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In Kerala, the caste system, known as jati maryada, took on a unique form compared to other parts of India during the 18th and 19th centuries. Aside from the Brahmin and Nair castes, basically every other caste was either at the bottom or very close. With this, there were strict clothing practices on what certain castes could wear. Furthermore, policies pertained to specific castes, like who could be present around whom or there were strict guidelines on .
We feel that the uniqueness of Kerala's caste system is because of the desire of the Brahmin and Nair people to remain the most powerful. Additionally, British influence did not arrive in Kerala until later compared to the rest of India because of its southern location. This enabled the upper castes to maintain their rigid structure without interference. However, as the British became more involved in Kerala, these caste barriers began to be broken down, and this is why we propose that the lack of British influence was a prominent reason for maintaining the caste order in the 19th century.
Below, we describe each caste's clothing practices. This will ensure you have enough context to progress through the other parts of the site. Clicking on images will take you to other relevant sites for additional information. Please note that these images may have also been a part of colonial visual culture projects as were seen in the past, and therefore may have biases.
Namboodiri (Brahmin)
Namboodiri (Brahmin)
The highest caste in Kerala, the Namboodiri, could always cover their bodies, and they wore expensive, fine jewelry typically made of gold. Women were often constrained to the house, but if they went out, they would be shielded by servants and use an umbrella to hide themselves. This is shown in the painting on the right. With their high status, they traveled around in villuvandi carts. As shown in the painting, their bodies were also marked in white paint to signify their high status.
Nair
Nair
These were high-caste people who could cover up with cloth known as the achippudava, and they also wore fine jewelry such as the cherutali necklace (as seen in the image on the left). While at home, they typically did not cover their chests. It's worth noting that it was not until the 20th century that they started to wear blouses at home, a practice influenced by the British. Like the Namboodiris, the Nair community could also travel in the villuvandi (a type of bullock cart). Nair people also followed a matrilineal structure in which land was passed down through the women's families.
The most crucial aspect of Nair clothing practices is that when a Nair is in the presence of someone of the Namboodiri caste, they must remove their upper body covering. This is to show that they respect the hierarchy and understand they fall beneath the Namboodiri.
Channar
Channar
These people, belonging to the intermediate, traditionally working caste, did not wear jewelry like the Nair or Namboodiri. They were initially unable to cover their chests. However, the rebellion surrounding the Nangeli incident, a significant event in their history, and the religious aspect of Christian women covering their chests led to a change. This struggle granted them the right to cover up, although the cloth worn by the Channar could not be the same as that of the Nair or Namboodiri women.
Ezhava
Ezhava
These were people considered to be part of the so called "untouchable" caste. However, of these "untouchable castes", the Ezhavas were the most educated and were regarded as the "highest." However, this did not prevent the discriminatory practices forced upon them. Even after the Channar people were granted the right to cover up, these people could not. This was eventually changed in the early 20th century with a series of organized protests led by Ayyankali.
Pulaya
Pulaya
Like the Ezhava, there were other people of the so called "untouchable" caste. This group was considered lower than the Ezhava community, and they were prohibited from being too close to them. The clothing attributes described for Ezhava are similar to those of Pulaya. Pulaya women were also forced to wear jewelry made of stone, unlike the gold jewelry worn by the Nair and Namoodiri. This was to signify their status as extremely low-level in the caste system.
Dalit
Dalit
Similarly to the two castes above, Dalit people were also considered "untouchable". They were the lowest level of the "untouchable" communities, and their policies regarding who they could stand with were the strictest. Clothing practices were still similar to those seen in the other "untouchable" castes.
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