Nayar is a Hindu caste of the Indian state of Kerala. Before the British conquest in 1792, the caste supplied Kerala`s royalty and nobility, militia and land managers. During British rule, it became prominent in politics, medicine, education, and law. Unlike most Hindus, Nayars traditionally were matrilineal and fathers had no rights or obligations with regard to their children. Plural marriage, in which both men and women could receive multiple "vesting" spouses, was practiced until the 19th century. Laws passed in the 1930s enforced monogamy and gave children full rights of inheritance from the father.

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