How didAnanthakrishna Iyer and Sarat Chandra Roy come to practice socialanthropology?

AnanthakrishnaIyer came to practice social anthropology by voluntarily helping theBritish administrators in ethnographic surveys of India. He wasinitially a clerk and then became a college teacher at Ernakulum. In1902, he was asked by the Dewan of Cochin to assist with anethnographic survey of the state. Later, he worked for Britishgovernment as unpaid Superintendent of Ethnography. His work receivedappreciation from British anthropologists and administrators. Iyerbecame a reader at the University of Madras and set up thepost-graduate department of anthropology at the University ofCalcutta. Thus, he became the first self-taught anthropologist.

SaratChandra Roy was educated in law and English. He gave up his lawpractice and became a school teacher in Ranchi. He was appointed asthe official interpreter in the court after he resumed his lawpractice. Gradually, he became interested in the tribal society, ashe had to interpret the tribal customs in the court. He gainedconsiderable knowledge on the culture and society of the tribalpeople of Chhotanagpur. Roy produced valuable monographs and researcharticles on this subject. He travelled and did intensive fieldworkpertaining to the tribal community.

Thus, theexperiences gained by Iyer and Roy in the course of their work led totheir interest in social anthropology.