ABSTRACT
Division of the people of Gujarat, as in the rest of India, into Hindus consisting of many castes and aborigines or tribals is a creation of the British colonial administration, influenced by the evolutionist and diffusionist theories of 18th to 19th century anthropology in Britain. The general image that the tribal people in the hills were isolated from the plains Hindus in Gujarat was false on several counts. When the British began to rule over Gujarat in the beginning of the 19th century a large number of Rajput princely states existed all over the hill region, from Danta in the north to Vansda and Dharampur in the south. The British thought the tribes in India were similar to primitive tribes they had known in Africa, Australia, the Pacific islands, and many other parts of the world. The British prepared lists of tribes in the territories under their jurisdiction and took special administrative measures to deal with their problems.
