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Long Abstract
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The interdisciplinarity of History and Anthropology can be seen in the study of marginal communities such as the tribal Bhils and Meenas ( belonging to the west Indian state , Rajasthan ) and agro-pastoralists like the Bishnois and camel breeders like the Raikas of Western Rajasthan. The active participation of some of the ‘Hinduized’ tribal people in the functioning of the state apparatus and their interaction with the caste society amply indicate that these communities were not isolated. It is the colonial reading and administrative conveniences of the colonial state that a blanket coverage of isolation was given to tribal and agro-pastoralist people . Colonial state in South Asia wanted to control the natural resources of their natural habitat and control these people with absolute power. However , this is not to say that these marginal communities were not exploited or despised in pre-colonial times. The contributions of the Bhils and Meenas in the state formation processes in pre-colonial Rajasthan can be gleaned from historic sources. Bhils dominated the forest resources , mining centres in the hills and forest routes. Regional states depended on the Bhils and Meenas for obvious military and strategic reasons. Bhils figured as forest guards and witnesses to land grants in Southern Rajasthan state of Mewar. Similarly Meenas guarded the royal treasures and important hill passes in the state of Jaipur. The state of Marwar ( Western Rajasthan ) depended on the Raikas for the supply of good quality camels. However , historical sources also indicate the process of their socio-political marginalization. The Democratic Government of India addressed their deprivations in the post-independence era. The Reservation Act of 1956 for the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Caste opened the doors of education and employment for them in new India.
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