Land reform in Kerala

Aspect of the Indian state Land reform in Kerala refers to a series of legislative and administrative measures implemented to restructure the agrarian system and dismantle the centuries-old feudal Janmi-Kudiyan system in the Indian state of Kerala. The reforms effectively ended the Janmi-Kudiyan (landlord-tenant) system, provided security of tenure to millions of cultivators, and granted ownership rights to hutment dwellers. Mythology The traditional land tenure system in Kerala was rooted in the legend of Lord Parasurama. According to the Keralolpathi, Parasurama reclaimed Kerala from the sea and gifted the land to Namboothiri Brahmins. This mythological narrative established the concept of Janmam (birthright), asserting that Brahmins held absolute, divinely ordained proprietary rights over the soil During the British colonial period, this mythological birthright was reinterpreted through Western legal lenses. Colonial courts treated the Janmam right as absolute private property, a move that codified ancient myths into rigid modern law. This granted Janmis the legal power to evict tenants—a practice that was traditionally restricted by customary "sharing" norms. History Janmi-ku