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Home/Anthropology/Mains PYQ/2014/Paper II/Tribal Development, Policy & Safeguards
UPSC MainsAnthropology Optional Paper II 2014 15 Marks Model Answer Available

History of Tribal Administration in the Colonial Period — 2014 Paper II

Question · 2014 · Paper II · 15 Marks

Describe the history of tribal administration in the colonial period.

Model Answer

VAID ICS

Approach

  • Demand of Question: In the context of this tribal-development section, trace the evolution of British administration of tribal areas during the colonial period.
  • Structuring the Response: Move chronologically from early revenue expansion and tribal resistance to non-regulation areas, excluded/partially excluded areas and late colonial administrative arrangements.
  • Key Dimensions to Cover: Permanent Settlement, tribal rebellions, Regulation XIII of 1833, Scheduled Districts Act 1874, Government of India Acts 1919 and 1935, excluded areas and isolationist administration.

Model Answer

Introduction: British administration of tribal areas evolved gradually from attempts at revenue extraction and extension of ordinary laws toward special administrative arrangements based on partial exclusion and indirect control. This change was largely a response to repeated tribal resistance and the difficulty of applying plains administration to tribal regions.

  1. Early colonial intervention

Expansion of British revenue administration disrupted traditional tribal relations with:

  • land;
  • forests;
  • chiefs;
  • community resources.

Introduction of:

  • landlords;
  • moneylenders;
  • traders;
  • new revenue systems

contributed to land alienation and indebtedness.

Thus:

Colonial penetration → Resource alienation → Tribal resistance

  1. Tribal rebellions and administrative response

Numerous uprisings demonstrated the inadequacy of ordinary administration.

Important examples include:

  • Kol uprising (1831–32);
  • Santhal rebellion (1855–56);
  • Munda Ulgulan (1899–1900).

These movements forced colonial authorities to recognize the distinctive conditions of tribal areas.

  1. Regulation XIII of 1833

Following disturbances in Chotanagpur, Regulation XIII of 1833 created the South-West Frontier Agency.

Certain areas were removed from ordinary regulatory administration and placed under special arrangements.

This marked movement toward the non-regulation system.

  1. Scheduled Districts Act, 1874

The Scheduled Districts Act, 1874 identified backward and difficult areas where ordinary laws could be modified or selectively applied.

Administration became increasingly differentiated between:

Regular provinces ↔ Special tribal/frontier areas

  1. Forest legislation

Colonial forest policies, particularly under the Forest Acts of:

  • 1865;
  • 1878;
  • 1927,

expanded state ownership and control over forests.

This restricted traditional practices such as:

  • shifting cultivation;
  • hunting;
  • grazing;
  • collection of forest produce.

Forest administration consequently became an important source of tribal grievance.

  1. Government of India Act, 1919

The Act recognized certain Backward Tracts, which received differentiated administrative treatment.

This further institutionalized the idea that some tribal areas should remain outside normal provincial administration.

  1. Government of India Act, 1935

A more systematic classification emerged under the Government of India Act, 1935 through:

  • Excluded Areas;
  • Partially Excluded Areas.

In Excluded Areas, provincial legislatures had little direct authority and administration remained substantially under the Governor.

In Partially Excluded Areas, provincial laws could operate subject to special restrictions.

Thus:

Tribal distinctiveness → Administrative exclusion rather than political integration

Nature of colonial policy

Colonial administration broadly oscillated between:

  • intervention for revenue and resources;
  • isolation for administrative convenience.

It rarely aimed at genuine tribal self-government.

The policy sought chiefly to maintain:

  • political order;
  • frontier security;
  • access to natural resources.

Impact

Colonial administration produced lasting consequences:

  • land alienation;
  • restrictions on forest rights;
  • weakening of customary institutions;
  • indebtedness;
  • tribal rebellions.

At the same time, recognition of the distinct administrative requirements of tribal areas later influenced constitutional arrangements such as the Fifth and Sixth Schedules.

Conclusion

The history of colonial administration of tribal areas moved from unregulated economic penetration to special administrative exclusion. Measures such as the Scheduled Districts Act and the excluded-area system recognized tribal distinctiveness, but were primarily designed for colonial control rather than participatory tribal development or autonomy.

2026 What are the provisions given in the Constitution of India for the safeguard of the Scheduled Caste populations? 2026 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) of the islands. 2026 'Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan aims to meet some of the Sustainable Development Goals'. Discuss. 2026 Write an account on the contribution of Verrier Elwin in developing policies for the tribal populations in post-independent India.

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