Ikkavu Amma

It was the polyandry system of the eighteenth century. Nair women were never married off. The men were “married in”. The man and the woman chose to live together for as long as they wanted. If the man left, the woman was free to choose another man.

In turn, the man could choose to live with his first wife or second wife or alternate between both. Since polygamy was the accepted culture, there was perfect harmony between the families and any children that ensued.

Ikkavu Amma's first Nair husband moved on after having four children with her. Iyyer was her second husband, a Brahmin. He had a Brahmin wife and two sons. Ikkavu had five children with Krishna Iyyer. A total of nine children. Ammalu was Ikkavu Amma's eighth child. 

The Madras Marriage Act attempted to legitimize this polygamous system with a reasonably sensible definition that read “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”

These marriages were known as Sambandham, followed by the matrilineal communities of eighteenth century or earlier Kerala. Prevalent commonly among the Nair community and among the priestly class - Namboodiris and Brahmins.