Patriarchy, Casteism and Conjugality: Marriage reform among the Namboothiri Community

Abstract

Marriage has been a centre of concern for all communities whether patrilineal or matrilineal. Every society developed their own patterns of marriage to cater to the interest of respective communities. Marriage, like any other institution evolved by man, has undergone timely modifications and reinterpretations. The social reform movements of the late nineteenth century were very keen about the marriage practices and sought to reconstruct it. The reform was envisaged by imbibing western notions of love and conjugality and redefined marriage within tracts of Indian patriarchy. The Namboothiri community, the most orthodox of the period, witnessed an attempt for amelioration of their customary marriage and family practices. However, all the reforms were done within the limits of patriarchy and even the proposed changes strengthened the traditional patriarchal system. At the outset it was portrayed as revolutionary changes but, all the reforms reaffirmed patriarchal control over women, marriage and family.