Shanar Agitation in Travancore

The Shanars were fisher folk who lived in the coastal areas of South Travncore.They fought a struggle to secure social justice.Their women folk were not permitted to wear upper garments, a right enjoyed by the upper caste Hindus. Col. Munroe had already issued an order permitting the Shanar women who became converts to Christianity to wear upper jackets.The Shanars were not sastisfied with this.They wanted this privilege to all their women folk.They began to appear in public wearing an additional scarf like the Hindus.This action of the Shanars provoked the upper caste Hindus who resorted to penalized the Shanars. As it became a law and order problem, police and military forces had to be rushed to the area.The Shanar agitation eventually led to the Royal Proclamation of 26th July 1859, abolishing all restrictions in the matter of dress by Shanar women.The Shanar agitation is a typical instance that illustrates how the social changes of a far-reaching character could be introduced partly on the initiative of the administration and partly under the pressure of circumstances.