The Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 and its Global Legacy

The British colonial authority in India implemented a number of different land revenue policies, which had a considerable impact on the economy, society, and politics of the country. One of the most important policies that was put into effect was the Permanent Settlement, followed by the Ryotwari System and the Mahalwari System. The implementation of these policies resulted in an increase in the collection of land income; but, they also led to widespread poverty, debt, and dissatisfaction among Indian peasants. Additionally, the policies were a contributing factor in the downfall of traditional Indian industries as well as the development of a new class of individual landowners. This research investigates the effects that these policies had on Indian society and the economy, drawing attention to the intricacies and difficulties that were associated with colonial control. Permanent Settlement, the Ryotwari System, and the Mahalwari System were the three land revenue systems that were in place during the colonial period. These policies directly contributed to a significant rise in the levels of poverty, debt, and dissatisfaction that plagued the population. While the colonial period was in effect, the policies that were put into place were intended to encourage the collection of revenue and to reduce the number of traditional companies. These policies, which also brought about adjustments in the social structure, produced a new landowning class that arose as a result of their implementation

Journal Article 'Imperial Reason', National Honour and New Patriarchal Compacts in early twentieth-century India Get access Janaki Nair Janaki Nair Janaki Nair is Professor of History at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata. She works on the social, cultural and political history of Modern India, with specific reference to Mysore/Karnataka. Her research interests include law and feminism, labour and urban history, and visual cultures of modern India. Her recent books include A Question of Silence? (co-edited with Mary John; Kali for Women, 1998); and The Promise of the Metropolis: Bangalore's Twentieth Century (Oxford University Press, 2005). A book of essays entitled Mysore Modern: Essays in Social, Political and Cultural History is forthcoming. In 1996, she received an award from the Lippman/Miliband trust to make her film After the Gold (1997; 60 mins) on the miners of Kolar Gold Fields. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar History Workshop Journal, Volume 66, Issue 1, Autumn 2008, Pages 208–226, https://doi.org/10.1093/hwj/dbn043 Published: 19 September 2008

This essay argues that as Santosh Sivan’s 1998 film Theeviravaathi (The Terrorist) is haunted by the spectre of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, it materially reproduces the still image of his assassin’s body, which circulated in the Indian media, through the use of extended close-ups of the near-motionless female main character, the eponymous terrorist. Evoking the use of penal and ethnological photography by British colonial authorities in India, this curious stilling of the motion picture aims to quiet anxieties about unruly and fugitive figures of violence. The photographic image of the face, in this context, becomes the terms of identifiability and the limits of interiority. At the same time, however, the cinematic containment of the terrorist body is a decapitation that begs precisely the questions of intent, of agency, and of humanness that form was intended to evade. Now read from the perspective of a post-9/11 world and the global War on Terror, it becomes clear that this mode of image capture worked in service of apprehension; today, image capture of the terrorist still-life works in service of obliteration.

In 1928, British colonial authorities in India detained and held J.W. Johnstone, a US citizen, for nearly a month before deporting him first to Europe and then back to the USA. Johnstone’s eventual arrest and deportation became a major ‘affair’ with far-reaching implications for India, the British Empire and even the USA. In the weeks after Johnstone’s arrival, the colonial state launched an extensive and worldwide investigation into his identity and potential ties to communism. In analyzing the story of the Johnstone affair, this article highlights British colonial anxieties and preoccupations with the spread of international communism in interwar India. Moreover, this article also argues that the response to the Johnstone arrest – in India and the United States of America especially – produced a number of unintended consequences. Both the American working class movement and the Indian trade unionist movement appropriated the Johnstone affair to call for global solidarities against the oppression of British and US imperialism worldwide.

Not Policies. People

Structural racism is associated with alcohol and tobacco use among Black Americans. There is a need to understand how this relationship differs within varying groups of Black Americans. This study assessed the moderating roles of age, gender, and income in the association between structural racism and binge alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking status among Black Americans. A state-level index of structural racism was merged with data from a national probability sample of 1946 Black Americans. Hierarchical linear and logistic regression models tested associations between structural racism (measured by residential segregation, and economic, incarceration, and educational inequities) and binge alcohol use and smoking status among Black Americans by stratified by age, gender, and income. Moderating effects of age, gender, and income were tested using slope estimate comparisons. Results indicated statistically significant positive associations between incarceration disparities and binge drinking and smoking status among Black Americans below age 65. An inverse association was detected between education disparities and smoking status among Black Americans below age 65 and among higher-income Black Americans. Age, gender, and income were not significant moderators of these associations. Age, gender, and income do not moderate the association between state-level structural racism and binge alcohol or tobacco use behaviors among the current sample of Black Americans. Addressing structural racism may have implications for reducing participation in binge drinking and tobacco use behaviors among Black Americans, regardless of their age, gender, or income. This has implications for healthy equity and cancer prevention and control.

In Tanzania, entrenched cultural norms favoring male offspring significantly influence family dynamics and pose considerable challenges to the well-being of daughters. This phenomenon, known as son preference, manifests in biased resource allocation, limited educational opportunities, and distinct healthcare differentials. This study delves into the multifaceted consequences of son preference on Tanzanian daughters, particularly in the Arusha Region. The cultural roots of son preference in Tanzania can be traced to historical and societal norms, where male heirs are traditionally viewed as primary caretakers and providers for aging parents. This mindset leads to biased resource allocation, impacting daughters' access to essential resources such as education, healthcare, and nutrition. Educational disparities are particularly pronounced, limiting girls' prospects and perpetuating gender-based inequalities in the workforce. The study employs a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. It adopts a descriptive survey design, conducted in all seven district councils of Arusha Region. Both probability and non-probability sampling techniques are applied to select respondents, encompassing young women, girls, and stakeholders from various organizations. Results indicate a prevalent acknowledgment of son preference, particularly in pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities. The study reveals how son preference affects education, health, and economic opportunities for daughters. Educational disparities, early marriage, unequal access to health care, and limited economic prospects are identified consequences. To address these challenges, the study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach involving changes in societal attitudes, policies promoting gender equality, and initiatives to empower girls. By challenging ingrained cultural norms, fostering educational opportunities, and ensuring equal access to healthcare, Tanzania can work towards dismantling barriers hindering the potential of its daughters. The study contributes to the discourse on gender equality, advocating for interventions that ensure the holistic development and flourishing of Tanzanian daughters.

Resisting Post-Oppression Narratives

This article examines the results of a 2010 sample of HIV+ African Americans in Louisiana within the larger context of health, educational, economic and incarceration disparities in the state. Similarities and differences between the sample and the general population of African Americans in the state were noted with the numbers incarcerated in the sample being the most dramatic difference. Over half of the sample had been incarcerated in a state recognized for its penchant for using the police and incarceration to control African Americans. The article concluded with attempts to connect the dots between vulnerability to HIV due to childhood trauma, a weathering from racism from an early age, educational deprivation, and policy choices such as abstinence-only sex education that raise the risks for young African Americans in Louisiana.

This study examines the persistent gender inequality in Chinese family dynamics, particularly focusing on the traditional preference for sons over daughters in resource allocation. It highlights the “Fu Di Mo” phenomenon, where women disproportionately support their brothers, reflecting deep-rooted patriarchal norms. The paper explores how these practices, rooted in historical cultural values, are perpetuated by economic and educational disparities. It argues for a multifaceted approach to address this inequality, involving policy reform, educational restructuring, and shifts in societal attitudes. The study emphasizes the need for comprehensive strategies to achieve gender equality in modern Chinese society.

This article explores the experience and implications of shame among migrants and refugees, illustrating how societal attitudes, particularly anti-Muslim and anti-Caucasian sentiments, perpetuate feelings of exclusion and self-depreciation. Utilizing the author’s personal narrative as a refugee, it unveils how negative stereotypes and the mass media’s portrayal of people from the North Caucasus in Russia contribute to a “them vs. US” mind-set. This division fosters a social environment where Caucasians and Muslims feel alienated, not only by their visible ethnicity but also through systemic oppression. Shame emerges as a crucial emotion for those stigmatized due to their ethnic or religious backgrounds, underscoring the need for more inclusive societal attitudes that recognize the diverse contributions of all cultural groups. The article argues that shame is not an individual failing but a consequence of broader social and political narratives that marginalize entire communities, pointing toward the necessity of acknowledging and addressing these issues to foster a more understanding and unified society.

The reality and enormity of child and adolescent sexual abuse, especially in the Asian subcontinent had been until recently shrouded by collective denial and a conspiracy of silence. Child sexual abuse (CSA) in its various forms is alarmingly common. In a 2007 large-scale study undertaken by the Government of India, as many as 53 % of children reported being subjected to one or more forms of sexual abuse, several fold higher than that reflected in legal statistics. In a large number of these cases, the perpetrator is someone in the family or someone responsible for the child’s care like a school teacher. Risk factors involved in occurrence of CSA include lower socio-economic status, single parenthood, parental substance use amongst others. The response of the family and community is often that of disbelief, blaming the child and holding her/him responsible, and fear of and actual stigma and ostracism. Such a response coupled with insensitivity towards, anticipated harassment and inadequate protection of victims by concerned agencies and authorities increases the woes of the child. This also often results in under-reporting and ‘out of court settlements’. Unfortunately, the psychological impact of sexual abuse on children though unequivocally clear and well documented in the literature, is completely neglected in the aftermath. This is partly due to efforts of the family in protecting itself from social ostracism at the cost of protection and psychological health of the child—hushing rather than discussing. Partly, it is due to lack of defined governmental policies and guidelines or its implementation and of trained mental health professionals working in this area. Thus, occurrence of CSA and its consequences are enmeshed in a complex web of many aspects of the child’s life and circumstances, societal attitudes, attitude of the government and its agencies, and attitude and commitment of professionals. In this chapter, epidemiological, clinical and policy-related matters shall be discussed to understand this complex web, particularly in Asian context.

Background: Slavery, convict leasing, the War on Drugs, and mass incarceration have created a legacy of systemic oppression that disproportionately targets families and communities of color. Mass incarceration, rooted in historical injustices and maintained through systemic racism, continues to fracture communities. Structural barriers such as economic disenfranchisement, discriminatory policies, and social stigma contribute to disproportionate incarceration rates and the significant challenges that follow for families and communities. Objective: This article aims to explore the role of intergenerational trauma in perpetuating incarceration among Black American communities. It seeks to examine how historical and behavioral patterns contribute to the cycle of imprisonment and identify how the risk of incarceration may be transmitted across generations. Methods: A conceptual and theoretical review approach is employed, integrating frameworks including posttraumatic slave syndrome (PTSS), the minority stress model (MSM), critical race theory (CRT), and Intersectionality. These frameworks are used to analyze how systemic and historical oppression shape present-day disparities in incarceration and affect family structures and mental health. Findings: The analysis reveals that the intergenerational transmission of trauma, compounded by systemic racism and structural inequities, plays a significant role in the continued overrepresentation of Black Americans in the carceral system. Divided community perspectives on how to address crime further complicate responses. The compounded effects of overlapping marginalized identities intensify the impact of incarceration on individuals and families. Conclusions: Mass incarceration cannot be fully addressed without acknowledging and dismantling the historical and structural forces that sustain it. Understanding incarceration through the lenses of PTSS, MSM, CRT, and intersectionality provides critical insight into the lived experiences of Black American communities. The article concludes with clinical implications for supporting affected families and proposes future directions for research and systemic change.

Nearly three decades after exploring the history of Los Angeles’ Boyle Heights neighborhood through the lens of twentieth-century Mexican migration and settlement, George J. Sánchez has invited us to revisit those same streets and their residents through the lenses of world history and U.S. immigration and civil rights history writ large. The result is a coherent, sweeping, dazzling array of new understandings: of the ways Los Angeles urban policies pushed multiple marginalized groups into a shared space; of how political and economic transformations around the globe intersected in one specific place through human relationships; and of how those relationships, in turn, shaped major social movements in ways we had not previously appreciated.The first half of the book, which spans the early nineteenth century through the 1950s, recovers and recasts the neighborhood’s multi-ethnic past. Popular accounts imagine a simple story of “ethnic succession,” from a predominantly Jewish to an entirely Mexican neighborhood. Indeed, a leading historian of L.A. Jewry had earlier concluded that, “[Jewish] Boyle Heights evoked little nostalgia upon its demise.”1 Sánchez convincingly argues the opposite as he recounts the specific dynamics of warmth and tensions in relationships amongst Boyle Heights’ Jewish, Mexican, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Black residents—each in their own way refugees from violence and economic convulsion around the world. Through Sánchez’s eyes and exhaustive archival work, we come to understand Boyle Heights as a major center of Black community life; see Japanese American internment as a transformative experience in American Jewish history because it pushed Los Angeles’ Jewish residents and institutions to connect their struggle to others’; and appreciate the ways that Mexican and Jewish labor activists played formative roles in each other’s early political empowerment. Drawing on his 2004 article, Sánchez shows that the Jewish exodus from the neighborhood in the 1950s was shaped by the relentless forces of state-sponsored segregation yet was at once a site of internal community struggle about the nature of Jewish identity and its relationship to radical politics and to other neighboring communities.Sánchez’s work on the Civil Rights period and beyond revisits the highlights of Los Angeles Chicano history with an emphasis on the role of contingency and lived experience in a multi-racial city. We now see the East L.A. student walkouts of 1968 as inspired more by student leaders’ interest in the Watts Riots than Chicano nationalism. We learn, in detail for the first time, about daily life during this iconic neighborhood’s shift from majority Mexican American to majority undocumented immigrant, and how the former came to embrace the latter’s cause. And we gain a window into recent struggles over “gentefication” as college-educated Latinos faced rejection from some local activists when they returned to the neighborhood to start businesses.As an historian of the Mexican American past, I am grateful for this endlessly rich social history to inform ongoing struggles and give deeper meaning to present-day political coalitions. As the granddaughter of Beverly Millman, a Jewish American teen who moved to Boyle Heights with her parents in the early 1940s but joined her community’s “exodus” to other neighborhoods just a few years later, I am grateful for this chance to place my own family in America’s story anew. It is fitting that Sánchez, who has transformed the field of Chicano History through graduate mentorship, would now perfect its promise of offering usable pasts for both families and communities to construct more humane futures.

The Black experience, specifically for Black men has been one plagued with rejection, violence both psychical and psychic, and vacant esteem. The impacts from chattel slavery, Jim Crow laws, and other systemic oppressions continue to manifest in Black men today, and now more than ever is healing necessary for them to shed the toxicity that is rooted in the constructs imposed upon them, like masculinity. Queer spaces, and the openness that exists in its premise, could be a perfect place to begin the healing process. However, with the constant conflation of Queer with LGB/T and primarily white identified people, a shift needs to be made to find a space of openness, like Queer spaces that can also readily accept and affirm Black and heterosexual men. Looking to Johnson (2005), and the identity of Quare, there is promise that this space can include heterosexual Black men, while also cultivating a shared respect from them to the other Black sexual minorities that also seek this space for healing.