Short Notes on Shanar Women and Rights to Cover their Upper Bodies

Short Notes on Shanar Women and Rights to Cover their Upper Bodies

(i) The Shanar women were forbidden from covering their upper bodies before upper castes.

(ii) Under the influence of the Christian missionaries the Shanar women converts began to cover themselves and wear tailored blouses.

(iii) In 1822, these women were attacked by the Nairs. The Nairs tore off the upper clothes of Shanar women. Complaints were filed in courts against the dress change. The Shanars also refused to give free labour to the upper castes.

(iv) In 1829, the Travancore government ordered the Shanar women to abstain from covering the upper parts of their body. However, the Shanar Christians and even Shanar Hindus continued to adopt the blouse and upper cloth.

(v) In 1859 riots broke out as a result of attack and stripping of upper cloth of Shanar women in the market place.

(vi) The government finally issued another proclamation permitting Shanar women, of all faiths to cover their upper bodies in the manner they wished but not like the high caste women.