Indigenous Trade Networks and Borderland Governance: Adis and Tibetans Barter Relations in the Eastern Himalayan Frontier

Author(s)	Mr. Joel Komut
Country	India
Abstract	Long before the emergence of modern international borders in the Eastern Himalayas, indigenous communities developed their own systems of trade, mobility, and regulation. Among these, the barter-based trade relations between the Adis of the Siang valley and neighbouring Tibetan communities occupy a significant place. This paper examines these trade relations not merely as economic exchanges but as an indigenous system of political economy that functioned in the absence of formal state authority. Drawing upon historical accounts, colonial records, and field-based observations, the study argues that Adi-Tibetan trade networks operated as informal institutions of borderland governance. Through shared norms, negotiated access to routes, and mutually accepted rules of exchange, these networks ensured stability, cooperation, and resource circulation across a fluid frontier. The paper highlights how the closure of the Indo–Tibetan border disrupted these long-standing indigenous arrangements and replaced them with state-centric forms of control.
Keywords	Indigenous Trade, Borderlands, Political Economy, Adi Tribe, Tibet, Eastern Himalayas.
Published In	Volume 5, Issue 1, January-February 2023
Published On	2023-01-05

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