Nangeli's Rebellion Slices Her Own Breast: Kala Sudra Caste Women Are Forbidden To Cover Their Breasts

The dirtiest and nastiest tax in history is called Mulakaram, or Breast tax. (Mulakaram film source)

JAKARTA - Breast or Mulakaram Tax is the only tax that is considered dirty and despicable to be treated by low-caste women in India. Precisely in the Travancore area, Kerala state on the south coast of India. The breast tax comes as a result of UK pressure on increasingly large and higher wages.

The caste system applies in Indian society. Those who come from the upper classes have disparities in terms of rights and obligations even though they are civilians. The caste system has become an integral part of Indian society.

A social structure that divides people into categories based on their work. Society can be broadly classified into four types: brahmins (priests responsible for spreading sacred knowledge), kshatriya (warriors who protect the kingdom from enemies), vyshiyas (consisting of peasants, craftsmen, and wealthy merchants), to the lowest, sudras (servants who work for other castes).

Occupying the lowest caste hierarchy, the sudra are the most unpleasant caste. They are often treated badly and unfairly from other castes. Moreover, there is no protection from the government system.

This caste-based hierarchy resulted in uncontrolled domination and mistreatment of the Shudras by members of other castes. Women in this community are often exploited by members of the upper caste because there is no system that can protect them. One of them was through the 'mulakaram' or breast tax which only applied to the lowest caste at that time.

Mulakaram, a breast tax

During the early 1800's, in the area of Over, a "mulakaram" or breast tax was imposed on women in the state of Travancore. The area is one of the 550 states in India controlled by Britain.

The magnitude of British demands for local kings in the plains of India forced the kings to rack their brains to find a way to fulfill the colonialist's wishes, even if they had to make it difficult for their people again The main victims targeted women from the Sudra caste as the lowest caste in India.

They are prohibited from covering their own two breasts if they do not practice mulakaram or breast tax. The women of the Shudra caste are forced to bare chested without any clothes. If found violating, the amount of tax will be charged according to their breast size.

Mulakaram will continue to be remembered in the course of world history as the dirtiest tax ever imposed by humans. By dwarfing one of the lowest castes without a sense of justice that can defend the privacy rights of women of the Sudra caste.

Low caste women were not allowed to cover their breasts in that era (Source: Mulakaram film)

Each of them who are counted past puberty will have their breasts checked. Then the amount of tax will be calculated based on the size of their breasts themselves. This is a serious disturbance to their individual rights and integrity as women, even though they are the lowest caste in India.

Apart from seeking additional income through commodity taxes, mulakaram was intended to insult the lowest caste with a further split in the fabric of local Indian society. How are women from other castes allowed to cover their breasts without being burdened with mulakaram?

According to Dr. Sheeba KM, Associate Professor of gender ecology and Dalit studies at Shri Shankaracharya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya in Kerala, India, "The purpose of the chest tax is to maintain the caste structure and nothing else. Clothing is considered a sign of wealth and prosperity, so that the poor and other lower castes. not entitled to a garment. "

For women who lived at that time, the terms beauty and gracefulness of the body were the main threats that turned to hit their own dignity. Not a few, many of the lower class turned to Christianity in order to avoid this dirty tax because the rules that applied to Christian women at that time were free to wear clothes over the breast covering.

Thus, Christianization was relatively widespread in the southern region of India, with a level of spread that still exists today. Instead of accepting humiliation and social sanctions from the community, not to mention that the scorn is constantly accepted by them in any situation, they think that changing religions is better .

Nangeli's 'beautiful tang' defiance

Nangeli is fed up. For him, mulakaram is a heinous behavior that transcends humanity. Nangeli, a name that means 'The Beautiful One', later succeeded in changing the story of the rebellion by sending a shock signal throughout southern India, not only in the Travancore Kingdom.

Nangeli is a woman who comes from a lower caste. She lived in harmony with her husband in the Chertala area, a quiet town far from the center of the crowd like in Kerala at that time. Nangeli's daily life as a farm laborer does not fade the beauty of her face. His temperament is elegant, assisted by his intelligence. A rare figure among the lower castes.

However, her beauty became a source of disaster through the treatment of lewd people from the upper caste. Harassment, both verbal and nonverbal, is often experienced by Nangeli. However, this did not deter Nangeli from protecting young women in her own environment and community from being exploited by the upper caste.

In 1803, Nangeli challenged state rules on mulakaram. She demonstrated in public how she started wearing a top to protect her breasts. His attitude caused a great stir among members of the upper class. Nangeli was then summoned to face to be forced to publicly remove her own robe.

The story of Nangeli's defiance spread by word of mouth, until Parvathiyar or tax collectors came to her house accompanied by royal soldiers. They asked Nangeli for information and at the same time calculating the total amount of taxes that must be imposed on Nangeli. The choice is to pay or face more severe consequences.

Nangeli also looked calm and entered her own house to prepare what was requested. Its appearance shortly from the inside is included with a tax offering neatly folded in a plantain leaf. Unexpectedly, after he presented the tax package, he fell unconscious and covered in blood.

It turned out that he had sliced one part of both breasts himself in protest. That the breast tax demanded by the royal government had already given him along with the life he gave up.

Feeling unable to hold back the sadness of losing his wife, the husband followed Nangeli by throwing his own body into the cremation fire during Nangeli's burning procession. The historian, Joy Balan Vlaathangara, through his book Vaikuntaswamiyum Samoohika Navothanavu explains how the impact of this rebellion.

"Cries for equality started rising only from various parts of Kerala, but from all over South India after the Channar Revolution."

Joy Balan Vlaathangara

The idea of unity among the women of Nadar and Izhava was woven between 1813-1829. Both agreed to go forward together to insist on guarantees of their rights to protect the dignity of women.

The request ended in success, even though for 50 years the political situation between castes had become increasingly heated and sentimental. Hatred towards the brahman caste was also inevitable in the view of those who were lower, when the highest caste became one of the elements supporting the birth of the heinous tax mularakam .