Sarat Chandra Roy (1871-1942), popularly known as S.C. Roy, was a popular cultural anthropologist. He was deeply involved in studying the ethnography of the aboriginal tribes of Central Hill Belt of British India. His serious involvement in ethnology made him the first Indian to be elected to the Folklore Society of London as an honorary member. Many more recognitions came on his way. “Kaisar-i-Hind Silver Medal” and “Roy Bahadur” are some of them.
Deeply known to the life and culture of the aborigines, he authored five books on different tribals such as: The Mundas and Their Country, The Oraons of Chota Nagpur, The Bihors, Oran Religion and Customs, and The Kharias (2 vols.), in addition to the present title. He also started an anthropological journal, Man in India (an ongoing journal) and edited it for a long time.