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PaperclipPerfector  10d ago (text post)   22402 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of August 17, 2026

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hands off approach of British colonial management style

While we're on this topic, may I point to something new and interesting I learnt recently?

The Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 was passed by the British Raj that designated entire castes/tribes/communities and their members as habitual criminals.

At the time of Indian independence in 1947, thirteen million people in 127 communities were subject to the legislation. They were subject to compulsory registration and a pass system which limited their movement and where they could reside.

Ancient and medieval literature from the Indian subcontinent have mentions of outlawed tribes. These include the Vedic Aranyaka, epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata, ancient and medieval storytelling of Katha, dramas, and Jataka tales. In these texts, roads, mountain passes, and forest pathways are teemed with robber bands waiting to prey on merchants and travellers. They come from the forests, which are at the periphery of civilisation in Brahmanic cosmology.

We really ought to give the Brits an A+ for cultural integration and their ability to work within the acceptable cultural standards of the colonies!

Given the context of 1871, this is just legislated collective punishment and extended concept of original sin applied to a bloodline

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