Colonial Knowledge Production in North-East India : Part III
- J.H. Hutton (1885-1968) and his anthropological works on Nagas -

Dr Syed Ahmed *

The Sema Nagas
Photo courtesy: archive.org / wikipedia.org

Eminent Austrian Anthropologist, Christoph von Furer-Haimendorf, who made anthropological studies of the Naga tribes, in his obituary note of J.H. Hutton (in Proceedings of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, 1968) notes:

“With the death of Professor John Henry Hutton in May, 1968, ended a chapter in the history of British anthropology. He was the last of the distinguished class of civil servants who in their time contributed so greatly to the knowledge of the indigenous peoples of Britain’s far-flung empire and in a later phase of their career achieved positions of eminence in academic life. Combining the enthusiasm and zest of the amateur with unrivalled opportunities for first-hand observation of primitive populations still uninfluenced by modern civilisation, he had developed into an anthropologist of note and international reputation long before he came to exchange the responsibilities of a senior administrator for a life of teaching and scholarship. Modern anthropology is the poorer for the lack of such personalities in the ranks of university teachers, for men of his vitality and variety of experience counteracted the tendency to a sober professionalism inevitably prevalent among those recruited to a branch of learning early in life.”

J.H. Hutton was indeed one of the finest administrators cum anthropologists who made rich academic contributions through his research works, particularly on caste system and on the Naga tribes of north-eastern India. These academic engagements immensely enhanced the colonial India’s understanding of the native population and their socio-cultural traditions. I was introduced to the academic works of Hutton during my university days.

While studying Muslim society, I was recommended by my research guide to read Hutton’s celebrated work, Caste in India: Its nature, function, and origins, as Muslim society, particularly in Northern India had caste-like social structure. The book, first published by Cambridge University Press in 1946, refers to many Muslim communities of NWFP, western and northern India, who were Hindu converts. These communities retained their Hindu caste status and practices within the Muslim society (Islam upholds egalitarianism).

Heimendorf, referring to Hutton’s study of caste, notes that he examined the position of castes and the general ethnographical pattern in various parts of the Indian sub-continent, and evolved a consistent theory of caste, which anticipates many of the ideas resulting from more recent research on the phenomenon of a hierarchy of mutually dependent caste-groups.

Hutton was able to write a discerning book on caste due to his deep understanding of the Indian society that he acquired while engaging in the extensive study and survey for the Census for 1931. He served as the Chief Commissioner of Census, and published the monumental work, The Census of India 1931.

Besides the other accomplishments, Hutton is also remembered for his anthropological study of the Naga tribes of north-eastern frontier. Some of his prominent monographs include, The Angami Nagas: with some notes on neighbouring tribes (1921), The Sema Nagas (1921), Nagas: Manners and Customs (based on his two tours in 1923, first published as Diaries of Two Tours in the Unadministered Area East of the Naga Hills in 1924) and A Primitive Philosophy of Life: The Frazer Lecture ((Oxford, 1938). In J.P. Mills’ The Lhota Nagas, Hutton wrote the introduction and supplementary notes (1922), while in Mills second book, The Ao Nagas (1926), Hutton wrote the supplementary notes and bibliography.

During his service tenure, Hutton had also taken and collected numerous photographs which reflect the socio-cultural life of the Nagas, which are now preserved in the Pitt Rivers Museum, UK. In fact, Henry Benfour, the then curator of the museum, was a close friend of Hutton. The former visited Naga Hills and Manipur in 1921-22, when Hutton was serving in Assam.

Pitt Rivers Museum has the most representative collections from the Naga Hills and many of the artefacts had passed through Hutton’s hands. Notably, Pitt Rivers Museum has the world’s largest collections of anthropology and world archaeology gathered from all corners of the globe, and all periods in human history.

The artefact collection of the museum, also known as the University of Oxford’s Museum of Anthropology and World Archaeology, is complemented by an equally large and important collection of fieldwork and photographs, audio recordings and manuscripts. Today, the museum is visited by more than half a million visitors annually.

Hutton was born to a clergyman on 27th June 1885 at West Heslerton (now in North Yorkshire). He studied at Chigwell School in Essex and Worcester College, Oxford. He got his college degree in 1907 mastering in History. In 1909, Hutton joined the ICS and served a major part of his service tenure in Assam, particularly in the Naga Hills.

Hutton worked as a Political Officer and Deputy Commissioner in Assam. In 1920, he was appointed the Honorary Director of Ethnography for Assam. During the days, he visited the territory of the Naga inhabited areas as Deputy Commissioner. These official tours lasted two to three months. He had to settle legal and land disputes and report on the condition of roads, bridges and bungalows. Official tour diaries were maintained by Hutton, which are now in the custody of the Pitt Rivers Museum.

Like other British officials, Hutton developed a strong and lasting connection with the Naga tribes. From 1920 onwards, he wrote a large number of articles on topics connected with Naga ethnography, and his two voluminous monographs, The Angami Nagas, and The Sema Nagas, published in 1921, brought his reputation as an anthropologist.

Hutton’s excellent monograph, The Angami Nagas, was published in 1921 by Macmillan & Co. Ltd., London. The book documents the habitat of the Angami tribe of Naga Hills, their material culture, domestic life, laws and customs, religious beliefs and practices, folklore, language, etc. It also has several photographs, maps and illustrations.

In the preface, the author has shown great concern of the rapid change in the socio-cultural life of the Naga tribes. He observes that the age-old belief system, customs and traditions of the Nagas were dying, the old traditions were almost forgotten by the younger generation, while the number of Christian converts increased, and the change was affecting every aspect of the life of the Nagas, and transformation should be investigated by trained anthropologists. He notes:

“The late Mr. S.E. Peal, in his Fading Histories lamented the delay in the study of the Naga tribes, and the consequent loss of much material out of which their past histories might have been recovered. He points out the remarkable rapidity with which they are changing and indeed have already changed. He urges the ‘unearthing of some local history from these people ere it has faded forever,’ and the careful study of the Naga tribes before they are reformed and hopelessly sophisticated. But if the Eastern Nagas of whom Mr. Peal was thinking have changed much in recent years the Western Nagas have changed far more.

It is barely forty years since Captain Butler wrote, but many customs of the Angamis at war which he records are almost or entirely forgotten by the sons of those from whom he learnt them. With the Aos and Lhotas matters have gone even further. Old belief and customs are dying, the old traditions are being forgotten, the number of Christians or quasi-Christians is steadily increasing, and the spirit of change is invading and pervading every aspect of village life.

All this must be the excuse for a mere amateur’s venturing to undertake a monograph of the Angamis. It is the work which should be done by a trained anthropologist, but though occasional German and American scientists have paid hurried visits to the Naga Hills, the anthropologists of Great Britain have consistently passed them by on the other side.”

Hutton second book, The Sema Nagas, was also published by MacMillan & Co., Ltd., London the same year. It explores the habitat, origin and migration of the Sema Nagas, their domestic and social life, religion and ceremonies, language and folklores. It has also map, illustrations and photographs. In his works, Hutton makes an attempt to trace parallels between the Nagas and tribes of South-east Asia and Oceania, particularly in their customs and traditions. Hutton’s anthropological study was assisted and encouraged by Balfour. The latter contributed a foreword to the monograph.

Belfour, in his forward, appreciates the efforts of the Government of Assam to publish monographs on the various tribal communities inhabiting in the north-eastern frontier, and emphasizes the importance of documenting the life of the unlettered and uncivilized tribes as modernity and contact with civilized societies had brought rapid transformations in their socio-cultural life.

For him, an unprejudiced and enlightened administration of native affairs cannot be established and pursued without a proper knowledge of the native population’s customs and worldview. Recollecting the contribution of the tribes of the north-eastern frontier in the British war efforts, particularly in the Labour Corps, who served in France in 1917 during the First World War, Belfour observes that the visit to Europe gave a meaningful experience for the tribes as they encountered civilized world for the first time.

He contemplates that a study of the impact of the culture-contact on the worldview of the tribes would be interesting. He also acknowledges the valuable ethnographical collection made by Hutton from India’s north-eastern frontier during his stay in the region, the greater part of which he had most generously presented to the Pitt Rivers Museum. He writes:

“The rapid changes which the culture of the ‘unrisen’ races is undergoing render urgent the work of the field anthropologist. It is of the utmost importance not only to the Science of Man, but also to responsible officialdom, since a just and enlightened administration of native affairs cannot be established and pursued without an intimate knowledge of and sympathetic interest in the natives themselves, their customs and their point of view.

Lack of ethnographic knowledge has been responsible for many of the misunderstandings and fatal errors which have tarnished our well-meant endeavours to control wisely and equitably the affairs of those whose culture has been evolved under environments which differ widely from those of civilised peoples.

Hence, we may extend a cordial welcome to a monograph such as is contained in this volume. It follows a number of similar monographs which form a valuable series dealing with various tribes controlled by the Government of Assam, under whose auspices these volumes have been issued…

Mr. Hutton’s present monograph is the outcome of devoted and intensive study of a primitive people among whom he has lived for several years, and whose difficult language he has been the first to master. His sympathy with the natives has won for him their confidence to an unusual extent, and his success in overcoming their prejudices and suspicion has been invaluable to him in his study of their habits and their thoughts.

The book in which he sums up his researches will have a permanent value as a record of a tribe of Nagas having a special interest, inasmuch as they exhibit in many respects a more rudimentary culture than do the neighbouring Angamis, Aos and Lhotas.

That their culture will undergo rapid changes for better or worse goes without saying, since contact with civilization is already showing its effect. Some of the Semas have recently travelled far afield to ‘do their bit’ in the labour-corps of our Army. In September 1917, in Eastern France, I came across a gang of Nagas, many of them, no doubt, Mr. Hutton's own proteges, engaged in road-repairing in the war-zone, within sound of the guns.

They appeared to be quite at home and unperturbed. Earlier in that year I just missed seeing them in Bizerta, but the French authorities there described to me their self-possession and absence of fear when they were landed after experiencing shipwreck in the Mediterranean - a truly novel experience for these primitive inland hill-dwellers!

One wonders what impressions remain with them from their sudden contact with higher civilizations at war. Possibly, they are reflecting that, after what they have seen, the White Man’s condemnation of the relatively innocuous head-hunting of the Nagas savours of hypocrisy.’ Or does their sang-froid save them from being critical and endeavouring to analyse the seemingly inconsequent habits of the leading peoples of culturedom?

Now that they are back in their own hills, will they settle down to the indigenous simple life and revert to the primitive conditions which were temporarily disturbed? Will they be content to return to the innumerable genna prohibitions and restrictions, which for centuries have militated against industrial progress?

Interesting though it will be to follow the effects of culture-contact with the more advanced European peoples, it is the indigenous culture of the Nagas which is best worth investigating, and it should be studied intensively and without delay, before the inevitable changes have wrought complete havoc with the material for research.

The general status of and the distinctive features observable in the culture of each Naga tribe and community have an intrinsic interest for the ethnographer; but the descriptive material, when collated, affords scope for a wider comparative study of the affinities and divergences to be noted in the habits, beliefs, arts and industries of the several groups of Nagas, enabling the regional ethnologist to investigate the inter-tribal relationships and communications, and to trace the local migrations of the various ethnic sections and sub-sections together with their cultures.

And, further, the details recorded of particular tribes furnish data for the elucidation of the still wider problem of the position which the hill-tribes of Assam occupy in the great Indo-Chinese race, their relationship to the Indonesians and even to some of the natives of the South Pacific area. This important line of research, ranging as it does far afield, comes within the province of the general comparative ethnologist, who is expected to place the Nagas and their culture in true ethnological perspective.

I must not dwell upon this point in detail. I merely wish to point out that to the ethnologist, as well as to the administrator of native affairs, Mr. Hutton's careful and first-hand description of the Semas, as also his monograph upon the Angamis, will prove of great value. Such work is a worthy sequel to the earlier researches of Colonel R.G. Woodthorpe, Dr. Grierson, Mr. S.E. Peal, and other pioneers in the study of the ethnography of the Naga Hills.

During his eight years of official contact with the hill tribes, Mr. Hutton made a very fine and valuable ethnographical collection, the greater part of which he has most generously presented to the Pitt Rivers Museum at Oxford; a very important gift to his old University. It is regrettable that the high cost of publication has imposed a limit upon the number of illustrations in his book, the value of which would have been greatly enhanced by a full series of figures of the objects described, most of which are represented in Mr. Hutton’s collection.”

Hutton notes in the opening pages of his book that he wrote the monograph of the Sema Nagas while he was posted at Makokchung and at Kohima in the Naga Hills during an eight years’ acquaintance with the tribe, and in the years, he learned their language and studied their custom and way of life living closely among them, and settling their disputes as an administrator.

As the Honorary Director of Ethnography, Assam, Hutton took it upon himself to promote anthropological research among the members of the British ICS officers. He also gave generous academic and administrative assistance. He worked closely with J.P. Mills, also an administrator cum anthropologists. As mentioned, Hutton wrote the introduction of J.P. Mills’ book, The Lhota Nagas.

The two scholarly officials made some remarkable tours through the unadministered and unexplored areas east of the Naga Hills, and surveyed the tribes. The tours have been meticulously recorded in Hutton’s Diaries of Two Tours in the Unadministered Area East of the Naga Hills. The opening paragraphs of the diaries (available in wwwe.lib.cam.ac.uk) are given below:

April, 1923

The following notes were taken in the course of a tour made by Mr. J. P. Mills, I.C.S. and myself to a part of the Naga Hills which, as far as is known, has never been visited by any white man, except for the tour made for survey purposes by Lt. (afterwards General) Woodthorpe, R.E., in 1876, when he made a journey through some of the villages with which this diary is concerned.

Occupied by the necessity of making maps against time, Woodthorpe must have had even less opportunity for anthropology than we had, and that was so little as to consist in taking occasional notes of anything that happened to catch our attention, to which I have added such observations as occurred to me at the time or afterwards.

Strangers passing with a strongly armed party through villages whose attitude can hardly be less than suspicious at the best, and is always liable to turn to active hostility as the result of any trifling misunderstanding, do not get much chance of getting to know the people, and this must be particularly the case when the responsibility for their personal safety does not rest with themselves, so that they can go nowhere without armed sentries standing over them like warders guarding a recaptured convict.

Capt. W.B. Shakespear, who commanded our escort, and who should at least have a sort of a family feeling for ethnology, was sympathetic but taking no risks, and in addition to these obstacles, much of our time was inevitably taken up with transitory matters of politics, supplies or transport arrangements. On the top of all we had to contend with consistent bad weather. A succession of very rainy days not only dilutes enthusiasm, but very much limits opportunities.

One advantage we had which does not always attend such trips; our escort included two pipers and a drum, which in the shyest of villages succeeded in luring from obscurity a few of the more curious or musically inclined. Even so, it is possible that our hosts regarded our tunes as intended to blight their crops although in April, the month of the tour, wind instruments are in season in most Naga tribes.

I should add that one of the first objects we had, was to visit the Konyak Naga village of Yungya in connection with a recent raid in the course of which men of that village had wounded a man of the village of Kamahu, pursued him on to the administered side of our frontier and there had killed him and taken his head...”

Hutton also did pioneering work on the megalithic monuments of the Naga Hills and other parts of Assam. He also published articles on the studies, such as ‘The meaning and method of the erection of monoliths by the Naga tribes,’ published in the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute (Vol. 52, 1922).

Hutton resigned from the ICS in 1936 mainly due to his family circumstances, and also his desire to devote more time to his academic discipline. In 1937, he was elected to the William Wyse Chair of Social Anthropology in Cambridge, which was one of the most prestigious academic positions in British Anthropology. He was also elected to a fellowship of St Catharine’s College.

Hutton received numerous honours during his lifetime. He was conferred CIE (Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire) for his successful operations against rebellious Kuki tribesmen between 1917 and 1919. He was awarded Degree of D.Sc. by the University of Oxford, Rivers Memorial Medal (1929) by the Royal Anthropological Institute, and elected as President of the institute for 1944-45.

He further received Silver Medal (1932) and Annandale Memorial Medal (1937) from the Royal Society of Arts and Asiatic Society of Bengal respectively. In 1938, he was appointed Frazer Lecturer. After his retirement from the William Wyse Chair in 1950, Hutton was elected as Honorary Fellow of St Catharine’s College.

Hutton married Stella Eleanora, a widow, in 1920. They had two sons and a daughter. Stella died in 1944. Hutton married Maureen Margaret O’Reilly the following year. He passed away 23rd May 1968.