HSS

Faculty Details

John Thomas 

John Thomas 

Assistant Professor 
Education: Ph. D
History
johnthomas@iitg.ac.in
+91 361 2582579
Room No: 212
Personal Website

Research Interests: Religious Transitions in Modern South Asia; Nationalism and Ecumenical Thinking in South Asia; Histories of Everyday Technology

Journal Publications

1. John Thomas, "Boulders that Speak No More", Seminar, vol.740, pp.35-44, ISBN.0971-6742 [2021], https://www.india-seminar.com/2021/740/740_john_thomas.htm

2. John Thomas, "The Life and Times of The Slayer Slain: Writing a Missionary Novel in 19th Century Travancore", Indian History, Archive India Institute, vol.1, pp.63-88, ISBN.2348-2850 [2014]

3. John Thomas, "Sending Out the Spears: Zeliangrong Movement, Naga Club and a Nation in the Making", Indian Economic and Social History Review, Sage, vol.49, Issue no.3, pp.399-437, ISBN.194646 [2012]

4. John Thomas, "Missionaries, Colonialism and the Writing of History Among the Nagas", The Journal of Theologies and Cultures in Asia, Programme for Theologies and Cultures in Asia, vol.8, pp.95-119, ISBN.1682-6086 [2009]

Conference Proceedings

1. John Thomas, "Fixity and Fluidity: History, Politics and Culture of North East India", State, Religion and Mystification of Naga Movement, Centre for North East India Studies, JNU, pp.31-41 [2016]

Book Chapter

1. John Thomas, "War, Nationalism and Conversions" , Routledge Readings on Colonial to Contemporary Northeastern India: Customary Practices, Gender and Livelihoods , Routledge , [2023]

2. John Thomas, "Religion and Nationality Struggles in the North-East" , Pathways to Harmony: The Role of Religion in Conflicts and Peace , North Eastern Social Research Centre , pp.26 [2022]

3. John Thomas, "From Sacred Rocks to Temples: Recasting Religion as Identity in North-East India" , Landscape, Culture and Belonging: Writing the History of Northeast India (eds. Neeladri Bhattacharya and Joy Pachuau) , Cambridge University Press ISBN.9.78E+12, pp.314-332, [2019]

4. John Thomas, "Gender and Politics in India: Experiences from the North-East (Ed. Kaini Lokho)" , On Evangelical Christianity and the Making of Gender Relations among the Nagas , Akansha Publishing House ISBN.9.79E+12, [2017]

Books

1. John Thomas, "Evangelising the Nation: Religion and the Formation of Naga Political Identity", Routledge, ISBN.978-1-138-63992-8 [2016]

No Project Available!

Sl.No Name Year Dissertation Title
1 Suantak Lhingneihawi Vaiphei 2021 CHRISTIANITY AND BODILY REFORMS AMONG THE VAIPHEIS OF MANIPUR
2 Saptak Brahma 2021 From Assamese to Devanagari: Script Change and its Social Effects among the Bodos
3 Muhammad Iqbal KK 2019 Justied Denied: Understanding the dynamics of Social and Political Factors in the Indian Judiciary
4 Roshni Brahma 2019 Bathou Revival and Hinduisation among the Bodos
5 Thangjam Rishikesh Singh 2019 A critical appraisal on revivalist Movement in Manipur
6 Meledathu Thomas Kuriakose 2018 Precarious lives and unheard stories: Kashmiri Pandits who never left home
7 Jemimah Basumatary 2017 Language and identity formation among Bodos
8 Gayatri Roy 2015 State and the formation of political identity among Koch Rajbanshis of North-East India
9 Rose Basumatary 2015 Mobilization for Bodoland Movement: A study of the role of all Bodo students Union
10 Christy V J Personal and Everyday Factors in the Low Transition Rate from Secondary to Higher Secondary Education in Lokhiram Village of Karbi Anglong District in Assam

No Data Available!

Sl.No Name Year
No Data Available!
Sl.No Program Name Email Year Thesis/Project Title Affiliation

Awards and Achievements

Award Title : Charles Wallace India Trust Visiting Fellowship at Centre of South Asian Studies, University of Cambridge, 2020
Awarded By : Charles Wallace India Trust & Centre of South Asian Studies, University of Cambridge
International

Patents

No Data Available!

Sl.No Name of Faculty and co-researcher Title Application No Date of Award Year Status

Invited

Title: Towards Resolving the Nationalist Dilemma: Gandhi and the Ecumenical Leaders in Early Twentieth Century India

Name of Conference: Nationalism and Internationalism in the Young Ecumenical Movement, 1895-1920s

Humboldt-Universitat Zu Berlin, Berlin Oct 8, 2020 - Oct 10, 2020 International View
Title: Space, Time and Religious Change among the Tribes of North-East India

Name of Conference: Anthropological Histories and Tribal Worlds in India

Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, Shimla Mar 27, 2017 - Mar 29, 2017 National

Attended

Title: Missionaries, Colonialism and the Writing of History among the Nagas

Name of Conference: Northeast India and its Transnational Neighbourhood

Asian Borderland Research Network, Guwahati Jan 17, 2008 - Jan 18, 2008 International
Title: Beating Spears into Pruning Hooks?: Church and the Politics of Pacification among the Nagas, 1946-19

Name of Conference: Writing the Northeast: New Perspectives

Centre for Historical Studies, JNU, New Delhi, New Delhi Jan 14, 2009 - Jan 16, 2009 International
Title: The Life and Times of 'The Slayer Slain': Reading a Missionary Novel from 19th Century Travancor

Name of Conference: Christianity in History: Encounters and Engagements

Centre for Historical Studies, JNU, New Delhi, New Delhi Feb 2, 2011 - Feb 4, 2011 International
Title: State, Religion and the Mystification of Naga Movement

Name of Conference: Fixity and Fluidity: History, Politics and Culture of North-East India

North-East India Studies Programme, JNU, New Delhi, New Delhi Mar 18, 2013 - Mar 20, 2013 National
Title: The Politics of Abstractions: Interrogating 'Trans-national'

Name of Conference: State and Society in North East India

North-East India Studies Programme, JNU, New Delhi, New Delhi Feb 26, 2014 - Feb 28, 2014 International

Invited

Title: Towards a History of Everyday Technologies in Modern India

Name of Invited Lecture: Themes and Perspectives in Indian History: Issues and Prospects

Newman College, Thodupuzha Sep 28, 2021 - Sep 28, 2021 National
Title: Situating the Tiny Self in the Vast Ocean of History

Name of Invited Lecture: Department of History Lecture Series

Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady Dec 13, 2021 - Dec 13, 2021 National
Title: Beyond Adulations and Aspersions: Historicising Missionaries and their Work

Name of Invited Lecture: Critique and Construction: Contemporary Writings on Histories of Keralam

Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, Kalady, Kerala Mar 1, 2021 National
Title: Oral History and Dangerous Memories

Name of Invited Lecture: Researching Karbi Oral History

Centre for Karbi Studies, Diphu Mar 15, 2017 - Mar 15, 2017 National
Title: Local Agency and Missionary Work: Situating George Matthan and his Engagement with Modernity in 19th

Name of Invited Lecture:

Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi, New Delhi Mar 10, 2015 - Mar 10, 2015 National
Title: From the Tree to the Temple: Recasting Religion as Identity in North-East India

Name of Invited Lecture: Changes and Continuities in the Religious Landscape of Northeast India

North Eastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati & Department of Estonian and Comparative Folklore, Un, Guwahati Jan 19, 2017 - Jan 19, 2017 International

Invited

Title: A Question of Belief: Historiography and Method

Name of Workshop: Workshop on Research Methodology

Kerala History Congress, Alwaye Jan 17, 2017 - Jan 17, 2017 National

Organised

Name of Workshop: Effective Academic Writing: British Academy Skills Development Workshops, 2021

Highland Institute, Kohima (Online) Dec 13, 2021 - Dec 17, 2021 No.of Partcipants: 20 International View

Name of Workshop: Effective Academic Writing: British Academy Skills Development Workshops, 2021

Kerala Council for Historical Research, Thiruvananthapuram (Online) Dec 6, 2021 - Dec 10, 2021 No.of Partcipants: 20 International
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