Police Matters: The Everyday State and Caste Politics in South India, 1900-1975

Police Matters explores the relationship between police and caste in the Tamil countryside, using previously unexplored police archives to show that state coercion was not only exceptional and spectacular but also subtle and continuous, woven into everyday life.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 15 November 2021
Publisher: Cornell University Press

Police Matters delves into the intricate relationship between police and caste in the Tamil countryside, extending beyond the urban sphere. Radha Kumar contends that the colonial police enforced rigid caste-based notions in their daily operations, reshaping rural identities and leaving lasting postcolonial shadows. To gain insight into this realm, Kumar utilizes previously unexplored police archives, immersing himself in the dusty streets and bustling market squares where local constables patrolled. Through his meticulous observation, he captures their gaze and scrutinizes their actions toward potential subversives. Station records provide a rich tapestry of ordinary interactions between police and society, revealing that state coercion was not merely exceptional or spectacular but also pervasive and ingrained in everyday life. The colonial police categorized Indian subjects based on caste to safeguard agriculture and trade, ensuring the smooth functioning of the economy. Within the realm of policemen and the objects of their coercive gaze, caste emerged as a prominent identity marker in the politics of public spaces.

Police Matters unequivocally demonstrates that modern caste politics have been both shaped by and shaped by state policing. This groundbreaking work is made possible through generous funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, supported by The Sustainable History Monograph Pilot. The ebook editions of this book are now available as Open Access volumes from Cornell Open (cornellpress.cornell.edu/cornell-open) and other reputable repositories, ensuring widespread accessibility and dissemination of its valuable insights.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501761065