The history of Nagaland is mainly focused on the Naga tribes and their customs along with their economic activities . The Naga tribes had socio-economic and political links with tribes in Assam and Myanmar. In 1816 , Nagaland along with Assam came under the direct rule of Myanmar, which was a period of oppression and turmoil. When the East India Company took control of Assam in 1826, they extended their domain over modern Nagaland. By 1892, all of modern Nagaland except the Tuensang area was governed by the British. It was amalgamated with Assam. The Christian missionaries played an important part in converting most of the Naga tribes into Christianity. Presently 90 % of the people in Nagaland are Christians. After the independence, Nagaland remained a part of the province of Assam. Nationalist activities arose amongst Naga tribes and they demanded for a political union of their ancestral and native groups. They turned millitant and damaged government and civil infrastructure, and attacked government officials and Indians from other states. In order to restore peace ,the Union government sent the Indian Army. The Government began diplomatic talks with representatives of Naga tribes, and the Naga Hills district of Assam and the Tuensang frontier were united as a single political entity that became a Union territory( directly administered by the Central government with a large degree of autonomy). This move too was not satisfactory to the tribes and soon they began agitation and violence. This included a series of attacks on Army and government institutions. Further political accord was reached at the Naga People`s Convention that Nagaland should become a self-governing state in the Indian union. Statehood was officially granted and the first state-level democratic elections were held in 1964.

An Interim Body of 42 members was constituted on February 18, 1961. This was to function as the de-facto legislature. It consisted of a five-member Executive Council whose head was the Chief Executive Councilor. This functioned as de-facto Council of Ministers. The first Chairman of the Naga People`s Convention, Dr. Imkongliba Ao, was appointed as the first Chairman of the Interim Body. Mr. P. Shilo was appointed as the Chief Executive Councilor and finally became the first Chief Minister of Nagaland. The late Mr. Vishnu Sahay became the first Governor of Nagaland.

Violence and infighting still continues in Nagaland. A bomb explosion in 2004 killed seventy people in Dimapur, and it is considered unsafe to travel at night. However necessary security is provided by the government very efficeintly since then.Tough many Nagas agree that they could not survive independently of India, few feel much affinity with their neighbours in Assam and beyond, in either temperament outlook.