Mulakkaram, literally translated as breast tax, was a poll tax imposed on women belonging to Nadar, Ezhava and other lower caste communities by the erstwhile Kingdom of Tranvancore (in present-day Kerala state of India), and was not applicable to upper caste women of Travancore.[1][2][web 1][web 2][note 1] The term "breast tax" was used to denote the gender of the person and not breasts per se.[web 3][web 4]
According to subaltern beliefs[web 5][web 6][web 3] the breast tax was imposed on lower class women if they covered their breasts.[web 5][3][4][5][note 2] This belief has been questioned,[web 7][web 1][web 2][web 3] as lower class women "were not allowed to wear upper garments in public"[6] at all until 1859.[note 3][note 4]
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