closely allied to Tamil; and from time immemorial the matriarchal system prevailed, that is, on the death of a chief, for instance, his sister's sons succeeded, to the exclusion of his own sons, while females were adopted in case of failure of direct issue. It was formerly, and is perhaps to some extent still, the custom among the Náirs, who form the bulk of the population, that one woman should marry several brothers[1]. At an early period, owing to the constant commercial relations with Arabia, Islám was introduced among the Náirs, and the descendants of the mixed race, half-Arab and half-Hindu, were called Mápillas[2] – a hardy military race, but bigoted and fanatical.
Haidar entered the country on the invitation of Alí Rájá of Cannanore, a feudatory of the Kolattiri chief, who aimed at independence. He also claimed from the Zamorin a large sum due to Mysore, which that chief had engaged to pay in order to buy off Haidar's troops when, in 1757, they had espoused the cause of his rival, the Pálghát Rájá. Owing to the gallant resistance of the Náirs, and to the difficulty of forcing
- ↑ When one of the brothers visited the wife, he left his sandals and his weapons in charge of a servant in the porch, as a sign that the lady was engaged. The wife had the care of the children, who would refer to the husbands of the mother, but never to the father, whom indeed it would be difficult to identify. The custom is of great antiquity, and is illustrated by the story of the celebrated Pándavas and their common spouse Dráupadi.
- ↑ Said to be a contraction of Mahá (great) and piḷḷa (child). Some derive the word from Má (mother) and piḷḷa, and others again from Mocha and piḷḷa, because the fathers came originally from Arabia.
