Raj (British): miscellanea

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Ayahs

The Times of India 30 Jun. 24

FORGOTTEN AYAHS OF THE RAJ

Indian female domestic workers going abroad for higher wages is not new. The experiences of ‘travelling ayahs’ who traversed between India and Britain during the imperial era have been well documented. These women primarily served families onboard ships rather than in stable residences in either country. While generally treated adequately at sea, they often faced abandonment and mistreatment upon arrival in Britain. In 1825, a women's committee founded the Ayahs' Home in Aldgate, England, to help stranded ayahs find new jobs and return to India.


Historian Arunima Dutta, who researched the subject for her 2023 book, 'Waiting on Empire : A History of Indian Travelling Ayahs in Britain', says some found ways to engage in entrepreneurial activities while they waited, while others went to the India Office in London to appeal. “There were some who even took their irresponsible employers to court for failing to pay the ayah’s return passages," says Dutta.