British Frontier Policy and Creation of Native Agents (Kotokis, Jamadars and Gams) in Siang Valley

Abstract

In the nineteenth and twentieth century, the Siang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh witnessed the British policy of creating native agents such as Kotokis, Jamadars and Gams to facilitate colonial political control in the valley. The injection of such native agents interfered with the indigenous political setting of the valley. The present paper tries to discern the factors behind the policy of creating native agents, its process and the effects it had on the tribal society of Siang Valley.