Why South Asian Women Stopped Showing Skin: A History of Control

When did "modesty" become a tool for control in South Asia? We often assume that current conservative norms are "tradition," and that nudity or revealing clothing is Western influence. In reality, the original Western influence is the idea that nudity is a lack of modesty or a moral failing. That is a Victorian belief, not a South Asian one. In this episode, we trace the timeline of skin exposure from ancient civilizations to the modern day. From the gender-fluid roles of precolonial Kerala to the Mughal and royal courts of Punjab, we explore how the arrival of Victorian morality and the "Colonial Gaze" transformed the female silhouette into a battlefield. We also discuss how these patriarchal shifts continue to negatively impact not just women, but the lives of men and boys today. In this episode: 00:00 Taboos and Stigmas behind Nudity 07:19 Ancient civilizations and true modesty 14:49 Gender roles in precolonial Kerala 20:29 The Mughal era and pre colonial Punjab 28:15 When did things start changing? 34:07 Patriarchal need for control 37:54 The consequences men and boys face Socials: Instagram:   / prab.kam   Tiktok:   / prabkamt   Listen on: iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/53-jug... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3kNIM8H... Available on all other platforms where you listen to podcasts! Resources mentioned: Books: The Lost Heer: Women in Colonial Punjab by Harleen Singh The book of Duarte Barbosa VOL II Ancient Indian Costume by Roshen Alkazi The Costumes and Textiles of India by Jamila Brij Bhushan Chattampi Swami: An Intellectual Biography by R. Raman Nair, L. Sulochana Devi The Nadars of Tamilnad; the political culture of a community in change by Hardgrave, Robert L Papers: Imaging Women in Mughal India: Historical Narratives, Paintings and Medical Texts by Poona Sheemar The Social Area of the Breast: An Evolution Through Cultures and Centuries Embodied violence: Communalising women's sexuality in South Asia by Kumari Jayawardena & Malathi de Alwis