(1)

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

(a) “agnate”—one person is said to be an “agnate” of another if the two are related by blood or adoption wholly through males;

(b) “aliyasantana law” means the system of law applicable to persons who, if this Act had not been passed, would have been governed by the Madras Aliyasantana Act, 1949, or by the customary Aliyasantana law with respect to the matter for which provision is made in this Act;

(c) “cognate” — one person is said to be a cognate of another if the two are related by blood or adoption but not wholly through males;

(d) the expression “custom” and “usage” signify any rule which having been continuously and uniformly observed for a long time, has obtained the force of law among Hindus in any local area, tribe, community, group or family:

(e) “full blood”, “half blood” and “uterine blood”—

(f) “heir” means any person, male or female, who is entitled to succeed to the property of an intestate under this Act;

(g) “intestate”—a person is deemed to die intestate in respect of property of which he or she has not made a testamentary disposition capable of taking effect;

(h) “marumakkattayam law” means the system of law applicable to persons—

(a) who, if this Act had not been passed, would have been governed by the Madras Marumakkattayam Act, 1932 (Madras Act XXII of 1933); the Travancore Nayar Act (II of 1100K); the Travancore Ezhava Act (III of 1100K); the (VII of 1108K) Travancore Nanjinad Vellala Act (IV of 1101K); the Travancore Kshatriya Act (VII of 1108K); the Travancore Krishnanvaka Marumakkathayee Act (VII of 1115K); the Cochin Marumakkathayam Act (XXXIII of 1113K); or the Cochin Nayar Act (XXIX of 1113K); with respect to the matters for which provision is made in this Act; or

(b) who belong to any community, the members of which are largely domiciled in the State of Travancore-Cochin or Madras [as it existed immediately before the 1st November, 1956,] and who, if this Act had not been passed, would have been governed with respect to the matters for which provision is made in this Act by any system of inheritance in which descent is traced through the female line;

(i) “nambudri law” means the system of law applicable to persons who, if this Act had not been passed, would have been governed by the Madras Nambudri Act, 1932 (Madras Act XXI of 1933); the Cochin Nambudri Act (XVII of 1113); or the Travancore Malayala Brahmin Act with respect to the matters for which provision is made in this Act;

(j) “related” means related by legitimate kinship:

(2)

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, words importing the masculine gender shall not be taken to include females.