Surveilling bodies, governing morality: Biopower and the contagious diseases acts in colonial India

Title

Surveilling bodies, governing morality: Biopower and the contagious diseases acts in colonial India

Creator

Thomas, J.A.; Vagishwari, S.P.

Description

This article explores the Contagious Diseases Acts (CD Acts) in colonial India using Michel Foucault's theory of biopower, focusing on their impact on devadasis. The Acts subjected women's bodies to medical and legal scrutiny, pathologizing female sexuality while reinforcing patriarchal and caste hierarchies. Devadasis, historically associated with temple practices, were recast as vectors of disease and moral disorder, aligning with the colonial administration's broader project of governance through regulation and surveillance. This study examines how the CD Acts functioned as a technology of power, reshaping devadasis identities and controlling their bodies to sustain social and political order. It also investigates how these mechanisms were challenged by resistance, demonstrating the adaptive and contested nature of colonial power. By situating the devadasis within the framework of biopower, this analysis illuminates the intersection of health policies, sexuality, and governance in shaping colonial hierarchies and marginalizing vulnerable communities. 2025 Elsevier Masson SAS

Source

Ethics, Medicine and Public Health;Volume;33;Issue;;Article No.;101088;

Date

01-01-2025

Publisher

Elsevier Masson s.r.l.

Subject

Biopower; Colonial India; Contagious diseases acts; Devadasis; Identities; Resistance; Sexuality

Coverage

Thomas J.A., Research Scholar, Department of International Studies, Political Science and History, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, India; Vagishwari S.P., and Head of Department, Department of International Studies, Political Science and History, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, India

Rights

Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library

Relation

ISSN: 23525533;

Format

online

Language

English

Type

Article

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemep.2025.101088

https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105001244830?origin=resultslist