Demystifying Nair Sambandham unions
The Nair community of Kerala is historically renowned for its distinctive matrilineal tradition, where lineage and property descended through the female line, and for the practice of Sambandham unions, often hypergamous unions with Brahmins. The Nambudiri Brahmins, in particular, were revered for their profound piety and strict adherence to Vedic rituals, meticulously preserving ancient traditions through generations. Their intellectual contributions were equally remarkable, notably the development of the sophisticated Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics. Apart from Nambudiris, Nair women in certain regions also entered sambandham unions with Tamil and Tulu Brahmins. Regrettably, these unique socio-cultural practices such as Sambandham have, for long, been subjected to misinterpretation by various authors who have baselessly and simplistically accused Brahmin men and Nair women of promiscuity. Such accusations are not only unfounded but also overlook the nuanced familial s...