STATUTORY GENDER IDENTITY AND MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES AMONG EZHAVA IN KERALA: A STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study analyzes the Ezhava social reform movement in Kerala during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with a focus on its legal and social transformations. Led by the SNDP Yogam and other organizations, the movement sought to replace the traditional matrilineal system (marumakkathayam) with a patrilineal framework, reflecting broader socio-economic shifts. While these legal reforms aimed to standardize inheritance and marriage laws, they also reinforced patriarchal authority, often restricting women’s autonomy. However, women actively engaged with and contested these changes. By examining these legal discourses, the article situates Ezhava legal reforms within Kerala’s broader social transformation, highlighting the intersections of gender, law, and community identity.