Table of Contents

Marriage

Table of Contents

 

Theoretical overview

Marriage is an institution which admits men and women to family. Marriage consist of rules and regulations.

Legal union of two different sexes to satisfy their needs.

Marriage is a contract for production and maintenance of children.

Forms of marriage

Monogamy and bigamy are two types of marriage.

Monogamy is further divided into serial monogamy and non-serial monogamy

Bigamy is further divided into polygamy and polyandry.

Polygamy is further divided into sororal polygamy and non-sororal polygamy.

Polyandry is further divided into fraternal and non-fraternal.

Monogamy (one man one wife)

Under monogamy one man marries one woman at a time. This is a leading form of marriage. The children are well looked after. Both father and mother give earnest attention to the upbringing of their offspring.

Monogamy are of two type:

  • Serial monogamy: after the death of the partner marries again or after the divorce with partner, the other partner marries again.
  • Non-serial monogamy :partner do not marries after the death or divorce with the partner.

Bigamy

bi means two gamy means marriage. When person marriages tow or more than two marriage at a time then it is known as bigamy.

Bigamy is further divided into polygamy and polyandry.

Polyandry (one wife many husband)

One woman marries more than one man at a given time. In Hindu mythology we learn that the five brothers called Pandavas shared the same wife. This type of marriage is famous in ancient time

Polyandry are of two types:

  • Fraternal polyandry:  when one wife marries to all the brothers.
  • Non-fraternal polyandry: husband are not brother with each other. She had married with different men.

Polygamy (one husband many wives)

When one man is married to more than one wife. This is common among Muslim’s they marries with more than one woman at a time.

Polygamy is of two type:

  • Sororal polygamy : sororal polygamy means when wives are sister with each other. 
  • Non sororal polygamy: when wives are not sister with each other. Men marry different -different woman.

Endogamy

endogamy means marry within the group. Sometimes restrictions are imposed that the other partner is to be selected from the caste or class to which the first partner belongs. Marriage within the class is known as endogamy. Hence, marriages with out-group members are prohibited. Even today inter-caste marriages are not encouraged. In India a Brahmin can marry only a brahmin and not only that, he can marry only a Brahmin of his own subcaste. A marriage of a Vaishya with a Brahmin is not socially approved.

Forms of Endogamy:

Tribal endogamy In this type of endogamy no one can marry outside his own tribe.

Caste endogamy: In this type marriage should take place within the caste. 

Class endogamy: In this form of endogamy marriage is contracted between people of one class or of a particular status.

Sub-caste endogamy: In this type of endogamy choice for marriage is restricted to the sub-caste

Race endogamy: In this form people can marry within the race. 

Exogamy

All people prohibit marriage between individuals sharing certain degrees of blood or affinal relationships. This is known as exogamy, ie, marriage outside the group. A man must not only seek a wife out of his own clan but also must avoid the clans of all the grandparents. Then there are certain relations which are not to be married, but the degree of nearness differs from community to community. The marriage of parents with their children is universally prohibited. In Malaysia and Australia, a son may marry his father’s wife, if she is not the mother; or a person may marry the daughter of his brother The marriage of brother to real sisters also prohibited though in the Royal families of Egypt and Persia Siam, Ceylon and Hawaii islands marriage of brothers to sister were arranged to maintain intact the line of royalty Marriage of cousins especially among Muslims is allowed. 

Forms of Exogamy

Gotra Exogamy: Among the Hindus the prevailing practice to marry outside the gotra. People of the same gotra are believed to have similar blood and so their inter-marriage is prohibited.

 Pravar Exogamy: Marriage between persons belonging to the same pravar is also forbidden among the Hindus especially Brahmins. Pravar is a kind of religious and spiritual bond. People who utter the name of a common saint at religious functions are believed to belong to the same pravar

The Hindu Marriage Disabilities Removal Act, 1949 has removed all restrictions regarding gotra and pravar exogamy.

Village Exogamy: Among many Indian tribes there is the practice to marry outside the village. This restriction is prevalent in the Munda and other tribes of Chhota Nagpur of Madhya Pradesh. The Naga tribe of Assam is divided into khels. Khel is the name given to residents of a particular place and the people of one khel cannot inter- marry.

Pinda Exogamy: In Hindu society marriage within the pinda is prohibited. Pinda means common parentage. According to Brihaspati, offspring from five maternal generations and seven paternal generations are sapinda and they cannot intermarry.

Points to remember

  • Marriage is an institution which admits men and women to family
  • Under monogamy one man marries one woman at a time.
  • Serial monogamy means after the death of the partner marries again or after the divorce with partner, the other partner marries again.
  • Non-serial monogamy means partner do not marries after the death or divorce with the partner.
  • When person marriages two or more than two marriage at a time then it is known as bigamy.
  • Polyandry means one woman marries more than one man at a given time.
  • Fraternal polyandry:  when one wife marries to all the brothers.
  • Non-fraternal polyandry: husband are not brother with each other. She had married with different men.
  • When one man is married to more than one wife then it is known as polygamy.
  • All people prohibit marriage between individuals sharing certain degrees of blood or affinal relationships. This is known as exogamy, ie, marriage outside the group.
  • endogamy means marry within the group

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