Tribal movements in India have been significant expressions of resistance, identity assertion, and struggles for autonomy among indigenous communities. These movements emerged primarily in response to external interventions that disrupted traditional socio-economic, cultural, and political systems of tribal societies. From the colonial period to the post-independence era, tribal uprisings and organized mobilizations have reflected the determination of tribal communities to protect their land, forest rights, customary laws, and cultural identity. In the context of Introduction to Tribal Studies, tribal movements are understood not merely as rebellions but as collective efforts to resist exploitation, marginalization, and cultural assimilation. During the pre-colonial period, many tribal communities lived relatively autonomous lives in forested and hilly regions, governed by their customary laws and traditional chiefs. Their economies were based on shifting cultivation, hunting-gathering, pastoralism, and small-scale agriculture. However, with the advent of British colonial rule, significant changes were introduced in land revenue systems, forest administration, and resource extraction. The British imposed private property rights over land, declared forests as state property, and restricted shifting cultivation. Moneylenders, landlords, and traders penetrated tribal areas, leading to indebtedness and land alienation. These changes disrupted the traditional tribal way of life and laid the foundation for numerous tribal movements. Tribal movements during the colonial period can be broadly categorized into political, agrarian, forest-based, and socio-religious movements. Political movements were directed against British authority and aimed at expelling colonial rulers. Agrarian movements focused on issues such as high land revenue, forced labor, and exploitation by zamindars and moneylenders. Forest-based movements arose in response to forest laws that curtailed tribal access to forest resources. Socio-religious movements sought to reform tribal society and revive traditional cultural practices while resisting external religious and cultural influences. Some prominent tribal uprisings in India include the Santhal Rebellion (1855–56), the Kol Uprising (1831–32), the Bhil