Birth: 20-07-1812
Home Calling:09-11-1883
Native Place : New York
Country: United States of America
Place of Vision: North East India
Miles Bronson was an American missionary to work in parts of North East India. After his graduation in 1836, he was ordained by the Baptist church. Soon after, he received an appointment from the American Baptist Missionary Union for service in Assam, India.
With a vision to eventually reach Burma, Miles arrived in Sadiya, Assam, in the year 1838. But God had different plans for Him. Together with two other missionaries, Nathan Brown and O. T. Cutter, he started preaching Gospel among the natives. Later he moved to Jaipur, Assam, where he learned the Nocte language, the dialect of the Nocte Tribe. The Nocte tribe is an ethnic Naga Tribe living in Namsang, Arunachal Pradesh. They used to come to Jaipur for the salt trade. Miles, overwhelmed by the love of Christ, started working among the Nocte Tribes.
He made a challenging and dangerous journey to Namsang, crossing dense forests, streams, and mountains. He was several times suspected of being a British spy by the locals. After staying in the outskirts of their village for two days, humbly expressing his interest in learning their language, Miles finally won the favor of Khonbao(chief) of the village. Gradually, he taught them the way of Eternal life and also civilized life. He translated Gospel literature into the Nocte language and also established schools for the local children.
Miles made an important contribution to several Assamese dialects and gave them form and literary expression. He published the first Assamese English dictionary, for which the Assamese are even grateful today. He also started the translation of the Bible into Assamese.
Although the hilly conditions were harsh on his body and resulted in his sister Rhoda’s death, Miles persisted in ministry in North East India till 1879. Then he returned to America, where he slept in Lord in 1883
