Explore how certain groups were described and studied as criminal tribes in colonial India, with a focus on their customs, disguises, and methods.
This edition compiles observed notes on the Bowries, Ramoosees, and related communities, detailing their claimed lineages, living patterns, and alleged techniques for burglary and dacoity. It presents how investigators categorized groups, traced leadership roles like the naik, and described displays of ritual and superstition connected to their crime-grounded culture. The material offers a historical snapshot of attempted social labeling and policing in the Bombay Presidency and surrounding regions.
- Profiles of groups labeled as criminal tribes, including their claimed origins and regional reach
- Descriptions of disguises, travel habits, and how crimes were planned and executed
- Notes on leadership structures, alliances, and the handling of plunder within gangs
- Observations on language, dress, rituals, and the social consequences of these classifications
Ideal for readers of historical criminology, colonial policing, and South Asian social history who want a window into 19th‑century observations and classifications.