This chapter establishes shame as the central organising principle of South Asian psychology, tracing its historical, social, and psychological dimensions. It positions shame as both an affective experience and a regulatory mechanism, linking personal, familial, and collective identity across generations. The chapter critically examines Western models of shame, highlighting their limitations in capturing the relational, intergenerational, and structural dynamics specific to South Asian contexts, including caste hierarchies, colonial legacies, patriarchy, and diasporic pressures. By integrating historical, cultural, and clinical perspectives, this chapter lays the foundation for understanding maladaptive and adaptive expressions of shame, offering the conceptual groundwork for the frameworks introduced in the book and their implications for mental health, resilience, and culturally attuned therapeutic approaches.