Leprosy in Colonial South India

This book explores the British Raj's limited power in colonial South India, highlighting the often-overlooked role of those suffering from leprosy in shaping colonial authority. It challenges the assumption of universal stigma, revealing how Hindu culture only ostracized the vagrant poor with leprosy, while the British primarily focused on visible male sufferers for forced confinement. The narrative demonstrates how colonial law and medicine were weak 'tools of empire' when confronted with leprosy, as even the most marginalized individuals found ways to resist imperial control.