Critical History of the Indian Circus

This book maps the origins and development of the circus in India through the lens of migration. Traversing the colonial and post-colonial eras (1880s to 1950s), the growing popularity of the circus during the Cold War period (1950s to 1990s), and its eventual decline under neoliberal economic reforms and laws (post-2000), this study positions mobility as intrinsic to the circus’ evolution. By examining changing legal frameworks, state mechanisms, and popular discourse, the author explores how these forces have shaped the demographic constitution of the circus, while directly impacting performers’ identities and subjectivity. Grounded in Actor-Network Theory, the book traces the complex networks connecting artists, non-human actors, and institutions—forces that shape circus repertoires, individual skills, and the broader trajectories of the art form’s growth and decline. At the centre of the research remains the debate which on the one hand labels the circus as ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’, against its contrasting narrative as a marginal form and even an exploitive entity towards women, child performers, and animals.