Concept:Tribes and settled communities had complex interactions involving trade, conflict, and assimilation. Some tribes rejected the caste system and established their own states, leading to conflicts with larger kingdoms.
Explanation:Option (a) is wrong. Varna-based society did interact with tribal people regularly, though often unequally. Tribal people provided forest products and labour.
Option (b) is correct. Many tribes rejected both the caste system and orthodox Hinduism, preferring their own customs and identity.
Option (c) is correct. Several tribes, like the Ahoms in Assam and the Gonds in central India, built extensive states with well‑organised administrations.
Option (d) is correct. As these tribal states grew powerful, they came into conflict with larger kingdoms seeking to expand their territories.
Therefore, only options (b), (c), and (d) are valid historical claims.
Answer:B. (b), (c) and (d) are valid.