Studying tribes under colonialism requires a nuanced understanding of both the historical context of tribal communities in India and the specific methods and motives of colonial administrators, anthropologists, and historians. Tribal societies in India, often referred to as Adivasis, have historically occupied distinct ecological and social niches, maintaining unique cultural practices, governance structures, and economic patterns. Under colonial rule, these societies underwent profound transformations due to administrative policies, economic interventions, and the imposition of colonial knowledge systems. To study tribes under colonialism, one must analyze primary sources, colonial reports, ethnographies, and also critically examine the biases and frameworks imposed by colonial authorities. Colonial administrators categorized tribal populations in terms of governance and control rather than cultural understanding. The British, for instance, often used the concept of the “criminal tribe” as part of their legal and administrative machinery. Laws such as the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 were not only tools of surveillance and control but also instruments to define and stereotype entire communities. Studying tribes under colonialism thus involves examining legislative documents, administrative correspondence, and official records to understand how colonial power conceptualized and categorized tribal identities. This approach highlights the tension between indigenous self-perceptions and externally imposed definitions, showing how colonial policies actively reshaped social hierarchies and tribal agency. Anthropological and ethnographic methods employed by colonial scholars also need to be critically examined. Figures such