An invaluable critical edition for scholars and students of the first Naga novel in English by one of the most celebrated writers from the Northeast—Easterine Kire. This student edition includes the full text of the novel plus 8 scholarly essays.

Between 1832 and 1880, the Angami warriors of Khonoma were a beacon of Naga resistance against the British, carrying out raids and disrupting the forced recruitment of the Nagas as bonded labourers. In this richly detailed historical novel—the first Naga novel to appear in English—Hindu Prize winner Easterine Kire brings alive Khonoma of the nineteenth century, a natural fortress nestled amidst high mountains.

The Khonoma warriors clashed with the British a number of times, stirring other Naga villages to join them as well. After the death of an officer in 1879, the British laid siege upon the tiny village. But despite being outumbered and ill-equipped, Khonoma held out against them for four long months, eventually signing a peace treaty on 27 March 1880.

This critical companion, produced specially for students and teachers of Indian literature, features scholarly essays by eight academics, including a critical introduction to the novel by the editors. The essays engage with themes, topics and contexts that enrich the reading of this significant work from India’s Northeast.