Colonial Encounters, Resistance, and Negotiation: The Adi Community and British Expansion in Northeast India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2026.v11.n03.027Keywords:
Adi tribe, Ahom, Anglo-Abor war, British frontier policy, colonial encounters, indigenous resistance, Indian freedom struggle, Trade routesAbstract
The colonial encounter between the British administration and the Adi community of present-day Arunachal Pradesh represents one of the most complex frontier interactions in Northeast Indian history. Unlike the plains of India, British expansion in the hill regions was neither immediate nor uniform, but unfolded through phases of conciliation, conflict, punitive expeditions, and eventual political incorporation. This paper offers a comprehensive historical analysis of Adi–British relations from the pre-colonial Ahom period to the end of British rule in India. It examines the political, economic, and cultural foundations of Adi society, the continuity and rupture between Ahom and British frontier policies, the role of trade and intermediaries, and the impact of colonial rule on indigenous autonomy. The study further situates Adi resistance within the broader context of Indian nationalism and frontier governance. The paper argues that the Adis were active historical agents who strategically negotiated, resisted, and adapted to colonial expansion while striving to preserve their socio-political autonomy.
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