Declining subcaste endogamy In India: the Hyderabad Kayasths, 1900‐75

This paper explores the declining endogamy of the Kayasth subcastes of Hyderabad, India, by analyzing patterns of endogamous and exogamous marriages from 1900 to 1975. The data are divided into three time periods: 1900‐25, 1926‐50 and 1951‐75. So that marriages can be analyzed in terms of preference or pattern, we have removed the effects of unequal population sizes via a normalization technique (Romney 1971). Marriage choice is expressed by using an odds‐ratio. Exogamous marriage patterns are analyzed using this index of choice between each pair of subcastes for each time period. The results indicate a striking change in marriage preferences over the three time periods. The Kayasths move from a highly endogamous system to one that is only moderately endogamous. [normalization technique, endogamy, subcastes, Kayasth, Hyderabad, India] 1980 American Anthropological Association