The changing world of the Singhbhum Hos, 1820-1932

This essay emphasizes the fact that indigenous communities, being historically determined social groups, had' distinctive trajectories of development. It is an attempt to understand one of the 'many' histories of indigenous communities in the Indian subcontinent and highlights the fact that British policy towards the tribal people was constantly evolving, with much regional and local variation. It assumes that although British rule 'invented' the concept of 'tribe' with its essentially racial and evolutionary overtones, this does not negate the pre-existence ofan indigenous community with its distinct and complex socio-economic structure and institutions which were modified and realigned under British rule.