British Colonial Policy towards the Idu Mishmis: A Historical Analysis of Frontier Governance in Northeast India (1826–1947)

Author(s)	Vicky Pulu
Country	India
Abstract	This article examines British colonial policy towards the Idu Mishmi tribe, an indigenous group in the Northeast frontier of India (present-day Arunachal Pradesh), from the onset of British expansion in 1826 to Indian independence in 1947. Drawing on archival sources from the India Office Records, The National Archives of India, and regional repositories, the study analyzes how British administrators navigated the complex socio-political landscape of the Mishmi Hills. The article argues that British policy oscillated between strategic neglect and limited intervention, shaped by the imperatives of frontier security, trade control, and ethnographic misconceptions. By foregrounding Idu Mishmi resistance, this study challenges conventional narratives of passive indigeneity and contributes to the historiography of colonial frontier governance. The findings highlight the fragmented and often contradictory nature of British policy, reflecting broader tensions in imperial administration.
Keywords	British colonialism, Idu Mishmi, frontier policy, archival sources.
Field	Arts
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 4, July-August 2025
Published On	2025-07-17
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i04.51276
Short DOI	https://doi.org/g9tz6x

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