Author:

Debasmita Ruj
Junior Research Fellow (UGC)
Department of History
Visva-Bharati,Santiniketan
Birbhum,West Bengal,India

Email: rujdebasmita@gmail.com

Abstract::Abstract:Mental health care has deep roots in India, dating back to the Vedic period when spiritual
practices were used for treatment. During the Muslim rule, mental illness was also addressed with
some provisions. However, the British East India Company introduced a new, institutionalized
approach by establishing lunatic asylums, which became integral to India’s colonial heritage. These
institutions reflected not just healthcare, but also colonial control, especially over the lower-class
European lunatics and Indian “natives” whom the British sought to segregate and dominate. The label
“lunatic” itself reinforced social exclusion and marginalization.Colonial asylums, especially in
Eastern India, prioritized control over care, offering poor living conditions, inadequate food, and
harsh treatments. Native-only asylums further emphasized racial and class distinctions. Major
asylums in Bengal included Calcutta, Dullunda, Dacca, Patna, and others, with only one European
asylum in Understanding this history is essential for acknowledging past injustices and shaping a
more humane, inclusive future for mental health in India.

Key Words::Asylums,Heritage and Identity, Hegemony, Mental Health etc