The Ao Naga Tribe: Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Identity The Ao are one of the major Naga tribes of Nagaland, Northeast India. They were the first Naga tribe to embrace Christianity, which introduced Western education and significantly influenced their societal development. This transformation positioned the Aos as pioneers among the Nagas in various fields. Christianity first entered Ao territory when American Baptist missionary Edwin W. Clark reached the Ao village of Molungkimong in 1872. The introduction of Christianity led to widespread literacy and modernization, shaping the Ao people's cultural and religious landscape. Distribution The total population of Ao Nagas in Nagaland is approximately 227,000 , according to the 2011 census. They primarily inhabit the central Mokokchung District, with some residing in the adjacent Assam state. Mokokchung, considered the homeland of the Ao Naga tribe, spans 1,615 km² (624 square miles) and is bordered by Assam to the north, Wokh...
The origin of the Nagas is not know, believed to be from China that migrated south of the Himalayas. The first record of China people in India is from around the 10th century B.C. Based on linguistic evidence, it is believed that the Nagas and other Indians of Chinese descent originated in a region between the Yellow and Yangtze rivers in northwestern China and arrived in India in several waves of migrations that took place over several centuries after Aryans arrived.