, particularly the village councils and the apex tribal body, the Ao Senden, play a significant role alongside the formal administrative structure.

People and culture

The district is overwhelmingly inhabited by the Ao Nagas, one of the major Naga tribes. The Ao language, written in the Roman script, is widely used along with English, which is the official language of Nagaland. Christianity, predominantly Baptist, is the dominant religion, a legacy of American Baptist missionary activity that began in the 19th century. The Ao village of Molungkimong (Molung) is associated with the establishment of the first Christian church among the Nagas in 1872 by E. W. Clark.

Major festivals include Moatsü, celebrated in early May after the sowing season, and Tsüngremong, a post-harvest thanksgiving festival observed in early August.

Economy

The economy is largely agrarian, based on jhum (shifting) cultivation as well as terraced wet-rice farming in suitable valleys. Rice, maize, millet, pulses and a variety of vegetables are grown, and horticultural produce such as oranges, pineapples and other fruits is significant. Tuli, in the foothills bordering Assam, is known as a centre of paper and forest-based industry, and the area also has petroleum and natural gas reserves that have been the subject of exploration.

Education

Mokokchung has historically been a hub of education in Nagaland. Institutions in the district include Fazl Ali College in Mokokchung town, one of the oldest colleges in the state, and several theological seminaries and schools associated with the Baptist tradition. The high level of literacy in Mokokchung is among the highest in Nagaland.

History

The Ao country was among the first Naga areas to come into sustained contact with the British colonial administration and with American Baptist missionaries during the second half of the 19th century. Following India's independence and the formation of the state of Nagaland in 1963, Mokokchung emerged as one of the original districts of the new state. Subsequent reorganisation of Nagaland's districts has carved out new units; Longleng district, for example, was constituted from areas formerly within Mokokchung.

Significance

Mokokchung is often described as a centre of Ao identity, Christian institutional life and modern education in Nagaland. The district has produced a number of prominent political leaders, civil servants, churchmen, writers and academics who have shaped the public life of the state.

Related topics

• Nagaland
• Mokokchung (town)
• Ao Naga
• Moatsü Festival
• Districts of Nagaland
• Longleng district
• Fazl Ali College

References

• Wikidata: Mokokchung district (Q2175311)
• Government of Nagaland, Department of Information and Public Relations.
• Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Mokokchung.