The Hijra People of India

Hijra the third gender in India is an umbrella term for socio-religious group that is typically transgender women and intersex people part of the South Asian culture. The hijra people and transgender are not the same. Hijras are part of the Indians ancient religious traditions that do not share the same idea as transgenderism (Baumgart). The third gender shows existence in the Hindu society like the holy text of Hindu like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Rulers of the Mughal Empire in the 15th to 19th centuries where supportive of the third gender Indians, while there is also a Hindu hero Arjuna who becomes the third gender. The hijras are born male and look and dress to show a more feminine look, they also can elect to have surgery to show more of a feminine body to show an offering to the Hindu goddess Bahuchara Mata. These hijra’s are often Muslim, Hindu, and Christian while some will also follow the beliefs and practices of Hinduism (Indian religion for the way of life, world’s oldest religion) and Islam (an Abrahamic religion that Muhammad is the messenger of God, second largest religion) (Rhude). The British would then arrive which would set back the hijra people as they did not except what they stood for and created the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871. The Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 would take the rights of inheritance from the hijras and erase them from the public view (Goel). Even with this occurring the hijra people still stand today.

Most hijras come from the working-class or lower income backgrounds and are on the bottom of the caste (social stratification that includes occupation within the society) system. Hijras grow up and mistreated to the point where they are shunned by their family members. They also are involved with hate crimes which include rape and assault, most go unreported. With this the hijras created a complex system of kinship and social structure. With the hijras being mostly poor they must get money in different ways besides the offerings they received from their rituals, like sex work (Goel). Many people look down upon them for this kind of work especially because they are on the lower end of the caste system.

Though the hijras might face some harsh treatment they are still seen as holding spiritual powers at births and marriages. In 2014 India, Bangladesh, and Nepal had officially recognized the third gender as citizens and that they should have equal rights. Then in 2015 the first hijra mayor of India was elected, soon after in 2017 the city of Kochi hired hijra workers for the public transit system (Rhude). Even with the hardship that the hijra face they will work hard and do their duties for society and their beliefs.

Looking at the Hijra was interesting as I heard about them in my anthropology class, and I always thought it would be interesting to hear more about them. Hearing about the hijra again in this class made me realize how interested I am in the history and how it’s integrated into their society and beliefs. To hear that they don’t share the same identifications as transgenders was also very interesting as the hijra are seen as demigods and help with practices in births and weeding’s. They way that hijra’s are looked down upon and have disrespect in their work is what surprised me because how can you hire them but also see them as the lowest in the caste system. Finding that there are spiritual aspects when it comes to hijra and that is the importance of belief.

Baumgart, Phillip. “India's Hijras Find Themselves Further Marginalized amid the Pandemic.” Atlantic Council, 22 Dec. 2020, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/indias-hijras-find-themselves-further-marginalized-amid-the-pandemic/.

Goel, Ina. “India's Third Gender Rises Again.” SAPIENS, Ina Goel, 27 Sept. 2019, https://www.sapiens.org/biology/hijra-india-third-gender/.

Rhude, Kristofer. Hijras Numbers Phone [GCMZ7R]. https://liani.zzpkoeriers.nl/Hijras_Phone_Numbers.html.