Marumakkathayam(matrilineal system)

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First of all, let me express my happiness in joining this joint family get together on this auspicious day (20-Feb-2024, star birthday of Sri. Ambalakkat Ram Mohan).  My pranams and best wishes to our 'Ettan' on his 'sathabhishekam' (84th birthday, traditional celebration when a person has witnessed over 1000 full moons in their lifetime). I heartily pray to God for his 'Ayur Arogya Soukhyam' filled with happiness and peace of mind. This writing has been inspired by my niece Priya (Dr. Priyadarshini Kurup) and in this context, let me extend my love and best wishes especially to her and also to the rest of Ambalakkat clan. 

My knowledge about 'marumakkathayam' is limited as I have not experienced its good or bad effects.  There are not many references that I could get my hands on to gather details about it as well. So, this write up is based on my understanding after reading certain novels written by the famous Malayalam writer M. T. Vasudevan Nair and of course from the memory I hold of what I have heard and learnt from my elders who have seen through/followed that system. M. T. Vasudevan Nair has written many stories about joint family systems. Most of the stories take us through painful experiences although one gets to read different types of stories. It also allows the readers to have an overview or to form one's opinion of this old system which is now looked upon as the remnants of the old feudal class society.

Inheritance, which is the distribution of inherited wealth from one generation to another, is known as 'Daayakramam' in malayalam. Daayakramam can happen by two systems, one is makkathayam (patrilineal system) and the other marumakkathayam (matrilineal system). In Malayalam language, makkal means one's own progeny and marumakkal generally means one's sisters' children (i.e. nephews and nieces). It is interesting to note that several other countries and regions of the world (Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, China, Costa Rica, N. America etc.) were following matrilineal or related systems (variations of marumakkathayam) centuries ago while most of those folks have shifted to makkathayam later. In Kerala, the marumakkathayam system was prevalent strongly amongst the Nair and Menon communities. It was also followed by other subsects like Kaimal, Nambiar, Kurup, Eerady, Nayanar etc. in their joint family system until a few decades ago.  Besides, other sections of the society including some Brahmins, Thiyyas (Eezhavas), Ambalavasees, Raja families, some of Malabar Muslims, most of the Aadivasis etc. mainly from North Kerala were also following this custom. 

A joint family usually consists of a grandmother, her children (daughters and sons) and grandchildren from her daughters. They live together in a large house called Tharavad. The tharavad property is owned by all the tharavad family members.  The eldest male member of the tharavad (uncle or valliammama) is responsible for running the house and taking care of the tharavad properties comprising paddy fields, lands and other household articles. He is known as 'karanavar'. This position is bestowed by inheritance. Karanavar however doesn't own the properties although he is responsible for the management of tharavad assets. The right to take decisions on behalf of the members of the tharavad or the control and management of other tharavad members is also upon him. He gets his powers through birth and gender, being the oldest generational male member of the house. There were karanavars who ruled with an iron hand while there were some who lived their lives for the true well-being of the tharavad.  One can consider a karanavar as the ruler (king) of a tharavad. Following the demise of a karanavar, his eldest nephew gets to become the karanavar. The other grownup male members turn into supervisors of the tharavad properties and paddy fields under the expert guidance of the karanavar. Boys who were lucky had the opportunity to get educated with karanavar's mercy. Girls usually did not generally enjoy the privilege of education in those days. They were not even allowed to go outside the house once they started menstruating. They were usually married to someone of karanavar's choice at a very young age. The customs prevailing in those days provided the girls with no choice or rights to raise their voices against anything. Not all Valliammamas were selfish or narrow-minded. Many were kind and compassionate to their sisters, brothers, nephews and nieces. Some loved them even more than their own wife and children. They were proud of their tharavad and took it upon themselves the responsibility to help the tharavad and their members grow. 

Each tharavad had its own employees (workers/labourers) belonging to lower caste and they were known by the name of that tharavad. These adiyan-mars as they were usually called were looked after by that tharavad. They were provided houses in the tharavad land, though they were not given the land ownership. The poem, "Vazhakkula" by Changampuzha refers to the lack of ownership and explains the situation. 

The paddy fields or vegetation belonging to a tharavad used to be leased for cultivation every year and the person who held the lease was known as 'kudiyan' while the karanavar was designated as the 'landlord'.

When disputes arose between the members of the tharavad, it sometimes led to the division of tharavad properties and thus a thavazhi (branch) of that tharavad was formed. When partition occurred, while the male members got only their one share, the female members received their share as well as a share for each of her children. It is interesting to note that a child developing in the womb of a mother was also included in the family during partition such that he/she was entitled to a share. Though the uncle's (male members of tharavad) wife and children had no legal right to the property, the uncles during their reign (tenure) could acquire properties in their names out of the profit earned from managing the tharavad properties. Not all uncles (karanavars) were doing the same. Thank God, I understand our uncles (karanavars) were loyal to their tharavad and they loved and looked after their sisters and siblings with much care. Some of them even refused to accept their share from the tharavad. At the same time, it is worth mentioning that there were women with strong will-power who overruled the male members with their affectionate approach and wisdom. People are different and situations can be different with different tharavads.

This has resulted in some people claiming that women were more powerful and had more freedom to take up decisions. This may have been partially true especially with the senior women folks of tharavad where the karanavars were younger to them by generation or had milder temperaments. The history of our own Ambalakkat tharavad may provide such examples. 

The system of marumakkathayam started fading gradually with the formation of many thavazhis.  The youngsters who got modern education, started their own career and started earning their own money and property. They took their spouse and children with them where they got employed. In joint Nair families, where marumakkathayam was prevalent, women after their marriage would stay at their own tharavad. They were treated as respectable guests when they visited their husband's house. 

After the Kerala land reforms act came into effect, the landlord and kudiyan relationship vanished.  Under the act, the kudiyans got pattayam (land ownership document issued by the state government) and became the owners of the leased land. Earlier, kudiyans had only rights to cultivate the land based on an agreement between the landlord and kudiyan that a certain percentage of the yield will be given to the landlord in return for the right to cultivate that land. Those agreements were to be renewed for every crop or from time to time. After the land reform act, this system ended and the landlords/tharavads lost their cultivable lands which were leased to kudiyans.  In return, the landlords were given a meager amount as compensation yearly by way of instalments for 16 years or so.  Thus, the joint family system withered away. The movement of married couples away from tharavad and starting their own nuclear families also was a reason. Thus, huge houses known as 'naalukette' and 'ettukette' etc. became vacant, useless and unmanageable. The nuclear families even stopped using the name of tharavad as surnames and tharavads lost their significance. 

Although marumakkathayam was in vogue for some time, it came into effect with legal support in Malabar during 1932-33 on the basis of Marumakkathayam act which was passed and published in the British government gazette of Fort St. George on August 01, 1933. Until then, marumakkathayam was only a system followed by the people of Kerala. 

After the formation of Kerala on linguistic basis following Independence, under the leadership of the then chief minister of Kerala, Late Sri. C. Achutha Menon, 'The joint family system (abolition) act was passed in the Kerala Legislature in 1975, which officially ended the marumakkathayam system.  These days all communities are following the makkathayam system or rights with the nuclear family taking roots all over Kerala. Even though there are still undivided tharavad properties, all the family members have equal rights irrespective of their gender under the current law. It is believed that the discontentment of the male members of tharavad could also have been another reason for the reform and enactment of the abolition act. 

When the joint family system prevailed, there were no cousins. All children (of sisters) in a joint family were considered as brothers and sisters and the children of male members (uncles) were considered as 'moracherukkan' and 'morapennu' to the sister's children. 

 The custom of moracherukkan marrying the morapennu to prevent the tharavad property from getting distributed outside the family should be discontinued whether maternal or paternal as it is genetically wrong and harmful to the coming generations. Even in olden days, there were such unwritten rules. For seven generations, a boy and a girl whose mothers are sisters or whose fathers are brothers were not supposed to get married. However, a boy could marry his uncle's daughter or his father's niece and for girls, they could marry their uncle's son or their father's nephew. This concept of moracherukkan and morapennu in my opinion has to be wiped out even though it is rarely prevalent in some communities of Kerala. 

Certain practices such as 'Pulakuli', 'Adiyantharam' and 'Srardham' were observed by all family members of a tharavad and in my opinion those customs should be continued by today's extended family members living in nuclear families. Otherwise, the relationship among blood relations will be lost. Although tharavad may have lost its significance under the present-day environment, the bond between the members of family members should exist. May God help us to continue like this. With prayers and best wishes, let me conclude. 

Kanakam O.P.R.