In this age where item numbers are a norm, it is difficult to imagine that there was something called a “breast tax” in the old days. It occurred when Kerala was a matriarchal society and women had quite a bit of power compared to the rest of the country. However, a woman’s value depended on her caste. Only upper caste women were allowed to cover their torso.
It was one of the many ways that the higher castes dominated over the lower castes. Other things the lower castes were taxed on included jewels, hair, births, and deaths. They were taxed in such a way that they couldn’t climb up the social ladder. This was the aim of the upper castes. When the lower caste women started to drape cloth over their breasts, it is said that upper caste men would poke them with long sticks until they uncovered them. When more and more women resisted the tyranny, mulakkaram (a breast tax) was imposed.
The tax varied....
