Transforming Agriculture: Traditional Practices, Colonial Influence and Post-independence Development in Nagaland

ABSTRACT This study explores the transformation of agricultural practices among the indigenous Naga communities, focusing on their shift from traditional methods to modern systems influenced by colonial and post-colonial policies. Historically reliant on shifting cultivation and terrace farming, the Nagas maintained a self-sustaining agricultural lifestyle deeply tied to their socio-cultural identity. British colonial intervention from 1832 and Indian governance post-1947 introduced policies that significantly altered land use, cultivation patterns and traditional techniques. This research examines pre-colonial agricultural practices, the economic structure of Naga society and the impact of British and Indian government policies on farming methods and community life. It highlights how these changes reshaped Naga identity, economy and cultural practices.