Why is the Roman alphabet used to write the Mizo language?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Map highlighting the northeastern Indian state of Mizoram in orange, with its capital Aizawl marked. Surrounding countries including Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the Maldives are shown in relation to India, with major bodies of water like the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Indian Ocean labeled. — Mizoram Mizoram, India.

The Mizo language is written using the Roman alphabet primarily due to the influence of Christian missionaries who arrived in the region during the period of British administration. These missionaries introduced the script to facilitate the translation of religious texts and the promotion of literacy among the Mizo people, eventually establishing it as the standard orthography for the language.1