BOOK REVIEW 79 in the light of the new law, ^partition' now became the slogan of the young Nayars. The taravads also indulged in lavish ceremonies and celebrations ton which land was capable of providing cash. The new situation called for efficiency in management of land and cash transactions which Nayars -were largely lacking. Fourthly, the introduction of administrative reforms encouraged education. The new education affected the attitude of the young Nayars and the taravad. The taravads usually contained a number ofeducable youths., but not the wealth needed to support their education. Further, many ne\\ly educated youths were not for the continuance of taravad in the conditions then prevalent because of the stigma at the laxity of morals. Also, there was growth of individualism and a decline in the importance attributed to ritual status and caste hierarchy. Conversely, there was stress on the importance of achievement rather than inheritance. While a few Nayars worried about and campaigned for the joint family, many found it a blight on the community and campaigned for its abolition, and for reforms in the marriage system. Fifthly, there was a new social awakening as a result of the rise of spiritual leaders like Sri Narayana Guru and Sri Chattampi Swamigal, social reform organizations such as Sri Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, Yogakshema Sabha, the Nayar Service Society (NSS), and moves such as Vaikom Satyagraha. The cumulative result of the various forces at work in Travancore society from mid-nineteenth century, according to Jeffrey, was the disintegration of the matrilineal joint family and the decline of Nayar dominance. Though it is manifestly so, in reality it is not. When all is said, one has to consider the intensity of the changes. Some scholars view that though the joint family has undergone "structural changes" it still continues functionally inasmuch as it still exists in ^spirit956 even though it may not be existing as a physical aggregation of lineal agents, and is still in a process of fission and fusion. It is true that tradition has lost its glory and has shed much of its halo. But does it not also remain true that many aspects of tradition have resurrected modernity in one form or the other, in which case the decline of Nayar dominance in the traditional fashion was only to result in their resurrection in some modern forms? Though the major study of the book pertains to 1847-1908, it traces the society and politics in Kerala up to the 1970s. The style of the book is lucid, but the same ideas are often repeated which may nag the interest and memory of the readers. Barring a few errors in printing and transliteration, this book, the result of a great deal of painstaking research well documented, will be a worthy addition to the academic world. The bibliography is exhaustive and interdisciplinary, and will be of immense use to those interested in further reading, reference and research. P RADHAKRISHNAN