- by Anagha Pavithran
Travancore or known as Thiruvananthapuram was a south Indian kingdom that was ruled by Travancore royal family during the late sixteenth century. the kingdom was spread across modern-day Kanyakumari of Tamil Nadu to most of Central- South Kerala. As the second most prosperous state in British India, the Travancore state has taken many steps in the socio-economic development of early Kerala, mainly under the reign of the final ruler of Travancore royal family Sri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma. The kingdom had a major population of Nair community, who had a number of traditions, rituals, and practices that were unique to them.
Kowdiar Palace
Credits: Google Photos
The peculiar social system of the Nair community of Kerala has garnered quite a variance of reactions, from bemusement to abhorrence from the Western world during the colonial reign. It is indeed a claimed novelty of Kerala and more singularly stated the Nair community. Marumakkathayam or the Matrilineal system of inheritance is a distinctive feature of the social organization of Kerala. It is a system of inheritance in which descent is traced along the female line which involves inheritance and succession through the sister's child in the female line. The Nair community were an honored caste who held a considerable monopoly over the chief militia. The discontent of colonial masters sprung from the conduct of Nair women who greatly deviated from the western virtues of docility and chastity imperative for a woman of sophistication and morale. The Nairs lived in matrilineal joint families called tarawads and they followed the marumakkathayam system. The matrilineal joint family called the tarawads, is made up of a woman, her brothers and sisters, her own and her sisters'sons and daughters and the children of their daughters. According to justice Kunhiraman Nair, the marumakkathayam tarawad is a joint family consisting generally of several members, all tracing descent from a common female ancestor
and living in subjection to the power and under the guidance and control of the senior male who for the time being is its head and representative. A member of the tarawad assumes right to the assets of the tarawad by birth. A Nair was the child of a Kshatriya male and a Nair female, or
a Nambuthiri male and a Nair female or a Nair male and Nair female. The Nairs of Kerala are different from other castes mainly because they trace their descent in the female line and they had a marriage system in which they are allowed to have several husbands simultaneously
with strict rules of hypergamy. Given matrilineal descent and inheritance, and given
the mobility of men and the absence of male economic obligations to kinswomen,
there was no reason why either men or women should restrict themselves to particular spouses. The oppressive and patriarchal social system prevalent over the Kerala terrain took a backseat in the case of the Nair community at least on the lines of ensuring material security and sexual freedom.
Matriarchs of the Royal family
Credits: Google photos
The system of Matriliny has attributed a divine origin by Brahmin aristocracy by arguing that Parasurama, the legendary founder of Kerala ordered Sudra women "to put off chastity and the clothes that covered their breasts" and do their best to satisfy the desires of the Brahmins. The
fear of divine wrath prevented the Nair families from questioning the right of the Nambuthiris from cohabiting with their women and the Sambandham form of marriage came to have general acceptance. This is a conspicuously exploitative and misogynist foundation laid by those with social hegemony but has ultimately manifested over the course of time into a fairly positive structure, liberating women at least from the reins on her sexual freedom. It also grants financial independence to women because of the very nature of Marrumakathayam which again was a privilege patented by men. However, this does not allude to a society that was unbiased and gender neutral, both genders were subjected to a strictly enforced set of lifestyles that was devotedly adhered to.
As opposed to this there is a view that Makkathayam was the system of inheritance prevalent in ancient Kerala society and marumakkathayam came into vogue at a later period of Kerala History under the impact of some compelling forces. They feel that the matrilineal system was imposed on the people of Kerala by the Nambuthiri Brahmins during the long drawn out war between the
Chera and Chola kingdoms in the 11th century. The "military theory", on the other hand, suggests that as the male members of the Nair families were condemned to military service from the early
days of their youth to the decline of manhood so much so regular married life was not possible in their case and under these circumstances, the Nair women were forced to have Sambandham form of marriage as a necessary evil.Two forms of marriage called talikettu kalyanam and sambandham were in vogue among the Nairs of Kerala. The talikettu kalyanam was a form of marriage which every giri had to undergo before reaching puberty in which a man ties a tali round the neck of the giri. This ceremony had no legal significance and did not confer on the participants the status of husband and wife. TheSambandham, which was arranged by the Karanavans of the family, was not in truth
a marriage, but a state of concubinage to which the woman enters on her own choice and she is at liberty to change as and when she pleases. A Nair woman could have several Sambandham marriages concurrently and in such a case received her visiting husbands seriatum.In Kerala, women did not become an instrument of male tyranny or a religious rope tying two individuals in to death. The proud Nair woman would not go and live with her husband. If a husband arrived to find his bedding put outside, it meant just that his services were either not satisfactory or just not required. He understood the message and, with all the dignity he could muster, he moved out of the life of his wife and her tarawad. The rule is that the marriage connection lasts during pleasure and is
dissoluble at will; lent, as sambandham is always an affair carefully arranged and settled after consulting the wishes of both parties, divorce is a very rare occurrence. Permanent attachment is
the rule. The Matrilineal system and Sambandham was gradually dismantled and disintegrated from the social organization of kerala with the implementation of various acts like the Malabar Marriage Act 1896, the two Nair Regulations of Travancore 1912 and 1925 and the Cochin Nair Act are
significant. The Malabar Marriage Act of 1896 restricted itself to declaring sambandham being registered as marriage. Followed by a series of Nair Regulation acts, gradually the marumakkathayam diminished into oblivion and today it is hardly visible in the social sphere of Kerala.
(Sources and for more detail: http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/60758/8/08_chapter%203.pdf )
THE IVORY THRONE BY MANU S. PILLAI Manu S Pillai’s The Ivory Throne literally mines the treasure troves of history. He finds the lonely women behind the dazzling jewels that stud the persons and temples of the erstwhile rulers of Travancore and reminds us that what we call history is the lived life of another, delving into the matrilineal system of descent that is in oblivion, separated from us in time but not in temperament.
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Credits: Google photos
What a piece of art!
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