Conceptualizing colonial mode of production: a case study of Northeast India

The present paper will address the issue of mode of production debate in the context of Northeastern India. The debate of mode of production has been focused on the main stream Indian society and analyzes the impact of colonial economy on Indian society. In this context the present paper argues that the British also extended their power in the tribal areas of Northeast India. The scholars who participated in the debate of mode of production failed to address the institutional changes that effected tribal society and their mode of production in Northeast India. In this paper we will apply the Marxist perspective of mode of production debate in understanding of tribal society and find out how Marxist theory of Mode of production is suit to the tribal mode of production during colonial period. This paper can be divided into two parts. The first part discusses about the nature of colonial mode of production in India in general and tribal mode of production in tribal regions of Northeast India.