Nambuthiris, Malayali Brahmins, were the owners of land in Kerala
and they became the masters of temples too. Their political influence also
increased.
During
19th century, when all the
inmates of other Vaishnavite Manas except the family of Oli Nambuthiri at Kumbalam
fled to the territories of Travancore and Malabar, since they joined hands with
Zamorin of Calicut, Oli Nambuthiri, the Desavazhi of Kumbalam, brought and settled in his property a few ‘Poti’, Brahmin families from Uduppi and
Mangalore of the Karnataka State. Narayanan Embramthiri
of Thrikkanni Madom and Anantharaman Embramthiri
of Andipalli Madom were such Poti
Brahmin families who were brought here
from Uduppi-Mangalore belt and settled at Kumbalam and Cheppanam (later accommodated near Siva
temple at Kumbalam) respectively due to an acute shortage of ‘Pujaries’ priests to perform ‘Pujas,’
worship, in temples and to manage the Devaswom
properties.
The
Brahmin custom and tradition permitted only the eldest male member to get
married; he could marry up to four Nambuthiri women from the same caste. Only
he could inherit the family property. This enabled them to maintain their
landed property and other wealth intact and avoided its division. This helped
them to uphold their social and economic status too in the society.
The
younger Brahmin males go for sexual relationships with the ladies of the Nair classes. Those Nair ladies would not leave their house to join their husband’s
family nor do the Brahmin husbands have any right or interest on her property.
The children born are known as the son or daughter of that particular lady. Potti Brahmins called as Embramthiri too practiced this custom.
This practice of younger Brahmins getting married to Nair classes is known as “Sambandham.” Though
Brahmins considered Sambandham as one of the 64 Anacharams (bad habits), this
type of alliance existed for centuries. Gradually Sambandham became common within Nair community also. Robin Jeffri in his
book, “The Decline of Nair Dominance,” says, “Sambandham means simple Nair marriage ceremony involving
presentation of a cloth by a man to woman. In ancient Kerala it appears that
both men and women could have Sambhandam with more than one person
at the same time. Marriages contracted and ended with considerable ease.
This was called Sambandham and a woman might have Sambandham with a number of men at the same
time. Either man or woman could end the Sambandham with little formality.” However,
the matrimonial alliance of females was not so rigid. Those who came into
union with Brahmins maintained their moral values and kept their
standards.
Those
Nair woman who allowed younger
Brahmin brothers to enter into sexual relationships with them, would marry a Nair as well, then have two husbands (a Nair and a Nambuthiri) and in essence, a system of polyandry came into being.
However, as a consequence of this practice, the number of Nambuthiris declined and the number of Nairs increased because the children born in a Nambuthiri-Nair marriage would belong to the Nair woman's family.
I
have noted an unfair and anomalous practice in Kandoth Nair tharawad, family
house. Parukutty Amma of Kandoth, a Nair lady, was the second wife of
Narayanan Embramthiri of Thrikkanni Madom.
(They had a daughter, Ammini Amma who was married to Gopinatha Menon of
Sreevilasom.) Narayanan Embramthiri threatened
to desert his second wife and Parukutty Amma, a loyal and faithful lady, was
coerced to transfer some of her inherited properties (which were originally
part of Uthradath Mana) to her husband, Narayanan Embramthiri. Now his grandson Jayaraman Embramthiri son of Chandran Embramthiri
of Thrikkanni Madom is residing therein.
The
legal validity for Sambandham marriage came to an end with the
enactment of the Nair Regulation Act
of M.E.1100 (1924 A.D.). Up to this, there was no validity for
their Sambandhams. The new regulation prohibited them to own
and disown wives at their pleasure. Certain conditions were also laid out
for divorce.
The Nair (Dravidian)-Brahmin (Aryan) Sambandham, no doubt, improved the Nair breed not only in physical
appearance including their height and fair skin but also in their mental
acumen. The governments shall promote inter-caste and inter-racial marriages to
improve the breed and this will avert lot of tensions and war in the world. Incentives like reservation in appointments, a house plot or money to erect a house can be given to such couples.
Excerpts from
MEMOIRS
An autobiography
by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.
josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com
josephjthayamkeril@google.com
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