Chinram was once an independent land ruled by Chin chiefs and where the people followed traditional Chin religion. By the turn of the twentieth century however, it had been abruptly transformed by British annexation and the arrival of Christian missionaries. As the Chin became increasingly related to Burmese independence movements, they began to articulate their own Christian traditions of democracy and assert a burgeoning self-awareness of their own national identity. In short, Christianity provided the Chin people with a means of preserving their national identity in the midst of multiracial and multireligious environments.

Written by an exiled former Secretary General of the Chin National League for Democracy, this is the first in-depth study on Chin nationalism and Christianity. Not only does it provide a clear analysis of the close relationship between religion, ethnicity and nationalism, but also the volume contains valuable data on the Chin and their role in the history of Bruma.