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Home/Anthropology/Mains PYQ/2018/Paper II/Foundations of Anthropology
UPSC MainsAnthropology Optional Paper II 2018 15 Marks Model Answer Available

S. C. Roy and the Study of Tribal Cultures — 2018 Paper II

Question · 2018 · Paper II · 15 Marks

Discuss the contribution of S. C. Roy in the study of tribal cultures in India.

Model Answer

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Approach

  • Demand of Question: Discuss S.C. Roy’s pioneering contribution to the ethnographic, legal and applied study of Indian tribal communities.
  • Structuring the Response: Cover his Chotanagpur fieldwork, major monographs, methodology, customary-law studies, institutional contribution and limitations.
  • Key Dimensions to Cover: Munda, Oraon, Birhor, Kharia, Hill Bhuiya, customary law, fieldwork, Man in India, applied anthropology and Indian ethnography.

Model Answer

Introduction: Sarat Chandra Roy (1871–1942) was one of the pioneers of professional anthropology in India and is frequently described as the first Indian ethnographer/ethnologist. Though trained as a lawyer, his close involvement with tribal communities of Chotanagpur led him to systematic ethnographic research.

  1. Intensive study of Chotanagpur tribes

Roy conducted detailed studies of several tribal communities, especially:

  • Munda;
  • Oraon;
  • Birhor;
  • Kharia;
  • Hill Bhuiya.

His major monographs included:

  • The Mundas and Their Country (1912);
  • The Oraons of Chota Nagpur (1915);
  • The Birhors (1925);
  • Oraon Religion and Customs;
  • The Hill Bhuiyas of Orissa (1935);
  • The Kharias (1937).
  1. Holistic ethnographic description

Roy documented:

  • kinship;
  • marriage;
  • religion;
  • economic life;
  • folklore;
  • political institutions;
  • customary law;
  • material culture.

His work therefore moved beyond superficial colonial enumeration toward detailed community-level ethnography.

  1. Study of customary law

His legal background enabled Roy to appreciate the importance of indigenous customary institutions.

He emphasized that courts and administrators needed to understand:

  • tribal land systems;
  • inheritance;
  • marriage;
  • customary rights;
  • local dispute resolution.

Thus:

Ethnography → Understanding customary law → Better tribal administration

This represents an early form of applied anthropology.

  1. Historical approach

In The Mundas and Their Country, Roy combined:

  • oral traditions;
  • folklore;
  • linguistic evidence;
  • historical records

to reconstruct tribal history and land relations.

He therefore recognized that tribes were historical communities rather than timeless isolates.

  1. Youth dormitory and tribal institutions

His work among the Oraons documented important institutions such as:

  • Dhumkuria, the youth dormitory;
  • village councils;
  • the Parha organization.

This contributed substantially to understanding tribal social organization.

  1. Study of culture contact

Roy also examined the impact of contact with surrounding populations and wider religious traditions.

His studies showed that tribal cultures undergo:

  • acculturation;
  • adaptation;
  • religious change.

This challenged excessively static descriptions of tribal life.

  1. Man in India

In 1921, Roy founded Man in India, one of the earliest major anthropological journals devoted specifically to India. It became an important platform for ethnological, archaeological and anthropological research.

  1. Applied concern for tribal welfare

Roy was not merely an observer. His contact with tribal litigation made him aware of:

  • exploitation;
  • land alienation;
  • administrative misunderstanding.

He used anthropological knowledge to advocate more informed treatment of tribal communities.

Critical assessment

Roy’s studies were exceptionally rich for their period, but some limitations remain:

  • descriptive emphasis sometimes outweighed theoretical analysis;
  • categories reflected aspects of early twentieth-century anthropology;
  • some interpretations were shaped by contemporary diffusionist or evolutionary assumptions.

Nevertheless, his commitment to direct field investigation represented a major advance over purely administrative ethnography.

Conclusion

S.C. Roy transformed the study of Indian tribes through intensive fieldwork, monographic documentation, customary-law analysis and applied concern for tribal welfare. His Munda, Oraon and Birhor studies and the founding of Man in India laid an enduring foundation for Indian tribal anthropology and ethnography.

2026 Contribution of L. K. Ananthakrishna Iyer in Anthropology. 2026 Assess the contribution of colonial scholars in studying the tribal populations of North-East India. 2025 Highlight the significant contributions of B. S. Guha, Irawati Karve and S. R. K. Chopra to Indian Anthropology. 2025 Anthropology provides a multidimensional understanding of human beings by bridging the gap between science and humanities. Elucidate.

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