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In this episode, legal historian Dr. Mitra Sharafi talks to us about how racial differences shaped the development of forensic science in colonial India, why the anti-abortion law was poorly enforced back then, and how death by poisoning became common during epidemics.‘In Perspective' is our podcast series where academics reveal little-known facts about Indian history, society and culture.Notes:1:04 - What was the motivation behind setting up forensics departments, why were these set up to investigate crime in colonial India, and in what ways did notions of racial difference inform these motivations?5:05 - What were the problems surrounding expert witnesses in criminal cases in colonial India?11:44 - Was death by poisoning common in colonial India and what kind of narratives around poison do we see in forensic files?19:59 - The discourse around the female poisoner, and when it came to European fear of getting poisoned by their servants, was there an emphasis on the aayah as a more likely poisoner?21:52 - What led to the rise in murder by poison during epidemics?28:21 - Why was the implementation of anti-abortion laws lax in South Asia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries?35:00 - In what kind of sources do we see mention of upper caste Hindu widows being at the centre of the debate around illegal abortions?37:26 - Could we discuss some specific cases where the anti-abortion law was actually enforced in colonial India?
The full show transcript is available on our website. https://history.wisc.edu/ask-a-historian/ How did evangelical missionaries in India communicate with the people they were trying to convert? Professor Mitra Sharafi talks with Professor Mou Banerjee about the history of evangelical missionaries in colonial India, where the colonial and evangelical enterprises never fully overlapped as they did elsewhere in the world. Mou emphasizes that the history of Christian conversion in India has not been one of force. Rather, people converted for complex political, spiritual, and personal reasons. Mou and Mitra also talk about the longer history of Christianity in India. Contrary to narratives that cast Christianity and Christians as alien to the Indian nation, the history of Christianity in India is nearly as old as Christianity itself. Across centuries, there has been a long history of peaceful side-by-side coexistence and fascination with the ethical precepts of Christianity. Episode Links: Mou Banerjee is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. https://history.wisc.edu/people/banerjee-mou/ Mitra Sharafi is Professor of Law & Legal Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she is also affiliated with the Department of History and the Center for South Asia. https://secure.law.wisc.edu/profiles/sharafi@wisc.edu Our music is “Pamgaea” by Kevin MacLeod. Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4193-pamgaea CC BY 4.0 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Please send us your questions for a historian: outreach@history.wisc.edu
Dr. Mitra Sharafi, legal historian, is in conversation with Shrishti Malhotra, producer at The Swaddle, on why the anti-abortion law was poorly enforced in colonial India, and how forensics took shape at the time.
Parsis, also known as Zoroastrians, were deeply entwined with the colonial legal system of British India and Burma, far beyond what one might expect from their relativity small numbers. Mitra Sharafi, in her wonderful new book Law and Identity in Colonial South Asia: Parsi Legal Culture, 1772-1947 (Cambridge University Press, 2014), explores this anomaly and how – as legislators, lawyers, litigants, judges and lobbyists – they managed to maintain the contours of their distinctive ethno-religious community. With fascinating legal cases, lively personalties and a deep discussion of how identity and litigation interact, Law and Identity in Colonial South Asia is a compelling and engaging account of a community with a unique and intriguing relationship with colonial rule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Parsis, also known as Zoroastrians, were deeply entwined with the colonial legal system of British India and Burma, far beyond what one might expect from their relativity small numbers. Mitra Sharafi, in her wonderful new book Law and Identity in Colonial South Asia: Parsi Legal Culture, 1772-1947 (Cambridge University Press, 2014), explores this anomaly and how – as legislators, lawyers, litigants, judges and lobbyists – they managed to maintain the contours of their distinctive ethno-religious community. With fascinating legal cases, lively personalties and a deep discussion of how identity and litigation interact, Law and Identity in Colonial South Asia is a compelling and engaging account of a community with a unique and intriguing relationship with colonial rule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Parsis, also known as Zoroastrians, were deeply entwined with the colonial legal system of British India and Burma, far beyond what one might expect from their relativity small numbers. Mitra Sharafi, in her wonderful new book Law and Identity in Colonial South Asia: Parsi Legal Culture, 1772-1947 (Cambridge University Press, 2014), explores this anomaly and how – as legislators, lawyers, litigants, judges and lobbyists – they managed to maintain the contours of their distinctive ethno-religious community. With fascinating legal cases, lively personalties and a deep discussion of how identity and litigation interact, Law and Identity in Colonial South Asia is a compelling and engaging account of a community with a unique and intriguing relationship with colonial rule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Parsis, also known as Zoroastrians, were deeply entwined with the colonial legal system of British India and Burma, far beyond what one might expect from their relativity small numbers. Mitra Sharafi, in her wonderful new book Law and Identity in Colonial South Asia: Parsi Legal Culture, 1772-1947 (Cambridge University Press, 2014), explores this anomaly and how – as legislators, lawyers, litigants, judges and lobbyists – they managed to maintain the contours of their distinctive ethno-religious community. With fascinating legal cases, lively personalties and a deep discussion of how identity and litigation interact, Law and Identity in Colonial South Asia is a compelling and engaging account of a community with a unique and intriguing relationship with colonial rule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Parsis, also known as Zoroastrians, were deeply entwined with the colonial legal system of British India and Burma, far beyond what one might expect from their relativity small numbers. Mitra Sharafi, in her wonderful new book Law and Identity in Colonial South Asia: Parsi Legal Culture, 1772-1947 (Cambridge University Press, 2014), explores this anomaly and how – as legislators, lawyers, litigants, judges and lobbyists – they managed to maintain the contours of their distinctive ethno-religious community. With fascinating legal cases, lively personalties and a deep discussion of how identity and litigation interact, Law and Identity in Colonial South Asia is a compelling and engaging account of a community with a unique and intriguing relationship with colonial rule.