The marginalization of tribes in India is a complex historical phenomenon rooted in multiple social, economic, political, and cultural factors. B.R. Ambedkar, though primarily concerned with caste-based discrimination, provided analytical frameworks that help in understanding the systematic exclusion of marginalized communities, including tribes. His emphasis on structural inequalities and social hierarchies can be extended to comprehend the historical processes that led to tribal marginalization in India. Historically, tribal communities in India, often referred to as Adivasis, lived in relative isolation in forested or hilly regions. Their social, cultural, and economic systems were largely autonomous, revolving around subsistence agriculture, hunting, and forest-based livelihoods. This autonomy and the distinctiveness of their socio-cultural practices made them distinct from the mainstream agrarian or urban civilizations, which were dominated by caste hierarchies. The lack of integration with the larger socio-political structures left tribes vulnerable to external economic and political interventions, eventually leading to their marginalization. The first significant cause of tribal marginalization can be traced to the expansion of agrarian states and kingdoms. As kingdoms expanded, land became a major resource for state revenue, and tribal lands were increasingly encroached upon by feudal lords and agricultural settlers. Tribes, who practiced shifting cultivation and communal ownership of land, were considered "primitive" by the feudal systems and were often displaced without compensation. This led to the loss of traditional livelihoods and their gradual incorporation into exploitative economic structures. Ambedkar’s critique of structural inequalities can be applied here: the social and economic systems systematically favored dominant groups while suppressing marginalized communities, leaving tribes without the means to assert their rights or protect their resources. Colonial rule