What unique social customs were present in old Kerala?

Matrilineal system where property passed from mother to daughter.

Who was the king of Travancore in the 1800s?

Swathi Thirunal, a music composer and king of Travancore.

The king's wife was an Amachi, living outside the palace.

Sambandham instead of marriage.

Due to European influence and societal pressure.

The house in Thiruvananthapuram built by Swathi Thirunal in the 1800s showcased the matrilineal system in Kerala, where the king's wife was an Amachi, not the queen, living in a house called Ammavid, highlighting unique social customs of the time.
Matrilineal systems, prevalent in Kerala and various Indian communities, provided women independence and choice but maintained male authority within households until European influence and societal pressure led to their abolition in 1925, impacting traditional social structures significantly.

What unique social customs were present in old Kerala?
Matrilineal system where property passed from mother to daughter.
Who was the king of Travancore in the 1800s?
Swathi Thirunal, a music composer and king of Travancore.
What was the role of the king's wife in Travancore?
The king's wife was an Amachi, living outside the palace.
What social contract did Nayar men engage in?
Sambandham instead of marriage.
Why was the matrilineal system abolished in Kerala in 1925?
Due to European influence and societal pressure.

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The house in Thiruvananthapuram was built in the 1800s by Swathi Thirunal, a music composer and king of Travancore, known as the Tanjavur Ammavidu Amma Veda, which was the house of the mother, reflecting unique social customs of old Kerala.
In the 1800s, the king's wife in Travancore was not the queen but an Amachi, living outside the palace in a house called the Ammavid, while the queen was the king's mother or sister, showcasing a matrilineal system where property passed from mother to daughter in communities like the Nairs.
Nayar men in Kerala, traditionally warlords, engaged in a social contract called Sambandham instead of marriage, with women running households and making decisions, while the royal family followed a matrilineal system where the crown passed from the king to his nephew through his sister's children.
Matrilineal systems, like the one in Kerala, were not unique and were followed by various Indian communities, offering women independence and choice, but still maintaining male authority within the household until the practice was abolished in 1925 due to European influence and societal pressure.