CHAPTER-

WOMENWRI
TINGSANDCONTEMPORARYSCHOLARSHI
P

Ther
ehav
ebeenv
ari
ousst
udi
esont
hewomen’
scondi
ti
oni
nmat
ri
li
neal
Ker
alasoci
ety
.Pr
aveenaKodot
h,JDev
ikaandGAr
uni
maar
epr
omi
nent
ofamongt
hem whohadcont
ri
but
edt
othatdebat
e.Theyf
ocusedont
he
pr
oper
tyr
ight
s,r
epr
oduct
ionandf
ami
l
yaswel
lassoci
alst
atusv
is-
avi
s
t
hatmat
ri
li
nealf
ami
l
yst
ruct
ure.I
nthi
schapt
erIt
ri
edt
ofi
ndmaj
or
obser
vat
ionoft
hewomenschol
arsaboutwomen’
sli
fei
nmat
ri
li
neal
soci
etyofKer
ala.

Resi
denceandMai
ntenanceofWomeni
nMat
ri
li Tar
neal avad

Accor
dingt
oPr
av h,Tar
eenaKodot avadr
efer
redt
orel
ati
onsofpr
oper
ty
Mut
( halsambandham)shar
ed by a gr
oup t
raci
ng descentf
rom a
commonancest
r 1
ess. yofTar
Theboundar avad hasbeendef
inedby
r
elat
ionsofpol
l
uti Pul
on( aSambandham)
,wher
ebyawi
dermat
ri
li
neal
ki
ngr
oupwasj
oinedbysy
mbol
i
cti
esi
.e.i
nshar
ingbi
rt
handdeat
h
pol
l
uti
onandt
hecommonancest
ress.

Pr
aveenaKodot
hhasexami
nedt
her
esi
dent
ialpat
ter
nofwomenand
r
ight
sto pr
oper
ty and mai
ntenance i
n mat
ri
li
nealsoci
ety
.Women
r
esi
dedi
nthei
rmat
ri
li
nealhomesev
enaf
tert
hei
rmar
ri
age.But
,inNor
th
Mal
abarandSout
hCanar
atheyr
esi
dedi
nthei
rownTar
avadwi
tht
hei
r
husbands.She anal
ysed a case bef
oret
he Di
str
ictJudge ofNor
th
Mal
abari
n1878,i
nwhi
chawomanandhersoncl
aimedmai
ntenance
f
rom t
heKar
anav
an.Butt
hecour
tdi
dnotal
l
owt
hecl
aim asi
twoul
dbe

1
Kodot
h,Pr
aveena.Fr
ami
ngCust
oms,
Dir
ect
ingPr
act
ices:Aut
hor
it
y,Pr
oper
tyandMat
ri
li
nyunder
Col
oni
alLawi
nNi
net
eent
hCent
ury
-Mal
abar
,Wor
kingPaper(
1997)
,p.13
45
t
hev
iol
atonofMar
i umakkat
hay
am l
aw.Agai
nstt
hisr
uleoft
hej
udge
t
heyappr
oachedt
heHi
ghCour
tandt
hecour
thav
ereal
i
zedt
hatt
he
cl
aim wasapr
operone.Thecour
tver
dictwasi
nfav
ouroft
hewoman
andherson.

Gr
adual
l
y,t
hepr
act
iceofwomenr
esi
dingi
nt rownTar
hei avadsbecame
t
he common f
eat
ure ofMar
umakkat
hay
am.The per
missi
on on co-
r
esi
denceandi
mpar
ti
bil
i
tymeanst
hatl
egal
l
ytheKar
anav
ancoul
dref
use
oracceptr
equest
sforsepar
ate mai
ntenance,out
si he Tar
de t avad
houses. I
n 1882 a j
udgement al
l
owed t
he member
s t
o cl
aim
mai
ntenancei
fther
ewasnor
oom f
ort
hem i
ntheTar
avadhouse.Thi
s
caseal
sost
atedt
hati
ftheKar
anav
anwasr
ulet
hepr
oper
tyi
rr
espect
ive
herTar
ofot avadmember
s,t
heycanappr
oacht
othecour
ttoal
l
owt
hei
r
por
ti
onoff
ami
l
ypr
oper
ty.

Ri
ght
sonPr
oper
tyandHousehol
d

Pr
oper
tyr
ight
sofwomen,herr
ightt
odi
vor
ceatherwi
l
landhersoci
al
st
atus keptherf
rom oppr
essi
on.Mat
ri
li
ny undercol
oni
all
aw was
pat
ri
archalandi
nitt
her
ightt
opr
oper
tywasent
it
ledupont
heseni
or
mal
ei. heKar
e.t anav
an.

I
nmat
ri
li
ny,t
heseni
orwomeni
nt ggerTar
hebi avadshadani
mpor
tant
r
olei
nmaki
ngandi
nfl
uenci
ngdeci
sionsr
egar
dingt
hehousehol
dand
pr
oper
ty.Thewomeni
nKer
alamat
ri
li
nealsoci
etyi
nher
it heTar
edt avad.
Theyowned Tar
avad i
nthei
rnames whi
ch wer
ethe successi
on i
n
mat
ri
li
nealsy
stem.Despi
te,
theynev
erhadt
heabsol
utecont
rolov
eri
tin
t
ermsofmanagement
.Whenpat
ri
archyt
ookpl
ace,t
hef
ami
l
ypr
oper
ty
wasdi
vi
dedequal
l
yamongal
lthemat
ri
li
nealdescendent
si.e.bet
ween
t
hewoman’
schi
l
drenandt
hei
rdaught
er’
schi
l
dren.Thewomenenj
oyed
owner
shi
poft rTar
hei avad,y
et,
theyhadnotshowedmuchi
nter
esti
nto

46
get
ti
ngagr
icul
tur
all
and.

I
ntheor
ythepowerov
erpr
oper
tywasi
nthehandsofwomen.The
Kar
anav
anwast
her
epr
esent
ati
v heTar
eoft avadandi
nrel
ati
onwi
tht
he
out
sider
soff
ami
l
y.Land wast
hemosti
mpor
tantf
orm ofpr
oper
ty
among mat
ri
li
nealsoci
algr
oups i
n Mal
abar
.Cont
rolov
erl
and al
so
meanta degr
ee ofcont
rolov
ercer
tai
n gr
oups ofpeopl
e,t
enant
s,
l
abour
ers and ser
vice cast
es et
c. as j
anmi
s, kanakkar and
v
erumpat
takkar sofKar
.Thepower anav
anwer
eseenasgr
owi
ngoutof
hi
sposi
ti
onas‘
headoff
ami
l
y.But
,tr
adi
ti
onalmat
ri
li
nealKer
alasoci
ety
i
ndi
rect
lyr
ecogni
zed t
heaut
ocr
ati
crul he Kar
eoft anav
an.Ev
en,t
he
seni
orwomeni
nthef
ami
l
ycoul
dnotbei
nfl
uencehi
sdeci
si
ons.The
Kar
anav
anhadnev
erdi heTar
scussedt avad’
smat
erswi
thher
.

Despi
te,
thatTar
avadwoul
dfi
xanexactpor
ti
onoff
ami
l
y’sweal
thf
ort
he
sake ofwomen and chi
l
dren.I
tcoul
d be ut
il
ized byt
hem f
ort
he
f
ulf
il
mentoft
hei
rneeds.Lat
er,t
hispossi
bil
i
tyhasbeenbannedbyt
he
l
egali
nter
vent
ion.The pr
act
ice off
ixat
ion ofa por
ton ofTar
i avad
pr
oper
tyf
ort
he mai
ntenance ofwomen and t
he women’
sri
ghtt
o
managet
hispr
oper
tywasdi
sal
l
owedbyt
heHi
ghCour
tint
hemi
ddl
eof
he19th cent
t ury
.Insomel
argerTar
avads,t
her
ewoul
dbeadef
ini
te
por
ti
ont
omai
ntai
nthewomenandchi
l
dren.So,t
hest
ruct
ureoft
he
f
ami
l
ypr
oper
tywasdi
ff
eredf
rom Tar
avadt
oTar
avad.Kodot
hexami
nes
t
he case ofKav
alapar
a Nai
rs.Ther
e por
ti
on ofpr
oper
tyf
ort
he
mai
ntenanceofwomenwascont
rol
l
edbyt
heseni
orwomen.I
f,she
f
oundt
hisi
nadequat
e,t
heMooppi
lNai
r heKar
,t anav
anofKav
alapar
a
Tar
avad,coul
dbepai
dthedef
ici
t.Kodot
hassumedt
hatt
hegener
al
assumpt
ioni
nfav
ouroft
hepower heKar
soft anav
an wasmeantt
o
excl
udewomenf
rom manager
ialr
oleandt
hecl
aimsov
eri
t.Thewi
fedi
d
notdemandmai
ntenanceormoneyorpr
oper
tyf
rom t
hehusband.The
47
husbandcoul
dnotcl
aimf
rom t
hewi
feorherf
ami
l
yanyshar
eofher
pr
oper
tyi
nthenameofcar
efort
hei
rfami
l
yuni
t.

Byt
he1980s,mat
ri
li rTar
nealNai avadswer
ebei
ngpat
ri
li
nealandbot
h
sonsanddaught
ersst
art
edt
oinher
itt
hepr
oper
ty.

Wi
tht
hel
egal
int
erv
ent
i nMar
onsi umakkat
hay
am i
ntr
ansf
ormi
ngt
othei
r
i
nher
it
ancer
ighti
nsecondhal he19th cent
foft ury
,thewomenwer
e
depr
ivedofr
ightt
oinher
itpr
oper
ty.Theywer
eunabl
etor
aiset
hei
r
demandt
hemsel
veswi
thr
egar
dtot
hei
rinher
it
ancepr
oper
ty.Ev
enof
womenwer
efor
cedt
oresor
ttol
egalact
ionandhadwont
hecaset
he
cust
odyofpr
oper
tywasadi
stantdr
eam.I
fthewomendecl
i
nedt
hei
r
r
ight
s,i
tinv
itedi
l
lfeel
i
ngofhusbandsandt
hei
rfami
l
ies.Daught
ers
i
nher
it
ingt
hepar
ent
’spr
oper
tyi
ntheabsenceofsonsonl
ycal
l
edf
ort
he
wr
athoft
her
elat
ives.

Repr
oduct
ion

I
thasbeenar
guedt
hatt
hemat
ri
li
nealwomenhadgr
eat
erspacef
or
maki
ngdeci
sionsonmar
ri
ageandsexualr
elat
ionexceptt
heNambut
ir
i
women.

Sexwasoneoft
hemaj
ort
ool
sofi
nter
nal
regul
ati
onamongt
heMal
ayal
a
Br
ahmi
ns.Wi
thi
nthei
l
lam,t
hemen-
womenr
elat
ionandt
hei
rday
-to-
day
r
out
ineswer
ecar
eful
l
ydel
i
neat
edNambut
ir
iwomenwer
eti
edbyasetof
r
est
ri
cti
ons,t
hathasbeennotpr
evai
l
edel
sewher
e.Howev
er,pr
essur
es
coul
dbebr
oughtt
obearuponwoment
oest
abl
i
shorcont
inuemar
ri
ages
t
hatwer
ebenef
ici
alt
otheTar
avadort
odi
scont
inuet
hoset
hatwer
e
f
rownedupon.Not
abl
y,women’
sabi
l
ityt
owal
koutofamar
ri
agewas
shapedbyt
hei
rper
manentanduncont
est
edr
ightt
omai
ntenancei
nthei
r
nat
alhome.Womencoul
dremar
ryont
ermi
nat
ionofapr
iorconnect
ion
oront
hedeat
hoft
hei
rhusband,
incompar
isonwi
thpat
ri
li
nealsoci
eti
es
48
wher
etheoppr
essi
veedgeofwi
dowhoodwasabsent
.Anabsenceoft
he
mor
e st
ri
ctf
orm ofsexualcont
rolmade av
ail
abl
eto women of
mat
ri
li
nealcast
esgr
eat
ermobi
l
ityandexposur
eofl
ocal
l
yav
ail
abl
efr
om
t
hel
i
ter
acy
.Itmeanswhent
heygoteducat
ion,t
heyar
eawar
eabout
l
egalsy
stem andi
tsabi
l
ityt
omaki
ngpr
ogr
essi
vechangesi
nthei
rfami
l
y
l
i
fe.Mar
ri
age was r
aised t
othe l
evelofa soci
ali
mper
ati
ve and i
t
medi
atesgender
edi
nter
estandi
dent
it
y.

GenderRol
esandFami
l
ySt
atusofWomen

Genderi
mpl
i
es“
aser
iesofr
elat
ionst
hatappear‘
nat
ural
’andal
soseem
t
o emi
nent
ly ser
vet
he pur
pose of soci
algov
ernance,i
ntegr
ati
ng
i
ndi
vi
dual
sint
othecol
l
ect
ivi
ty(
i.
e.t
hecommuni
ty,
Mal
ayal
eesoci
ety
,the
nat
ion, pol
i
tical par
ti
es and so on) t
hrough or
gani
si
ng sexual
2
di
ff
erence”
. J.Dev
ikast
atest
hatt
hemanhoodandwomanhoodar
e
pr
oject
ed goal
sto be r
eal
i
sed t
hrough concr
ete act
ivi
ty,i
nvol
vi
ng
pr
escr
ipt
ions accor
ding t
o whi
ch i
ndi
vi
dual
s behav
iour
s wer
eto be
di
rect
ed-
thusser
vingt
oinst
it
uteamodeofgov
ernance.

The mat
ri
lnealTar
i avads woul
d of
ten wel
come t
he bi
rt
h ofa gi
rl
.
Because,i
twasf
eltt
hatwi
thoutagi
rl
,thel
i
neagewoul
dinaTav
azhi
,
t
hroughwhi
ch,al
sot
hedi
sappear
anceoft
hatr
espect
iveTar
avad.I
f,
t
her
ewasnogi
rl
s,t
her
ewer
eadopt
edagi
rlt
othef
ami
l
y.Gi
rl
swer
ewel
l
pr
otect
ed.Thei
rfi
rstpubl
i
c appear
ance was on t
he occasi
on of
Tal
i
ket
tukal
yanam.

The Tar
avad pr
ovi
des women wi
th a space f
rom whi
ch t
hey can
chal
l
enget
hedomi
nantgenderi
deol
ogyandexer
ciseacer
tai
ndegr
eeof
aut
onomy
.Int
hecaseofNai
rmat
ri
li
nealf
ami
l
y,t
hewomen’
sinf
luence

2
Dev
ika,
J.En-
Gender
ingI
ndi
vi
dual
s:t
heLanguageofEar
lyTwent
iet
hCent
uryKer
alam,
Ori
ent
LongmanPv
t.Lt
d.,
(2007)p.127
49
wi
thi
nherki
nshi
pisdet
ermi
nedbyt
hesoci
o-economi
ccl
assi
nwhi
ch
herTar
avadbel
onged.TheNai
rwomenf
rom l
and-
owni
ngf
ami
l
iesar
e
f
ormor
edependent
sonandcont
rol
l
edbyt
hement rTar
hei avads.The
Kar
anav
anhadconsi
der
abl
epower
sov
eral
lthemember heTar
soft avad.
Not
hewomenwer
eexcl
udef
rom t
his.Thewomen’
smov
ementout
side
heTar
t avad andt
hei
rsexualr
elat
ionswer
econt
rol
l
ed.Theext
entof
aut
onomyexer
cisedbyt
heNai
rwomenwasdependedonbot
hthei
r
f
ami
l
yor
igi
nandt
hei
rlocat
ionswi
thi
nahi
erar
chi
calcl
assst
ruct
ure.On
t
heot
herhand,
int
hecaseofwomenwhol
i
vedi lTar
nsmal avadswher
e
t ewasnoKar
her anav
anal
sohadagr
eat
erdegr
eeofaut
onomy
.

The mat
ri
li
nealcommuni
ti
es of
ten pr
act
iced bot
h pol
ygamy and
pol
yandr
y.When,aNai
rTar
avadbegant
oent
ert
ainmar
ri
agepr
oposal
s
t
hegi
rlhadgotachancet
oexpr
essherwi
shes,
yet
,womendi
dnothav
e
anyr
ightt
osel
ectt
hei
rli
fepar
tner
.Int
heor
y,awomancoul
dfor
m and
br
eakal
l
ianceswi
thmen.I
npr
act
ice,herl
i
fe’
sev
ent
swer
emedi
atedby
hercl
ass posi
ti
on.The begi
nni
ng oft
he pr
act
ice oft
he mat
ri
li
neal
i
nher
it
ancesy
stem,t
hewi
fewhohadt
hepr
otect
ionoff
ami
l
ycoul
dnot
behar
assedbyt
hehusbandorhi
sfami
l
y.NoNai
rwomancoul
dbeki
l
led
orhar
assedf
ordowr
y.Shemi
ghtbeeducat
edandt
rai
nedi
nski
l
ls
accor
dingt
oherabi
l
ityandt
ast
edependi
ngonherf
ami
l
yst
atus.Lat
er,
wi
tht
hel
egali
nter
vent
ion,
thi
sideawasaccept
edwi
thdi
ff
icul
tybymal
e-
domi
nat
edsoci
ety
.
Foruppercl
asswomenwhosel
i
veswer
est
ri
ctl
yregul
atedbyasetof
r
igi
dsoci
alr
ules.Theoppor
tuni
tyt
ofor
mindependentr
elat
ionshi
pswi
th
men waspr
act
ical
l
ynotpossi
ble.Li
kei
n pat
ri
li
nealki
nshi
p sy
stem,
womenwer
eusedi
nfor
mingmal
eki
nshi
pnet
wor
ksandf
urt
hert
he
i
nter
est
soft
hemal
esi
ntheTar
avad.Thesoci
alcont
rolofmat
ri
li
neal
women,t
hrough cont
roloft
hei
rsexual
i
ty,di
ff
ersbycl
ass,and has

50
di
ff
erenti
mpl
i
cat
ionsf
orwomendependi
ngont
hei
rcl
assst
atus.The
Nai
rwomenhad l
i
ttl
econt
rolov
ermar
ri
agear
rangement
sand t
hei
r
he Tar
dependenceont avad l
eftt
hem wi
thnochoi
cesoral
ter
nat
ive
cour
sesofact
ion.

Pr
ogr
essofWomen

Thel
egali
nter
vent
ionsi
nthemat
ri
li
nealsy
stem gi
veabegi
nni
ngt
o
bet
tert
hewomenl
i
vesi
nKer
ala.Manyf
emi
nist
scamef
orwar
dand
ar
guedf
ort
her
ightt
omanagepr
oper
ty,
chancet
otakedeci
si
onsi
nthei
r
ownmar
ri
age,r
ightt
oget
ti
ngmai
ntenancef
rom t
hei
rhusbands,co-
r
esponsi
bil
i
tyi
nthepr
otect
ionandwel
lbei
ngoft
hei
rchi
l
drenwi
tht
hei
r
f
ather
.

Byt
heendoft
he1920s,t
hemember
soft
her
adi
caly
out
hwi
nghad
begunt
oar
guef
orf
ami
l
yref
orm,
femal
eeducat
ionanddr
essr
efor
m and
st
atel
egi
sl
ati
onr
efor
mingmar
ri
ageandi
nher
it
anceandpar
ti
ti
onofj
oint
f
ami
l
yhol
dings.Theyst
oodagai
nstpr
eval
entpr
act
icesl
i
kepol
ygamy
,
mar
ri
ageofy
oung gi
rl
sto ol
d men and enf
orced wi
dowhood.They
demandedpar
ti
cipat
ionofwomeni
nthemanagementoff
ami
l
ypr
oper
ty.
Tr
ansf
ormat
ionofwomen’
sli
veswashi
ghont
her
adi
calr
efor
mer
’s
agenda.Theear
li
err
efor
mer
shadpr
oject
edt
hei
ref
for
tsasaf
orm of
sel
f-
cor
rect
ion– cor
rect
ionofaccumul
ated‘
def
ect
s’coupl
edwi
tht
he
3
r
etent
ionoft
heNambut
ir
i‘essence’
.

I
nthe1930s,
thev
ari
etyofi
nst
it
uti
onsi
nwhi
chwomanl
ycapaci
ti
eswer
e
f
oundessent
iali
ncr
eased.Themar
ket
ingandpr
oduct
ionef
for
tswer
e
al
l
owed t
o women.I
tincl
uded ev
en t
he act
ing i
n ci
nema.Cot
tage-
i
ndust
rywas al
so r
ecommended t
o women.Thi
sincl
uded weav
ing,
pr
eser
ving f
ood,basket
-maki
ng,sewi
ng,v
eget
abl
efar
ming,ani
mal

3
I
bid.p.127
51
husbandr
yet
c.Mi
ddl
e-cl
asswomenwer
epushedf
orwar
dtosetupsmal
l
scal
eindust
ri
aluni
tsbot
hfort
hei
rgoodandasaf
orm ofsoci
alser
vice,
empl
oyi
ngpoorwomen.Thesanct
ionf
ori
ncome-
gener
ati
ngwomenat
homer
esul
tedi
nther
eval
uat
ionoft
hemat
ri
li
neal
wayofl
i
fe.

I
n 1930s,t
her
e was a massi
ve par
ti
ci
pat
ion ofwomen i
n pol
i
tical
st
ruggl
esundert
hei
nfl
uenceofGandhi
ani
deol
ogy
.Theywor
kedf
or
khadipopul
ari
sat
ion,ant
i-
li
quoract
ivi
ti
es,soci
alwor
k,Har
ij
anupl
i
ftet
c.
Gandhi
ani
deal
sofpol
i
ticalst
ruggl
egav
especi
alemphasi
zet
owomanl
y
qual
i
ties-
lov
e,compassi
on,et
c.Al
ongwi
tht
hei
ncr
easi
ngconsentt
othe
appl
i
cat
ion ofwomanl
y capabi
l
iti
es i
n an ev
er-
growi
ng numberof
spher
es i
nthe publ
i
c domai
n,t
he f
igur
e oft
he i
dealwomen al
so
under
wentchanges.

By
,thei
ssueofr
efor
mingwoment
omaket
hem conf
ormt
oani
deal
i
sed
womanl
y subj
ect
ivi
ty was bei
ng act
ivel
y di
scussed.An i
ncr
easi
ngl
y
r
aisedquest
ioni
stowhet
hert
hedomai
nofmoder
ndomest
ici
tywas
r
eal
l
ythespacet
hatof
fer
ed gr
eat
ermobi
l
ityand powert
o women.
Dev
ikaanal
ysedt
hewr
it
ingsofLal
i
tambi
kaAnt
arj
anam,
whowr
otemany
nov
elsandshor
tst
ori
espor
tray
ingt
hewomenl
i
vesi
nsi
det
hei
rhouses.
Mostoft
het
hemesar
erel
ated t
othemi
ser
abl
eli
feoff
emal
esi
n
t
radi
ti
onalTar
avadhouses.Thewr
it
ingsofLal
i
tambi
kaAnt
arj
anam deal
wi
th a compl
ex engagement wi
th moder
nideal
s of gender and
I
ndi
vi
dual
i
ty.I
ndeed,shehasf
requent
lydescr
ibedherl
i
fe’
sst
ruggl
eas
onet
ogai
nbal
ancebet
weendomest
icandpubl
i
cexi
stence;bet
ween
mot
her
hoodandacar
eerasacr
eat
ivewr
it
er.Ant
arj
anam expr
essed
cer
tai
nuneasewi
thmoder
ndomest
ici
ty–ev
enwhi
l
eadmi
tt
ingt
hatshe
waswi
thi
nmor
eorl
essani
dealdomest
icset
ti
ng.Ant
arj
anam’
swor
kis
amedi
tat
ionupont
hest
rengt
hsandweaknessesofmoder
nideal
sof
genderaswel
lasaspacei
nwhi
ch‘
soci
alr
eal
i
ty’
isconst
ant
lynegot
iat
ed
52
 4
andr
e-i
magi
ned.

Cont
empor
ary women wr
it
ers, who st
udi
ed about t
he Ker
ala’
s
i
nher
it
ance sy
stem,hav
e ai
med atexpl
ori
ng women’
s st
ruggl
efor
sur
viv
ingi
nmat
ri
li
neal
fami
l
ysy
stem.Theseschol
arsf
oundt
hat
,act
ual
l
y
t
hewomenhadnotbeenj
oyedanyspeci
alr
ight
sorpr
ivi
l
egesundert
his
sy
stem.Anumberofr
efor
m mov
ement
semer
gedbef
oreandaf
tert
he
l
egalabol
i
tion of Mar
umakkat
hay
am t
hat pav
ed way f
or women
empower
ment
,especi
all
y,t
hebet
ter
mentofAnt
arj
anams,ast
hel
i
feof
Nambut
ir
iwomenwasmor
emi
ser
abl
ethant
hatofot
hercast
es.

4
I
bid.p.
53