The Kota Society in Nilgiri District -A View

Abstract

The name is found variously spelt. Kota, kotar, koter, kohatur, the deviation is uncertain. Kohata or Gohata, cow killer, has been suggested, but this seems doubtful. The Todas call them kouf, or cow –people. They recognize no caste among themselves, but are divided into keris (streets), and men of one Keri must seek a wife in another.     The historical aspects of Kota polyandry frame a significant problem. Before, the English came up to the Nilgiri plateau, its inhabitants were relatively isolated from the main currents of South Indian life.  Contact with the people of the lowlands were few, since the honey up the hills was hard and hazardous. Soon after the Europeans discovered that the climate to the plateau was a life saving refuge from the fevers of the plains, roads and later a railroad were built.  In the wake of the English came Tamilains and other lowland Hindus.  Within the last fifty years, the advent of these newcomers has effected significant changes in the tribal culture. New deities have been adopted, new methods of cultivation practiced.  It is striking that there has been no change in the practice of polyandry. A man may have more than one wife and so the Kota marital system includes true polygamy as well as fraternal polyandry.  A woman lives only in the house of her legal husband and he is recognized as the father of the children these bears.  The husband has precedence to his wife's attention and favors.  However, in the absence of the husband, any of his brothers have the right and the obligation to act in his stead. The Kotas marry only one wife, unless she should be barren, when they may take another. In this case, the two wives live in the same house.  Widows may remarry. Kotas profess to have no traditions of any kind.  They even pretend ignorance of the story of Koten, though it is evident from their manner that they do know it.