Includes bibliographical references (pages 157-1920 and index.

"At what age does girlhood end and adulthood begin? This question vexes the modern practice of setting legal age standards for sexual consent. Societies across region and time have varied in defining when girls reach sexual maturity, and indeed they differentiate across contexts: laws on prostitution, rape, and marriage frequently contradict each other when demarcating an age of consent. Despite the variations, it is clear that a striking upward shift in the legal age of sexual consent has occurred around the globe over the course of the twentieth century. In this book, Ashwini Tamba explores the shifting legal age boundary between the "girl" and the "woman" in India across the twentieth century and into the present. Tambe investigates how age boundaries such as 18 years emerged as meaningful distinctions, and explores the transnational circulation of ideas about appropriate age standards for sexual activity. The stakes in defining age boundaries in India are particularly high because India has long been the most prominent site of child marriage in the world. It is also the site of some of the most dramatic shifts in the legal age of marriage, from 12 years in 1892 to 18 years in 1978. The book focuses on key conceptual shifts that shaped these changes-the rise of the idea of adolescence as a sheltered phase, which was critical for justifying the deferral of marriage and adulthood; the rise of population science; and understandings of moral hierarchies between nations in a changing geopolitical landscape. Ultimately, Tambe argues that legal changes were not always an organic reflection of shifting cultural norms about girlhood; they were frequently motivated by legislators' anxieties about appearing culturally backward, or protecting parents' interests, or achieving population control targets"-- Provided by publisher.