Description
Adivasis have principally been studied in the context of rebellion,
environmental history and the politics of identity. However, preoccupations
with definitions and notions of identity, while important in themselves,
tend to shift attention away from the inner lives of these communities. This
book deals with different aspects of the histories of adivasi communities—
from Rajasthan in the west to Bengal and Orissa in the east. The essays in
this book discuss a range of issues affecting the socio-economic and cultural
life of adivasis and explore the long term continuities and discontinuities
between different political regimes. They also reflect some of the new concerns that have come up relating to
methodology and sources, historiography and colonial concerns, the impact of missionaries, gender issues,
the agrarian situation, famines and migration.