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History
It is believed the Mizo people came from China and settled here about 300 years ago. Mizoram, in the 18th century, had an autocratic political system, ruled by hereditary chieftains. In the 1890s, the British annexed the Lushai Hills (as the hills of Mizoram are commonly known as) district to Assam. During the British rule, Christian missionaries were encouraged to come to Mizoram to proselytise and preach. They did and as a consequence, almost 95% of the Mizo population is Christian. The indigenous Buddhist and animist tribes such as the Chakmas and Reangs have been persecuted and even driven out of the state.
In 1959 a natural calamity called 'Mautam’ began. Every 18 years the bamboo forests burst into flower and the blooms attract hordes of rats who multiply in hordes, having fed on the flower that is reputed to have aphrodisiacal properties. These rodents then proceed to devour the rice fields and vegetable gardens. The bamboo flowering was followed by a two-year famine. The Mizo people were enraged at the apathy of the Indian Administration and formed the Mizo National Front, which fought a long drawn insurgency with the Central government. A peace accord was signed in 1986 and Mizoram became a state of India on 20th February 1987.
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Economy
Mizoram has a predominantly agricultural economy. Small-scale irrigation is undertaken to help the growth of crops. The state is famous for fibreless ginger. Other crops grown here are rice, maize, mustard, sugarcane, sesame and potatoes. Basketry, saw mills, printing press, brick making, sericulture and soap making also contribute to the economy. The state has rubber, coffee and tea plantations. It is rich in coal, limestone and natural gas.
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Travel Tools
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