Advent of Lunatic Asylums in India
British traders came to India in the 17th century, and over next 150 years became colonialists. The year 1757 is considered as a turning point in Indian history, as after battle of Plassey, British East India company (EIC) became a political and governing entity. Along with the loot, plunder, treacherous take-overs, territorial wars, and English language, EIC also brought with it lunatic asylums. Beginning 1745 in Bombay, 1784 in Calcutta and 1794 in Madras, these first ones were exclusively for the “European lunatics”.
These were buildings, surrounded by high walls, where British and other Europeans labelled as “lunatics” were housed. “Lunatics” or people with an unsound mind were to be segregated from the rest – A place where they would be housed for years. It was all about hiding the shame of those with a deviant behavior, and contempt for their rights.
Need was due to a social change ?
There are some suggestions on why Europeans required these asylums. There was no such preexisting system for natives in India. Individuals with behavioral issues, were cared for in the households or in the community. There are numerous instances in popular literature in India where individuals with a deviant thought, either became vagabonds, ascetics, or were cared for in the families or in the religious establishments.
In contrast in Europe, institutionalized care for those with an “unsound mind” was more established. Especially after industrialization and urbanization, there were more displaced families, and hence more “lunatic asylums”. Many of these were private and some were state owned. It was an easier option to incarcerate individuals with unsound mind, who were economically unproductive, or could not be cared for at homes. In absence of a medical diagnosis, definition of unsound mind was rather vague: “who had hath his understanding, but by disease, grief, or other accident, hath lost the use of his reason.”
Confinement and insubordination
Europeans had come a long way to their tropical colonies. Other than pressures of a new climate, a foreign land, away from families there also was disregard for rules and rights. In this context lunatic asylums for Europeans was a holding place for deviant individuals before they were deported back to Europe. This was also done to prevent loss of prestige for the colonialists, in front of the natives. While stated purpose was to keep colonialists safe, it could also be a mean to control of deviant behavior in an attempt to establish Imperial power in far away lands.
Insubordination is likely to be another concern. For an armed, colonialist entity, insubordination may be no less than insanity. Contempt for a deviation in thought and incarcerating such individuals is an easy option. As the definition of unsound mind was vague, persons of reason could well be labelled lunatics, if peeved by the behavior and policies of their superiors.
From company to British rule
The Bengal Presidency expanded more than the Bombay and Madras. It was also more powerful, with two capitals – Calcutta and Simla, and two Governors – Calcutta and Agra. It also had a higher share of “lunatic asylums”. In addition to 1784 Calcutta (Bhowanipur), more were set up in Mungher (1795), Patna (1821) and Dacca (1855). A lunatic asylum had also come up in Bangalore in 1847. In one way or another, they became a precursor to future Mental hospitals and Mental health institutes.
Indian war of independence of 1857 (Sepoy mutiny for the East India Company), led to Indian lunacy act of 1858. It is believed that this was another instrument of colonial subjugation. In next few years, new asylums were built at Berhampur, Cuttack, Waltair, Trichinapally, Colaba, Poona, Dharwar, Ahmedabad, Ratnagiri, Hyderabad (Sind), Jabalpur, Banaras, Agra, Bareilly, and Lahore. For the first time many native individuals “with an unsound mind” or “those who had lost reason” were confined to these asylums.
Many of these persisted, but some like the Delhi Asylum had an unstable existence. It was moved to Bareilly, and later to Meerut and eventually in Lahore. It again moved back to till 1899 when it was once again merged with Lahore. There was also a transfer of inmates from one facility to another, as well as deportation to far off places.
European Mental Hospital, Ranchi
By 1912 all various asylums were overcrowded. A central government supervision of all lunatic asylums was contemplated in 1906 and was brought out in the form of India Lunacy Act 1912. This also heralded the birth of a central facility at Kanke, Ranchi in 1918.
As a new asylum was constructed in the outskirts of Ranchi in 1918, its establishment was entrusted to Col. Berkeley Hill. It was named as European Central Hospital. European inmates from asylums in Bhowanipore, Behrampore, and Dhacca were shifted to Ranchi. It was a considerable struggle to obtain resources for this facility. By 1920, all lunatic asylums were renamed as “mental hospitals”. European Central Mental Hospital, underwent a dramatic change and developed as a facility where treatment was more humane and kind. It developed as a facility where many new developments in the field of psychiatry were introduced.
Indian Mental Hospital – Ranchi
The differential facilities in these hospitals was often determined by race. In 1925 another facility “Indian Mental Hospital” came up in the vicinity of the European one. This ensured that native inmates from other facilities in Bengal, and Bihar could be transferred. With this the asylums at Mungher, Patna, Bhowanipore Behrampore, and Dhacca could be closed down.
This was a much crowded facilility, and a poor cousin of its neighbour Europan Mental hospital. After Independence this hospital came under State Govt. of Bihar and on 30th August 1958 the name of Indian Mental Hospital was changed to Ranchi Mansik Arogyashala (RMA). Since 1998 it is known as Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry & Allied Sciences (RINPAS).
Moving away from Asylums
In 1946, Bhore committee made very important recommendations in the development of the field of psychiatric rehabilitation. Subsequently, a new phase of development in mental hospitals began after 1947. The newly formed government of independent India started focusing more upon the building of general hospital psychiatric units. In addition to this change, emphasis was placed upon improving conditions in existing hospitals. The emergence of drugs to treat mental illnesses and the improvement of the concept of psychiatry in the community also made way for a better treatment experience.
All India Institute of Mental Health
Similarly Bangalore Lunatic Asylum founded in 1847 was renamed as the State Mental Hospital of Mysore in 1925. After independence, in 1954 it became All India Institute of Mental Health (AIIMH). It was upgraded to NIMHANS – National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences in the year 1974.
Today, care for individuals with mental illness is better defined and organized, than in the colonial era. The onus is on community based care and rehabilitation. Institutionalized care, that was based on shame and contempt is a thing of the past. While this is more due to better medications, but also due to a better social understanding.