Runner Head: Nayar

Nayar of India

Tara M Cook

ANT 101

Professor Ilda Jimenez y West

Nayar of India

Introduction

The Nayar is a known caste in the state of Kerala, India. Their mode of subsistence is based on its martial origins. They constituted the kingly families of warriors and feudal lords of Kerala. They provided militia and land managers to royalties. Its communities practice matrilineality wherein a joint-family system invests a sense of responsibility between family members. The big matrilineal group constitutes the middle class in Kerala society. To illustrate the Nayar culture, this paper aims to discuss the way of living of the Nayar through their kinship, political and social organization. (Panikkar 1918)

The Nayar Hindu Caste

Kinship

The size and composition of the domestic unit changed over time. Before the partition was allowed to it can consist of as many as 50 to 100 people. However, once the section has been resolved, the unit size is drastically reduced, so that in the late 1950's and 1960's normal unit consisted of one or more of married women with children, their mother (if alive), and perhaps a few adult male members of matrilineage. The traditional family Nayar organization provided one of the relatively unique exception near universality of the nuclear family. "A visit to her husband" had very little value in the family of his wife and was not responsible for the children he could master. His main responsibilities were for the children of his sister. Practice of polyandry also posted limitations on the relationships between men and their own biological children. Today households are even smaller, consisting mostly of a nuclear device, although the matrilineal relatives of women are often able to live with the couple. (Moore 1985)

Marriage System

Marriage between customs Nayars triggered much discussion and debate in India and among lawyers and sociologists. There were a significant sub-regional changes, as well as variations subcaste and prestige of the family.. There are two types of marriage: talikettu kalyanam (Tali [necklace]-tying ceremony), as well as sambandham (customary marriage man and woman). Tali-tying ceremony was to be done before puberty, and part of the ceremony was held for a few girls at the same time save costs. Depending on the group Tali can be linked term is due to the line (often two Nayar transmission line that often marriages were bound together and called lines enangar), one of the members of the higher subcaste Nayars, one of the female line Ambilavasi (temple servant) castes or a member of the royal family. By mid 1950, it became common for some girls to Tali tied their mothers. Until now moot whether this is ever an official marriage ceremony, or if it was originally just the age group ceremony, as he often included a large number of girls aged from 6 months to 12 or 14 years. (Jeffrey 1976)

Women also comply with the formal practice of mourning for the men who tied up their Thalys, and in some cases, for example, if a girl was close to puberty, it is possible that a marriage ...