Sambandam

Among the Nairs, men could have multiple sambandham wives, who in turn could have multiple sambandham husbands. A few spouses was the norm, although Nair women could have more than ten husbands, in addition to temporary relationships with itinerant soldiers. There were prohibitions in place to prevent incest; for example, by forbidding multiple spouses or relationships with those from the same household. Sleeping customs and schedules limited contact between husbands, and there was reportedly no jealousy. If a Nair wife became pregnant, one of her husbands would claim the child as his offspring. If nobody did, then the karnavar of the woman's tharavad could conclude that the child's father was from a lower caste; and the woman could be punished, including being disowned and sold into slavery.[5]

The Nambudiri and other Malayali Brahmins also practiced sambandam. Due to the strict practice of primogeniture, only the oldest son of a Brahmin family was permitted to wed a Brahmin woman. This son's inheritance (including property) would pass on to their eldest son in turn and their Brahmin caste status would pass to their children. The younger Brahmin sons would have sambandam partners from among the Nair women, whom the Brahmins regarded as concubines and whose children had no inheritance rights from their Brahmin father nor were they recognised as Brahmins; the Nairs, however, recognized these sambandam relationships as marriages, and the children as members of the Nair caste.[5][6] Since the Brahmin man was of a higher caste than his Nair sambandam partner, he was forbidden from eating with her or her family members and had to have a separate dining hall in her home, and he could not touch her or their children except at night or in the early morning before his ritual bath.[5]