Marumakathyam

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Marumakkathayam was a system of matrilineal inheritance prevalent in Malabar which is the northern part of the present Kerala State in India. Under the Marumakkathayam system of inheritance, descent and succession to the property was traced through females. The mother formed the stock of descent and kinship as well as the rights to the property was traced through females and not through males. Marumakkathayam literarily meant inheritance by sisters children as opposed to sons and daughters. Word ‘Marumakkal’ in Malayalam means nephews and nieces. It is generally agreed by scholars that matrilineal system was the direct result of some system of polyandry that existed among ancient races. Descent through females indicated uncertain paternity. The origin of this system is traceable to polyandry prevalent in ancient Malabar is an agreed fact by historians.^[who?] The joint family under matrilineal system is known as Tarawad and it formed the nucleus of the society in Malabar. This customary law of inheritance was codified by the Madras Marumakkathayam Act 1932, Madras Act No. 22 of 1933 published in the Fort St. George Gazette on 1st August 1933. Malabar was part of the Madras Presidency during British Rule. The definition of Marumakkathayam in Madras Marumakkathayam Act 1932 is ‘Marumakkathayam’ means the system of inheritance in which descent is traced in the female line and ‘Marumakkathayee’ means a person governed by Marumakkathayam Law of Inheritance. ‘Tarawad’ means the group of person forming a joint family with community of property governed by Marumakkathayam Law of Inheritance. This system of inheritance is now abolished by The Joint Family System (Abolition) Act, 1975 by the Kerala State Legislature. But still some Muslim families in Malabar and people of Lakshadweep are governed by this customary law system of inheritance as the Abolition Act applies only to Hindus. Muslims in Malabar happened to follow this system as they were originally Hindu converts and Lakshadweep people are believed to be persons migrated from Malabar.^[1]