This is a landmark scholarly volume that re-examines the historical, cultural, and developmental journeys of Jharkhand's Adivasi communities.

Edited by Kumar Rana and Devika Modi, the book combines empirical rigour with deep interpretive insight to present a nuanced understanding of Adivasi life, identity, and struggle. Moving beyond welfare-oriented or assimilationist perspectives, it introduces the transformative idea of "peoplehood" -- highlighting Adivasi moral, ecological, and spiritual frameworks as vital alternatives for rethinking development and democracy.

Rich in data yet sensitive to lived realities, this work serves as both an academic intervention and a moral call to recognise Adivasis as co-citizens, knowledge-keepers, and essential partners in shaping a more just and sustainable future.