‘Babu’ Sarat Chandra Roy & the making of ‘Nationalist Anthropology’ in India

This article examines Sarat Chandra Roy's groundbreaking work in establishing "Nationalist Anthropology" in India. It describes how Roy, who started out as a lawyer, became the first Indian anthropologist to operate in tribal populations, especially the Mundas, through ethnographic fieldwork. Roy's research was firmly anchored in his dedication to justice for underprivileged tribes, in contrast to European scholars who were motivated by administrative or missionary goals. By fusing Western methods with an Indian viewpoint, his groundbreaking work, ‘The Mundas and Their Country’ (1912), established a standard for anthropological research in India. The purpose of this article is to investigate how nationalism influenced Indian anthropology, a field previously dominated by colonial narratives. By situating Roy's work within the larger theoretical frameworks of evolutionism, diffusionism, and functionalism, the article highlights his methodological innovations and efforts to develop an indigenous anthropological perspective. His work helped to establish anthropology as an academic discipline in India, resulting in the founding of Man in India, the country's second professional anthropology journal. The study seeks to shed light on Roy's ethnographic methods and nationalist vision, which contributed to a distinct Indian anthropological tradition. His approach emphasized the importance of situating tribal communities in a larger socio-historical context, challenging the widely held notion of isolated "primitive" societies. Finally, Roy's contributions are significant because of his ability to bridge Western anthropological theories with Indian intellectual traditions, thereby fostering a nationalist framework in the discipline. His legacy continues to shape modern Indian anthropology, demonstrating how indigenous scholarship can challenge colonial epistemologies and contribute to nation-building.