How is gender ideology reproduced in tribal society? Can gender constructions be instrumental n perpetuating women's subjugation and exploitation? Using the perspectives and tools of gender studies, the author offers a pioneering study of social change. Sinha investigates tradition to show how these can influence and structure the construction and reproduction of gender identities. He discusses how women were cultivators, vendors and also paid labourers. Later they played a significant role in the tribal uprisings against colonial uprisings. Facing three systems of discrimination: patriarchy, colonialism and capitalism, all reinforcing, and on occasions, working in tandem with each other, women negotiated, sometimes visibly, sometimes invisibly.