Marumakkatayam is a kind of matrilineal succession. The vast majority of Hindu society is patrilineal (structured around the father's family line).
The Nayars Or Nairs of Kerala, in southern India, however, build
their society on matrilineal succession (the mother's family line).
Matrilineal succession has been practiced since ancient
times, however by the middle of the twentieth century, it had mostly vanished.
Both descent and inheritance are carried down via the
mother's line, which is at the heart of the family, in a matrilineal system.
The woman's husband stays with her in her family home, but
he has no claim to their children or any of their marital assets.
A man has some authority over his own family's ancestral
land, which he is often called upon to maintain, but the property is eventually
inherited by his sister's children, not his own.
In many circumstances, the woman's "official" hus
bah never really consummates the marriage, leaving her free to have long-term
relationships with other men.
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