This chapter introduces the study of dharma as a multifaceted concept within Indian traditions, challenging its colonial and Indian nationalist interpretation as ‘Hinduism’ and ‘religion.’ It uses postcolonialism, intercultural hermeneutics and glocalization as an interdisciplinary approach to contextualize dharma beyond Western categorizations of religion. This chapter provides a background to how colonial masters and authorities, particularly the British, simplified and misrepresented indigenous beliefs, thereby shaping distorted perceptions of dharma. In addition, it sets the context for a two-part study: Part I (Chaps. 2 – 4 ) examines the semantic shifts and conceptual continuities of dharma, and Part II (Chaps. 5 – 6 ) explores its glocal dimensions, critiquing the colonial and Indian homogenizing accounts of dharma. The introduction also emphasizes the need to move beyond colonial centric narratives to appreciate the dynamic role of dharma in Indian and global contexts.