Ethno-territorialisation and colonial governance in South Asia: law, political discourse and knowledge production in the early twentieth century

Purpose This review analyses how ethno-territorialisation emerged as a governance strategy in colonial South Asia (1870–1947). It develops a triadic convergence framework showing how colonial law, administrative discourse and social-scientific knowledge aligned ethnically differentiated categories with territorial jurisdictions, producing durable forms of differentiated rule. Design/methodology/approach Using a narrative synthesis (general review), the article analyses 25 primary colonial texts (including the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873; Census of India reports 1901 and 1931; Risley, 1891; Hutton, 1921) alongside 35 secondary works. Analysis is organised around three convergence conditions – cross-domain citation, procedural embedding and territorial enactment – which structure the examination of law, administration and knowledge. Findings Ethno-territorialisation emerged through iterative institutional feedback. Legal instruments stabilised categories such as “Excluded Areas”; administrative genres produced spatial legibility; and social-scientific writings naturalised territorialised identities. Four pathways – enumeration, legislation, spatial administration and political organisation – translated classificatory claims into durable territorial policy. Research limitations/implications As a general review, the study synthesises existing material. The framework extends governmentality and state-legibility literature and invites comparative testing. Practical implications Colonial ethno-territorial grammars persist (e.g. India's Sixth Schedule), shaping land rights, welfare and representation. Reform requires coordinated interventions across legal, classificatory and administrative domains. Social implications The framework explains the persistence of territorially differentiated citizenship and its relevance to autonomy disputes and indigenous claims. Originality/value The article specifies triadic convergence mechanisms and institutional pathways, demonstrating ethno-territorialisation as a structured colonial strategy.