The emergence of sociology and social anthropology in India is closely linked with the historical, cultural, and colonial context of the country. Indian sociology and social anthropology developed under unique circumstances, shaped by the encounter between indigenous traditions and Western intellectual thought during British colonial rule. Unlike in Europe, where sociology emerged as a response to industrialization, urbanization, and political revolutions, in India, the study of society was significantly influenced by the colonial administration’s need to understand the complex social and cultural fabric of the country for governance purposes, as well as by Indian thinkers’ efforts to interpret social changes and continuity within their own society. The roots of sociology and social anthropology in India can be traced back to the colonial period in the 19th century. British administrators, missionaries, and scholars were among the first to systematically study Indian society. Early works in this regard were primarily descriptive and focused on documenting social customs, caste structures, religious practices, and tribal communities. Figures such as William Jones, who founded the Asiatic Society in 1784, played a crucial role in initiating systematic studies of Indian culture, law, and languages. The colonial administration’s need for knowledge about social structures, laws, and customs led to extensive ethnographic work, which laid the foundation for later developments in Indian sociology and social anthropology. The intellectual framework of Indian sociology was influenced both by Western social theory and by classical Indian philosophical and historical traditions. Indian thinkers like Radhakamal Mukerjee, G.S. Ghurye, and M.N. Srinivas engaged with Western sociological theories while also attempting to interpret Indian society through indigenous lenses. G.S. Ghurye, often considered the father of Indian sociology, emphasized the study of caste, kinship, and tribal communities, integrating historical, cultural, and anthropological methods. He believed that Indian society could not be understood solely through Western theoretical frameworks and stressed the importance of contextual analysis. M.N. Srinivas introduced innovative concepts such as Sanskritization and Westernization to explain social change in India, emphasizing the dynamic and adaptive nature of Indian society. Radhakamal Mukerjee, on the other hand, focused on the cultural and economic dimensions of society, exploring the interplay of values, institutions, and social change. Social anthropology in India also developed alongside sociology but often had a more ethnographic and field-oriented focus. The discipline concentrated on understanding tribal societies, rural communities, and kinship systems. Pioneering anthropologists such as Verrier Elwin,