The State, Power Structure and the Kandha Tribe of Kandhamal, Odisha

This article examines the relationship between the state and the Kandha tribe of Odisha across three historical phases: pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial. Adopting a diachronic perspective rarely employed in anthropological studies, the article traces the political dynamics and sociocultural transformations of the Kandha over time. It highlights their interactions with two significant non-tribal communities: the Pano, later classified as a Scheduled Caste, and the Patra, a Kshatriya group who mediated relations between the princely states and the Kandha in the pre-colonial period. During colonial rule, the Kandha resisted British authority both indirectly, through alliances with princely states, and directly, when colonial interventions disrupted their religious practices and introduced non-tribal officials into local administration. The colonial encounter also marked their first exposure to Christianity. In the post-independence period, continued contact with non-tribal groups and state as well as non-state institutions led the Kandha to gradually adopt Hindu customs and practices, reshaping their identity within the broader sociopolitical framework of Odisha.