Does India have 3 genders?

India is a large and diverse country with a complex history surrounding gender and sexuality. There is an ongoing debate about whether India recognizes three genders – male, female and hijra – or whether hijra constitutes a third gender itself.

Table of Contents

What is hijra?

Hijra is a term used in South Asia to refer to individuals who are born biologically male but identify as neither man nor woman. Some hijras see themselves as a third gender, while others identify as transgender or transsexual women. Here are some key points about hijra:

Hijras have a recorded history in South Asia going back thousands of years.
Many hijras live in well-defined communities or groups led by a guru.
Hijras often dress as women and adopt feminine behaviors and mannerisms.

Traditionally, hijras earned income through ceremonial performances at weddings and births but faced exclusion from other employment.
Indian law recognizes transgender people, including hijras, as a third gender.

So in summary, hijra refers to a sociocultural community of people who often identify outside the male-female gender binary. Some characterize them as a third gender specific to South Asia.

Recognition in law and society

Historically, hijras occupied visible yet ambiguous, liminal roles in Indian society. They were legally recognized subjects but socially marginalized. In recent decades, there have been growing efforts to formalize their legal rights and protections:

In 2014, the Indian Supreme Court legally recognized transgender people as third gender and ruled they have a fundamental constitutional right to self-identify their gender.
The Court directed the government to provide reservations in education and jobs, include transgender people in welfare schemes, and ensure access to health care.

Some states and government entities like the Election Commission now include a third gender option on official forms and ID documents.
Despite progress, social stigma persists. Many hijras continue to face discrimination in education, housing, and employment.

So while recent legal changes represent an important milestone, translating those rights into lived social acceptance remains an ongoing challenge.

Perspective of hijras

When discussing whether India has three genders, it is critical to consider how hijras themselves identify. Here are some perspectives within the community:

Many hijras see themselves as a distinct third gender category, reflected in the Urdu term “hijra” meaning “not man, not woman.”
Some identify as transgender women, viewing themselves as women born into male bodies rather than a separate gender.

Others see hijra as a cultural or spiritual identity, linked to traditional roles as ceremonial performers and conferring blessings at rituals.
For some hijras, especially younger ones, Western transgender terminology like transmen/transwomen feels more aligned to their identity.

So while hijra is often interpreted as a third gender, individuals within these communities have diverse gender identities including trans, non-binary, and hijra cultural identities.

Anthropological perspectives

Anthropologists who study gender in South Asia have wrestled with placing hijra into male/female gender binaries:

Some early ethnographers during colonial times labeled hijras a “third sex.” This overly simplified hijra identities and enforced a biological essentialist lens.
More recent anthropologists argue hijra represents a distinct socio-religious gender role that should be understood within cultural context, not just through a Western gender framework.

Rather than definitively labeling hijra a third gender, many advocate for allowing hijras to self-determine their gender identity and what being hijra means to them.

In summary, anthropological perspectives emphasize understanding hijra relative to the very different Indian cultural and spiritual traditions surrounding gender, which may not neatly fit Western preconceptions.

Gender diversity in ancient texts

References to more fluid understandings of gender appear in some ancient Indian texts, providing cultural precedent for recognizing gender diversity:

The Kama Sutra (400 BCE – 200 CE) refers to people of a “third nature” (tritya prakriti), suggesting social recognition of more than two genders.
Hindu mythology contains figures like Shikhandi who shifted between male and female, or divine beings like Ardhanarishvara who were half man and half woman.
The Manusmriti Hindu Law Book (200 BCE – 200 CE) mentions three categories of males, females, and third-gender people known as napumsaka.

During the Mughal Empire, eunuch servants and guardians referred to as khwaja siras had visible social roles and relative acceptance.

So textual and mythological sources provide some historical basis for recognizing gender fluidity and non-binary gender identities in ancient Indian culture.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while India legally recognizes transgender people as a third gender, whether Indian society validates three distinct genders remains more complex:

Hijras constitute a visible third gender community, but have diverse self-identities including seeing themselves as women, transgender, non-binary, or a distinct cultural identity.
Granting legal rights has been an important official step toward recognizing gender diversity, but substantial work remains to transform social attitudes and end discrimination.
Understanding hijra solely through a Western gender lens risks misrepresenting a distinct cultural community.

Indian culture does have some precedent of recognizing third genders in ancient texts, deities, and Mughal courts.

So in essence, while the hijra community represents a culturally-rooted third space, individuals within it may identify across a spectrum of genders. Simply recognizing a third gender category fails to capture the nuances of gender diversity in India.