The emergence of sociology and social anthropology in India is closely linked to the historical, political, and intellectual processes that unfolded during the colonial period and the subsequent phase of nation-building after independence. Although reflections on society, social order, and human relationships existed in ancient Indian philosophical, religious, and historical texts, the development of sociology and social anthropology as modern, systematic disciplines took place largely under the influence of Western education, colonial administration, and the needs of governance. In ancient and medieval India, thinkers such as Kautilya, Manu, and later Bhakti and Sufi scholars discussed social organization, caste, kinship, duties, and moral order. However, these were normative and philosophical reflections rather than empirical or analytical social science. The transformation of such reflections into sociology and social anthropology occurred during British rule, when India became a field for systematic observation, classification, and study of society by colonial officials, missionaries, and scholars. The colonial state required detailed knowledge of Indian society to administer its vast and diverse population, which led to extensive documentation of customs, laws, tribes, castes, and religions. Social anthropology in India emerged earlier than sociology and was initially shaped by colonial ethnography. British administrators like H.H. Risley, W.W. Hunter, and Denzil Ibbetson conducted ethnographic surveys, census operations, and district gazetteers that classified Indian society into tribes, castes, and races. These studies were influenced by evolutionary and racial theories prevalent in Europe, often portraying Indian society as static, traditional, and governed by rigid customs. Anthropology during this phase was primarily descriptive and oriented towards understanding so-called “primitive” tribes and isolated communities, especially in forested and frontier regions. Tribes were viewed as distinct from mainstream society and were studied to aid governance, taxation, and control. The institutional development of anthropology began in the early twentieth century with the establishment of academic departments and research institutions. The University of Calcutta played