‘Pleasure’, ‘Vice’ or ‘Profession’: Myriad Social Perceptions and Representations of Prostitutes in Colonial Calcutta

Abstract

Since the arrival of colonial rule, the attitude towards the profession of prostitution and women in prostitution in South Asia has undergone many changes. Consequently, terms like Nati, Ganika, Barangana, and Tawaif associated with public women in the precolonial period (India) did not retain the same meaning during the colonial period, particularly in the nomenclature of 'common prostitute'. Perhaps the moral fabric of contemporary society led to the change in social perception about public women.Focusing on colonial Calcutta, this article addresses how colonial urban society under British rule shaped a new socio-cultural discourse on prostitutes and their profession. Here, the study intends to explore how the indigenous discourse on prostitution (beyond the official legal discourse) played an important role in shaping the popular images of prostitutes in contemporary urban society. Sifting through primary and secondary literature on urban prostitution, this article argues that the social perceptions of prostitutes and their trade were not homogenous among the various social groups but rather depended on class as well as the regional identities of social groups.