Criminal Tribes Act enacted in British India (1871)

The Criminal Tribes Act 1871 was enacted by the British Raj, initially applying to North India. It established a legal category for communities deemed 'habitually criminal' based on birth, building on the precedent of the Thuggee Act of 1836. The Act was later extended to other presidencies and updated, eventually being repealed in 1949.

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Background and detail

Background. The British Raj, the period of British Crown rule from 1858 to 1947, enacted the Criminal Tribes Act 1871. This legislation created a legal category for 'eunuchs' and various caste groups, labeling them as criminal-by-birth. The Act was applied mostly in North India before being extended to the Bengal Presidency in 1876.

Legal Precedent. The Criminal Tribes Act 1871 was set on the legal precedent of the Thuggee Act of 1836. This earlier legislation established the framework for identifying specific communities as criminal by birth, which the 1871 Act expanded to include numerous groups such as Meenas, Gujjars, and various other castes.

Later Implications. The Act was updated in 1911 and 1924. It was repealed in August 1949, and former 'criminal tribes' were denotified in 1952. The Habitual Offenders Act 1952 replaced it, maintaining the stigma associated with the original 1871 legislation.

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