On the Malabar coast, in the caste of Nairs, men can have but one wife, and a woman on the contrary can have multiple husbands. [1] I think we can discover the origin of this custom. The Nairs are the caste of nobles, who are the soldiers of all these nations. In Europe, soldiers are prevented from marrying ; in Malabar, where the climate is more demanding, they have been content to make marriage as unproblematic as possible : they have given a woman to several men, which equivalently reduces the attachment for a family and household cares, and leaves these men their military spirit.