Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 5 of 7

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

42995

Title

Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 5 of 7

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Edgar Thurston's fifth volume offers an authoritative ethnographic survey of Southern India's castes and tribes, focusing on the Nambūttiri Brāhmans and various Pallan groups. Rich with detailed observations on domestic life, inheritance laws, marriage customs, dietary restrictions, and ritual practices, this text provides a comprehensive window into the social structures, religious beliefs, and daily routines of these communities in early 20th-century Malabar and Travancore.

Summary up to 500 words

Volume V of Edgar Thurston's *Castes and Tribes of Southern India* offers a meticulous ethnographic portrait of specific communities in Malabar and South India, focusing primarily on the Nambūttiri Brāhmans and various Pallan tribes. The text serves as an invaluable historical record, documenting the socio-religious fabric of these groups while noting subtle changes occurring within societies governed by ancient Śāstras. The volume provides a vivid description of Nambūttiri life, highlighting their unique impartible inheritance system, a variant of *marumakkattayam*. In this arrangement, property remains undivided within a *taravād* managed by the eldest male, known as the *Kāranavan*, who holds complete control while younger members receive only maintenance. This system ensures material prosperity and prevents estate dispersion. The Nambūttiris reside in spacious wooden houses surrounded by extensive gardens and tanks, avoiding wells for bathing to maintain purity. Their domestic life is strictly regulated by dietary codes forbidding liquor and flesh, with staple foods including rice, curry, and specific sweets like *kozhakkatta*. Rituals are paramount; before meals, offerings are made to the household fire and crows, and food is served on plantain leaves or bell-metal plates. Marriage customs are explored in depth, contrasting the solemn *pudamuri* ceremony of North Malabar with the more austere practices elsewhere. Thurston details the complex rituals involving horoscope examination, the presentation of eight symbolic articles (*ashtamangalyam*), and the unique *sambandham* system prevalent in South Malabar, where unions often begin as private transactions without immediate cohabitation. The text also covers puberty rites (*tirandukuli*) and death ceremonies, including the peculiar burial practices of Konga Pallans where the son carries water to the grave. Beyond the Nambūttiris, the volume investigates the fishing Palles who claim Kshatriya status and follow Telugu ceremonial forms. It contrasts their claims with the more austere customs of widows and other Pallan groups, who are nominally Saivites but often worship village deities (*Grāma Dēvata*) involving flesh and liquor consumption during festivals. Through extensive descriptions of architecture, furniture, festivals, and temple worship, Thurston presents a fact-based analysis of cultural nuances, from the symbolism of marriage articles to the specific roles of women and lineage management, capturing a society in transition.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42995.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg42995.epub

Download EPUB

Downloaded at

2026-08-20 15:45 UTC

Categories

• Ethnology
• Social Life and Customs