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How the 1872 census was the first big attempt to enumerate colonial India

A colonial data project spanning provinces, dates and methods, the census revealed as much about British administration as it did about India.

The 1871–72 census was the first significant attempt at a systematic enumeration across the Indian Empire, although it was ultimately non-synchronous and geographically incomplete. While the original intent of the Government of India was to conduct a simultaneous count on November 15, 1871, the actual enumeration took place on various dates between late 1871 and mid-1872. For example, the North-Western Provinces conducted its count on January 18, 1872, Bombay on February 21, 1872, and British Burma as late as August 15, 1872 (Maheshwari, 1996; Waterfield, 1875).

There was no central Census Commissioner for the 1871–72 operation; instead, the census was managed by provincial governments under general direction from the Government of India. At the local level, District Collectors or Magistrates were the primary officers responsible for the census within their jurisdictions. The administrative machinery relied heavily on unpaid, local agencies (village heads, priests, police force, school teachers etc.). In rural areas of many provinces, the Putwaree (village accountant) served as the primary enumerator due to their intimate knowledge of residents’ domestic concerns. In urban areas, the machinery utilized Mohulladars (ward heads) or other respectable inhabitants. However, in Bengal, the lack of a sub-district revenue machinery forced the government to rely on the police to supervise residents who were requested to act as enumerators (Maheshwari, 1996; Waterfield, 1875).

The enumeration process generally followed a standardized two-step methodology:

Preliminary Record: Conducted weeks or months before the official date, enumerators visited every house in their assigned beat to record the names, castes, and occupations of usual residents.

Preliminary Record: Conducted weeks or months before the official date, enumerators visited every house in their assigned beat to record the names, castes, and occupations of usual residents.

Final Enumeration: On the designated ‘census moment’, typically a moonlit night to facilitate travel and visibility, enumerators performed a final round. They updated the preliminary record by striking out those who had died or departed and adding newborns or guests.

Final Enumeration: On the designated ‘census moment’, typically a moonlit night to facilitate travel and visibility, enumerators performed a final round. They updated the preliminary record by striking out those who had died or departed and adding newborns or guests.

The 1871–72 general census was not truly synchronous across all territories. In provinces like Punjab, Oude (Awadh), and Berar, new enumerations were not carried out because it was thought undesirable to disturb the population so soon after their recent provincial counts in 1867–1869. Furthermore, in the non-regulation divisions of Chota Nagpore (Chota Nagpur) and Assam, the lack of administrative machinery meant the enumeration took several months to complete rather than a single night.

Data collection involved a simple form recording sex, age, religion, caste or class, race, occupation, and literacy. To accommodate social sensitivities, it was decided that providing the names of female family members would be left entirely to the discretion of the head of the household. Throughout the process, officials had to combat wild rumours and absurd stories circulating among the population, such as rumors that the census was a precursor to new taxes, military conscription, or forced labor.

The first census of 1871–72 was conducted because the British administration found that the lack of even approximate knowledge regarding the Indian population had become a serious administrative inconvenience for them. Previous population figures were considered to be vague and untrustworthy........

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