Sambandham was a mode of marriage followed by Nambudiris, Nairs, Samantha Kshatriyas, Kshatriyas and Ambalavasis among their own communities as well as with each other, in colonial Kerala, India.[1][2] This practice was stopped during the late 1920s, and is no longer observed.
The Malabar Marriage Act, 1896 defined Sambandham as, "An alliance between a man and a woman, by reason of which they, in accordance with the custom of the community to which they belong, or to which either of them belongs, cohabit or intend to cohabit as husband and wife."[3]
Sambandham also denoted reciprocal marriage among Nairs and this term was not used just to denote hypergamous marriages between the Nambudiris and the Nairs.[4] Alternate names for the system were used by different social groups and in different regions;[4] they included Pudavamuri, Pudavakoda, Vastradanam, Vitaram Kayaruka, Mangalam and Uzhamporukkuka.
Among Namboothiris
Namboothiris are patrilineal by nature. they had a practice according to which, only the eldest son of an Illam, a namboothiri household can formally marry a girl from his community. younger sons of the family are not supposed to have such a marriage. instead, they are allowed to be in an non-marital sexual relationship with the females of the communities that were considered lower to them which includes Nair, and other Ambalavasi castes.
Namboothiri men, who were a priestly caste, were considered ritually pure and therefore they cannot come to contact with either his Nair (sambantham)wife , nor the children born of him and her. Namboothiri can just approach his Nair wife in the night time. And definitely, he shall not be responsible for the children born to him through his sambantham wives. Those children can neither claim a namboothiri status nor their father's property.A Namboothiri male can have as many sambantham wives as he wishes.
Among Nairs and Other Ambalavasi castes
Among the Nair commoners, men could have multiple sambandham wives, who in turn could have multiple sambandham husbands. A few spouses was the norm, although Nair women could have more than ten husbands, plus temporary relationships with itinerant soldiers. There were prohibitions in place to prevent incest; for example, by forbidding multiple spouses or relationships with those from the same household. Sleeping customs and schedules limited contact between husbands, and there was reportedly no jealousy. If a Nair wife became pregnant, one of the husbands could accept the child. If nobody did, the neighbors would assume that the father was from a lower caste; the woman could be punished, including being disowned and sold into slavery.[5]
