ShodhPatra: International Journal of Science and Humanities

From Diagnosis to Discrimination: Gender and Caste in Colonial Indian Medicine

This paper investigates the intersection of gender and caste within colonial Indian Ayurvedic medicine from 1890 to 1950, focusing on how Ayurvedic discourse both reflected and perpetuated contemporary social prejudices. Through an analysis of key Ayurvedic texts, including ‘Dadru Chikitsa’ and ‘Plague Darpan’, the study highlights how these works embedded castist and classist biases by attributing disease transmission—particularly Dermatophytosis and plague—to the perceived unclean habits of lower castes and classes. The paper further examines the adoption of colonial racial theories by the Indian middle class, revealing how these theories influenced Ayurvedic medicine to reinforce caste distinctions and hierarchical norms. Additionally, texts on childcare, such as ‘Su-Santatishastra’, are explored for their advocacy of caste-specific birth practices and the idealization of certain castes. This study underscores how Ayurvedic medicine, shaped by both indigenous traditions and colonial influences, played a significant role in reinforcing prevailing caste and gender inequalities.