Marumakkathayam

Marumakkathayam was a system of matrilineal inheritance prevalent in regions what now form part of the southern Indian state Kerala. Descent and the inheritance of property was passed from maternal uncle to nephews or nieces. It was followed by Nair, Ambalavasi and a few other communities. The eldest male was considered the head known as karanavar, and the entire assets of the family were controlled by him. The properties were not inherited by his sons, but the children of his sisters. It has to be noted that this system was not matriarchal as is sometimes misinterpreted, and was strongly patriarchal with only a male allowed to be the head of the family.[1]

The word literally means inheritance by sisters' children, as opposed to sons and daughters. 'Marumakkal', in the Malayalam language, means nephews and nieces. The joint family under the matrilineal system is known as Tharavad and formed the nucleus of the society in Malabar. The customary law of inheritance was codified by the Madras Marumakkathayam Act 1932, Madras Act No. 22 of 1933, published in the Fort St. George Gazette on 1 August 1933.

Malabar was part of the Madras Presidency in British India. In the Madras Marumakkathayam Act 1932, 'Marumakkathayam' is defined as the system of inheritance in which descent is traced by females, and 'Marumakkathayee' means a person governed by the Marumakkathayam law of inheritance. The system of inheritance is now abolished by The Joint Family System (Abolition) Act, 1975, by the Kerala State Legislature.[2]

Modern changes and adaptations

By the beginning of the 20th century, marumakkathayam was increasingly seen as an undesirable remnant of a feudal past, and discontented groups including Nair men sought to bring reform. The reforms were pushed through in spite of opposition from conservative factions led by Kesava Pillai of Kandamath in the Travancore Court, Sree Mulam State Council and by leading members of society such as C. V. Raman Pillai[3][4] in the states of Cochin and Travancore, and the British Indian province of Malabar, which later joined together to form Kerala in 1957.

See also

References
  1. Chua, Jocelyn Lim (2014). In Pursuit of the Good Life - Aspiration and Suicide in Globalizing South India. p. 213.
  2. "CiNii - Transformation of the Marumakkathayam System in Malabar: The Malabar Marriage Act, 1896 and the Nayar Tarawads". ci.nii.ac.jp. Retrieved 9 March 2008.
  3. Kandamathu Kudumba Sangamam Published by K. K. N., Neyyattinkara, S. India, 1995, pp. 35–39.
  4. Jeffrey in the Decline of Nayar Dominance in Travancore, See notes under C V Raman Pillai

Further reading
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