Kerala

Asiaintensive agriculturalists
Map
expand_more Description

The Indian state of Kerala—encompassing the Malayalam (a Dravidian language) speaking people of the region—was formed in 1956 from the Malabar district and the former kingdoms of Cochin and Travancore. The economic mainstay is rice faming, along with a wide variety of tree and vegetable crops that supply an ancient, extensive tradition of trade in spices and craft products; wage labor is pursued in modern sectors of the state economy and through emigration. Households tend to be large, due to persistent elements of the traditional, matrilineally-related joint family. Traditional Kerala society was characterized by rigidly defined caste groups, a system that has undergone substantial change, especially since the 1950s with the advent of political reforms under a system of village-based elected government.

Identifier
Region
  • Asia
Subregion
  • South Asia
Subsistence Type
  • intensive agriculturalists
Samples
Countries
  • India
External Links