Page:Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 3.djvu/95

Rh Into septs or karais. Among the Vallambans these karais are exogamous, and run in the male line. But, among the Kallans, the karai is recognised only in connection with property. A certain tract of land is the property of a particular karai, and the legal owners thereof are members of the same karai. When the land has to be disposed of, this can only be effected with the consent of representatives of the karai. The Nāttar Kallans of Sivaganga have exogamous septs called kīlai or branches, which, as among the Maravans, run in the female line, i.e., a child belongs to the mother's, not the father's, sept. In some castes, and even among Brāhmans, though contrary to strict rule, it is permissible for a man to marry his sister's daughter. This is not possible among the Kallans who have kīlais such as those referred to, because the maternal uncle of a girl, the girl, and her mother all belong to the same sept. But the children of a brother and sister may marry, because they belong to different kīlais, i.e., those of their respective mothers. Subban = Pachchai (Kurivili kIlai). (Arasiya kilai). Karuppan, son (Arasiya kilai) Raman (Pesadan kilai) Ellamma, daughter (Arasiya kilai) Minachi (Arasiya kilai)

In the above example, the girl Mināchi may not marry Karuppan, as both are members of the same kīlai.But she ought, though he be a mere boy, to marry Rāman, who belongs to a different sept.