11. Taxing the Topless

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Apparently, it wasn’t uncommon for some Indian women during the early 19th Century to go about their normal business while topless. During that time some of them decided it was best to start covering up. Probably because they were getting tired of men staring. Naturally, this did not go over well with the local tax authorities (most likely men) who decided to impose a tax on women who dared to cover their breasts in public. The “mulakkaram” tax was more than a simply tax, however, since scofflaws were often brutally harassed in addition to paying the monetary penalties. The tax was abolished during the early 20th Century following the death of a woman named Nangeli who bled to death after cutting off her own breasts in protest.