Published Paper Details:

Although marked by diversities, the impact generated by colonialism on the world of the tribals was increasingly felt by the second half of the nineteenth century in a significant manner. The colonial regime started the process of recording land rights in tribal areas, often giving an individual farmer the right of cultivation. In most cases the effort was to make a direct relationship between the farmer and the state. This impacted tribal societies in three ways. First, in many tribal societies, especially those practicing jhum, there was no individual ownership of land. Land was owned by clans as in the case of khuntkatti system of Chotanagpur or village councils in the Garo and Khasi hills of North East. Since jhum was banned under forest laws, the right to land for jhum cultivators was not recognized. Secondly, though the rights of the tribal peasants were recognized, the increasing burden of taxes lad their increasing indebtedness. Finally, the British policy also tried to expand plough cultivation in areas where jhum was being done earlier.