How did
Ananthakrishna Iyer and Sarat Chandra Roy come to practice social
anthropology?
How did Ananthakrishna Iyer and Sarat Chandra Roy come to practice social anthropology?
Ananthakrishna
Iyer came to practice social anthropology by voluntarily helping the
British administrators in ethnographic surveys of India. He was
initially a clerk and then became a college teacher at Ernakulum. In
1902, he was asked by the Dewan of Cochin to assist with an
ethnographic survey of the state. Later, he worked for British
government as unpaid Superintendent of Ethnography. His work received
appreciation from British anthropologists and administrators. Iyer
became a reader at the University of Madras and set up the
post-graduate department of anthropology at the University of
Calcutta. Thus, he became the first self-taught anthropologist.
Sarat
Chandra Roy was educated in law and English. He gave up his law
practice and became a school teacher in Ranchi. He was appointed as
the official interpreter in the court after he resumed his law
practice. Gradually, he became interested in the tribal society, as
he had to interpret the tribal customs in the court. He gained
considerable knowledge on the culture and society of the tribal
people of Chhotanagpur. Roy produced valuable monographs and research
articles on this subject. He travelled and did intensive fieldwork
pertaining to the tribal community.
Thus, the
experiences gained by Iyer and Roy in the course of their work led to
their interest in social anthropology.
Ananthakrishna Iyer came to practice social anthropology by voluntarily helping the British administrators in ethnographic surveys of India. He was initially a clerk and then became a college teacher at Ernakulum. In 1902, he was asked by the Dewan of Cochin to assist with an ethnographic survey of the state. Later, he worked for British government as unpaid Superintendent of Ethnography. His work received appreciation from British anthropologists and administrators. Iyer became a reader at the University of Madras and set up the post-graduate department of anthropology at the University of Calcutta. Thus, he became the first self-taught anthropologist.
Sarat Chandra Roy was educated in law and English. He gave up his law practice and became a school teacher in Ranchi. He was appointed as the official interpreter in the court after he resumed his law practice. Gradually, he became interested in the tribal society, as he had to interpret the tribal customs in the court. He gained considerable knowledge on the culture and society of the tribal people of Chhotanagpur. Roy produced valuable monographs and research articles on this subject. He travelled and did intensive fieldwork pertaining to the tribal community.
Thus, the experiences gained by Iyer and Roy in the course of their work led to their interest in social anthropology.
