Nomadism is not a social and political organisation. It is a strategy adopted by people and communities to overcome challenges posed by historical conditions. In this sense, nomadism is a response to socio-economic, political and ecological circumstances Rao,2003. Historically viewed, the mobility of the indigenous people and nomads of 19th century British colonial period attracted the attention of the law and policy makers. Accordingly, the nomads had to face various forms of surveilliance regulation and policing designed to constrain them. Numerous Acts were passed and followed in order to suppress the movement of the nomadic people. The personality of the nomadic people were respected so long they formed politically organised community living in a fixed society which made state control of the nomads easier. The colonial rulers had a bad experience with the nomads as it was not very easy to contain them. In India too, the Britishers perceived the nomadic way of life as a challenge as the communities were on the move as cattle grazers, musicians, acrobats, fortune tellers, mat basket makers and so on.The project of settling these communities resulted in ruthless suppression of them. Nomads lost their traditional occupation and resorted to committing crimes like dacoity or other crimes. The nomadic communities who were always on the move were brandished under an Act called the Criminal Tribe Act of 1871. This paper is an attempt to study the colonial nomadic condition that existed in Europe that led to the passing of the Criminal Tribe Act of 1871 that brandished the nomads as notified criminals.
