Veil
the bare: Paradox of time, tales of love
by Elija Gayen & Chandan Banerjee
Abstract: The primary focus of the paper is about the myth of a Dalit
woman who stood up against the improper tax structures that were prevalent in
the Kingdom of Travancore in Kerala. The paper also talks about the question of
gender equality and the way women claim equal opportunity with men by going
top-free. The paper discusses the portrayal of the Nangeli myth in contemporary
art forms. “Jisey Ishq ka tiir kaari lage / Ushey zindegi kyuun na bhari lage’’
– Mulaqat Ali, 17th-century Urdu poet, known as the poet of love. “For one
struck down by Cupid’s bow, life becomes burdensome, isn’t that so?” What lies
ahead? Reimagining the world, the society we live in, and how it can deceive
the truth in our consciousness. The subject is ideological; hence, the tone and
the passion ought to be lyrical.
““I
built the house. / I first made it of air. / Then I raised the flag in the air
and left it hanging from the sky, from the star, / from the light
and the darkness….” (Pablo Neruda – excerpt from Fully
Empowered Plenos
Poderes, 1962).
Keywords: Mulakkaram, Top-free, Caste system, Avarnar, Savarnar,
Kudumbashree, Body protest
The term "Kerala" may come from the word
"KERA", meaning coconut tree, or from the legend that Lord Parasurama
reclaimed land from the sea, translating to "CHERNA-ALAM". Kerala is
known for its high literacy rates, effective healthcare system, and focus on
women's safety and empowerment, particularly through the Kudumbashree
project. Despite these achievements, Kerala has a troubled history,
especially concerning violence against women of lower castes. Swami
Vivekananda described Kerala as chaotic due to its rigid caste system,
dominated by the Nair community.
The caste system in Kerala was unique, ranking Brahmins at the
top, followed by Kshatriyas and Nairs, while others were marginalised as
Avarnas, without
a merchant class. History is often written by the
privileged, necessitating perspectives that focus on the marginalised
voices. Recent works, including the legend of Nangeli depicted in various
forms of media like the film "Pathon-Patham Noottand" and Orijit
Sen's graphic novel "A Travancore Tale", aim to explore these
issues. The representation of this legend reveals deeper societal issues
surrounding caste and gender.
Historian Manu S. Pillai clarifies that the so-called "breast
tax" imposed on women of lower castes, known as Mulakkaram, does not refer
to the torso but rather identifies women for taxation. The British brought
Victorian morals, which complicated the issue. Nangeli's revolt against
these oppressive taxes is a significant act of defiance instead of merely a
protest against covering her body. Historical accounts often overlook the
plight of the 'history-less' people, emphasising the need for focusing on the
collective lives and struggles of the oppressed.
The myth of Nangeli, an Ezhava woman, is that she cut off her torso to protest
against a caste-based tax. The oppressive taxation in Travancore creates a
backdrop for her tragic act. Following her death, the king abolished the
breast tax. Nangeli's story is significant in addressing issues faced by
lower-caste women, including violence and humiliation.
Artistic representations vary, with some potentially sexualising or
sensationalising Nangeli's tragic story, which diminishes her rebellion’s
serious context. For example, the film "Pathonpatham Nootttand"
portrays her act but risks reinforcing a voyeuristic gaze rather than honouring
her sacrifice. In contrast, artist T Murali’s works focus on the dignity
and humanity of Nangeli, emphasising her challenge to the caste system rather
than eroticising her body. Murali’s paintings critique the caste system
and highlight the injustices faced by lower castes.
Caste functions as an endogamous system, dictating individuals' roles and
restricting social mobility based on birth. The deeply entrenched caste
hierarchy in Kerala restricts the rights and resources of lower castes,
perpetuating inequality. Historical accounts reveal severe restrictions on
social interactions and occupations, ensuring the lower castes remain
marginalised.
Current global movements for women's rights, such as protests in New York for
torso freedom, highlight the ongoing struggle for bodily autonomy and gender
equality. These protests echo the historical injustices faced by women
like Nangeli, showcasing how cultural and societal norms continue to evolve
while reflecting on past injustices. In Kerala, the deeply entrenched
caste system posed significant barriers for lower castes, hindering their
advancement and equal participation in society through denial of education and
basic rights.
The Legend of Nangeli tells the story of an Ezhava woman from Cherthala,
Kerala, who protested against the caste system by cutting off her torso in response
to the "breast tax" imposed on lower caste women. During the
late 18th century, the rulers of Travancore enforced harsh taxes on lower
castes, including the torso tax, which was assessed by measuring the size of a
woman's torso. While upper-caste women could wear upper clothing to cover
themselves, lower-caste women were not allowed to do so, which highlighted the
discrimination they faced. Nangeli and her husband, Chirikandan, had
likely been paying this tax for some time.
In 1803, fuelled by anger and a desire for change, Nangeli refused to pay the
tax in the usual manner. Instead, she used a sickle to sever her torso and
placed it on a plantain leaf, ultimately bleeding to death. Her act of
defiance shocked the tax collector, and her husband, devastated by her death,
jumped into her funeral pyre. Following her sacrifice, King Sri Moolam
Thirunal abolished the breast tax and permitted lower-caste women to wear
shawls, which was a significant victory for the dignity of these women.
The legend of Nangeli has been depicted in various art forms, including the
film "Pathonpatham Nootand" and graphic narratives. However,
critiques have arisen regarding the way these portrayals often eroticise or
sensationalise Nangeli's suffering rather than focusing on her resistance
against caste oppression. Critics question the need to visually emphasise
her mutilation, suggesting it caters to a voyeuristic male gaze instead of
honouring her fight and struggles.
Chithrakaran Murali, a Kerala-based artist, approached Nangeli's story with
sensitivity, creating paintings titled "Nangliyude Thagyam" that
critique the caste system while maintaining the integrity of her
narrative. His artwork emphasises the injustice faced by lower castes
without eroticising violence. In his pieces, which include "Nangeli’s
Sacrifice I and II", he focuses on the oppressive system rather than the
female body, showcasing the societal gaze that Nangeli challenged.
Murali reimagines Nangeli as a goddess in his painting "The Great
Nangeli," positioned above the figure of the deity Sree Padmanabha amidst
powerful imagery, thereby elevating her rebellion against caste
injustice. This artistic representation moves beyond depicting her merely
as a victim, instead framing her as a symbol of resilience and dignity against
the caste hierarchy.
The history and implications of the caste system in Kerala are underscored by
historical notes on its rigid structure, which maintained strict social
divisions and limited opportunities for lower castes. This mechanism
reinforced barriers to social mobility and access to education, keeping the
lower castes oppressed.
In contemporary contexts, events like the Go Topless Day in New York reflect
modern women's challenges regarding body autonomy, paralleling the historical
injustices that Nangeli faced in her time. The unwavering caste hierarchy
in Kerala made it impossible for individuals like Nangeli to break free from
societal constraints.
In various narratives, such as novels and films, the story of Nangeli and the
issues surrounding caste-based oppression continue to resonate, highlighting
the struggle for dignity and equality that persists today. Through these
artistic and literary works, her legacy lives on as an inspiration for
challenging injustice and advocating for human rights.
Narayanan recalls the painful stories his grandmother shared about Nangeli, an
Avarna woman who defied the breast tax in Travancore by cutting off her torso
and presenting it to the local authority. This act of desperation ended
with Nangeli bleeding to death and her husband, Chirikandan, sacrificing
himself on her funeral pyre. The next day, the torso tax, which forced
women to expose their bodies to upper-caste scrutiny, was
abolished. Narayanan sees this act as a form of revenge against the
injustices faced by women of his tribe.
The text discusses how various cultures around the world historically allowed
women to be topless until missionaries introduced shame associated with
it. Movements like "Go Topless Day" and "Top-freedom"
advocate for gender equality, arguing that women should have the same right as
men to be bare-chested. The sacrifice of Nangeli, though not widely
recorded, is seen as a critical point in the fight against societal oppression
and inequality for women, especially those of lower castes in Kerala who faced
humiliating taxes like Mulakkaram.
Venkat Pulapaka notes that the breast tax specifically targeted Dalit and
backward caste women, compelling them to pay a fee to cover their
chests. Samuel Mateer provides historical context, describing how
lower-caste individuals were burdened with this tax during the reigns of
various kings. Upper-caste women could wear white garments symbolising
purity, while lower-caste women were restricted in their attire, often wearing
markers of subservience.
The conversion to Christianity led to some lower-caste women being allowed to
cover their torso, but this shift was met with violence and backlash from upper
castes. Christian converts were better educated and gained social
mobility, while conversions helped lower-caste women achieve more
rights. Eliza F Kent discusses how conversion brought various social
benefits, including improved living conditions and access to education.
Historian Manu S. Pillai emphasises that Nangeli’s act was a challenge not only
to the breast tax but also to the overarching caste system. Modern
narratives, such as graphic novels and films, portray Nangeli as a symbol of
female dignity fighting against oppression. Artworks depict her not merely
as a victim of caste discrimination but as a revolutionary figure.
The text argues that casteism is ingrained in society and must be addressed
through education. Important historical movements and struggles, like the
Channar Revolt, highlight issues of gender and caste inequality. The
narrative suggests that both Nangeli and her husband represent a fight for
equality and societal change, transcending mere gender roles to challenge
entrenched social norms.
The beginning: Nangeli
and her husband Chirikandan, despite their extreme poverty, prove that it is
not about man and woman being equal or not but about being unique in their
respective roles.
The duo combines three lessons in one act. By cutting off her
torso, she removes the ‘sex organs’ to protest the lecherous gaze of
upper-caste men or, in today’s context, any brazen male gaze. By removing her
torso, Nangeli also equates women to men – or a social equity. By jumping the
funeral pyre of Nangeli, Chirikandan had successfully stated that it is not
that the woman should mandatorily follow her man, which is a social taboo till
today; rather, it’s the call of the time to be followed in a rational manner!
Being a social animal, it is not that easy to challenge the
social system; it is difficult to raise the question in day-to-day life, it is
more difficult to absorb whatever comes; and finally, it is the most difficult
to question the system, be it in the field of society or in science and
technology. “In India today, a shadow world
is creeping up on us in broad daylight. It is becoming more and more difficult
to communicate the scale of the crisis even to ourselves – its size and
changing shape, its depth and diversity. An accurate description runs the risk
of sounding like hyperbole. And so, for the sake of credibility and good
manners, we groom the creature that has sunk its teeth into us – we comb out
its hair and wipe its dripping jaw to make it more personable in polite
company. India isn’t by any means the worst or most dangerous place in the
world, at least not yet, but perhaps the divergence between what it could have
been and what it has become makes it the most tragic.” [Arundhati Roy,
Azadi: Intimations of an Ending, Page 108].
In The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost showed us the avenue, “I shall be telling this with
a sigh / somewhere ages and ages hence: / Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
/ I took the one less travelled by, / And that has made all the difference.” It’ not only
Chirikandan and Nangeli, the two of a kind, but many others chosen to un-follow
the common road who succeeded in reaching the summit and brought the paradigm
shift in the society; they were blessed with ambrosia, which they shared with
other fellow social animals, and the journey goes on and on under the sun!
Acknowledgements
For their forethought, their work, and for long conversations
that helped us write this article, we thank:
Dr. Debabrata Paul, without
whom our minds would be a ball of meat.
Manas Ganguly, who
has been there from the commencement.
And immensely, Mala Banerjee,
Pritha Biswas, Mann
Banerjee and Elkay Hoffman
for
being our cerebral family, who walked with us.
References:
Edwin Sam, S. Rev
Charles Mead and Social Reforms in South Travancore. Manonmaniam Sundaranar
University, 2005. Kent, Eliza F. Converting Women: Gender and Protestant
Christianity in Colonial South India. Oxford University Press, 2004.
Masters, Dave.
“Women Strip for ‘Go Topless Day’.” The Sun, 2011.
Mateer, Samuel.
Native Life in Travancore. Asian Educational Services, 1991.
Pulapaka, Venkat.
“The History of Breast Tax and the Revolt of Lower Cast Women in 19th Century
Travancore.” STST World, 2019.
Nair, R.R. Kerala
Society and Polity in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century.
Nair, Supriya
Unni. “Dress Code Repression: Kerala’s History of Breast Tax for Avarna Women.”
The News Minute, 2016. “Breast tax – directed by Yogesh Pagare.” IMDB, 2018.
Ram, Kishore.
“Quantum Theory.” Journal of Literature and Aesthetics, vol. 14, 2014, pp.
128-129.
Sen, Orijit. “A
Travancore Tale: The Graphic Story of Nangeli, the Woman Who Cut Off Her Torso
to Protest a Tax.” Scroll.in, 2017.
“Nangeli from
Kerala: The Story of the Woman Who Brought Casteism on Its Knees with Her
Rebellion.” Home Grown, 2021.
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Indian State. State University of New Jersey, 2011.
“Then and Now”.
https://pazhayathu.blogspot.com/2009/11/kerala-women-toplesscostume-in-19th.html
Authors Details:
Eliza and Chandan are
storytellers, travellers, photographers, and seekers—united by a deep obsession
with self-improvement and inner growth. While Eliza, an author-illustrator
based in Berlin, Germany, crafts narratives from her charming old-city
apartment and works in IT-enabled services, Chandan, an author and researcher,
serves in a state-owned PSU in West Bengal, India. Both are driven by a shared
personal mission: to help people realise their potential and ascend to higher
levels of consciousness—gently, ethically, and without harm to others or to
nature.
We respect different
socio-cultural-ethnic groups across the world despite their caste, creed and
so-called financial status.
Authors’
Contributions Authors have contributed equally to the study process and
the development of the manuscript.
Declaration In order to
correct and improve the academic writing of our paper, we have used the
language model Ginger.
Transparency
Statement Data are available for study purposes upon reasonable
request to the corresponding author.
Acknowledgements We would
like to express our gratitude to all individuals who helped us to study this.
Generative AI
statement We acknowledge the use of ChatGPT (https://chat.openai.com/) to
refine the academic language and accuracy of my own work.
The authors
declare that no generative AI was used in the creation of this manuscript
unless otherwise mentioned.
Declaration of
Interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the
absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as
a potential conflict of interest.
Funding The study had no
sponsorship.
Ethical
Considerations In this study, ethical standards, including obtaining
informed consent and ensuring privacy and confidentiality, were observed.
Publisher’s
Note All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the
authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated
organisations or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any
product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its
manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
P.S.: If
interested, for a detailed version, please contact E-mail: weism09022025@gmail.com
Veil the bare:
Paradox of time, tales of love © 2025 by Elija Gayen and Chandan Bandyopadhyay
is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
International. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.
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