New book sheds light on Bastar’s colonial past and Adivasi resistance

A new book presents two interesting perspectives on India’s colonial history and the plight of the Adivasi community. Titled Bastar 1862 — A Colonial Report and an Adivasi Resistance, it was released on Saturday at the Institute of World Culture in Basavanagudi.

The 300-page book brings together the original, unabridged text of two source works — A Report on the Dependency of Bastar, an official tour report by Captain C L R Glasfurd of the East India Company, who was the first foreigner to venture into the interior parts of Bastar, and I, Pravir, the Adivasi God by Maharaja Pravir Chandra Bhanjdeo, the last of the Kakatiya kings to rule over Bastar.

This marks the tenth book under the Professor D S Achuta Rao History Series, published by Manipal Universal Press, MAHE, Manipal. It has been co-edited by Uma Ram and K S Ram, who have spent about three decades in the region.

Speaking at the event, former UNESCO Ambassador Chiranjiv Singh, who released the book, said, “This is one of the most important books published under the Series, specifically because it provides a fresh perspective — one by Pravir Chandra Bhanjdeo. His narrative is valuable, as many haven’t had access to it. His narrative makes you ponder various topics of interest.”

As part of the book launch, a symposium titled Tribal Ecosystem and the Challenges of Development: The Curious Case of Bastar was held on the same day. Along with Singh and the co-editors, S K Aruni, Regional Director of the Indian Council of Historical Research, and D A Prasanna, author and convener of the DSA History Endowment, also took part in the discussion.

Aruni hailed the book as a breakthrough in the field of Indian history. “The book is significant as an important historical source document,” he said.