Tax Raj: Koyas, migration and adivasi frontiers in the central provinces

Abstract

This article examines an incident of tax-avoidance migration by the adivasis in the Central Provinces during the colonial period. Using this incident, the article reflects on two interrelated questions: the colonial attitude towards adivasis and adivasi engagement with the colonial state. The reflection on these questions centres on the notion of belonging. By exploring ‘belonging’ as a concept on the register of sedentary-nomadic metaphysics, the article offers insights into the idea of being adivasi. Ultimately, by navigating the ontological and historical–political grounds, this article attempts to recover a history from the colonial period that is often seen to be marginal, both in terms of the social group involved and the nature of the event. Whether it would yield a non-violent history of adivasis or not is a question that is left open for further debate and discussion.