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

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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