TYPES OR FORMS OF MARRIAGE
As a universal social institution, marriage exists in all societies and at all stages of development. Types or forms of marriage vary from society to society, but the institution of marriage is very much the same. Marriage is a religious sacrament in some societies, whereas, in others, it is a social contract. However, several types/forms of marriage are classified differently. This can be classified into the following -
Polygamy:
Polygamy is a type of marriage in which there is a plurality of partners. It allows a man to marry more than one woman or a woman to marry more than one man at a time. Polygamy is of two types such as polygamy and polyandry.
a. Polygyny:
Polygyny is a type of marriage in which a man marries more than one wife at a time. It was practiced in most of the ancient civilizations. It prevailed among the ancient Hebrews, Assyrians, Babylonians, Indian and others. At present, it is widespread among primitive tribes but it is often simply confined to the wealthier classes. It is practiced among the Eskimo tribes, Crow Indians, African Negroes, the Naga, Gonds and Baigas of India. However, it is also permitted in Muslim Community. Polygyny is of two types:
i. Sororal Polygyny:
Sororal polygyny is often called a surrogate. The term surrogate comes from the Latin word ‘sorer’ which means sister. Accordingly, it refers to a marriage practice in which a man marries the sisters of his wife at a time or after the death of his wife.
ii. Non-Sororal Polygyny:
It is just opposite of the sororal polygyny, when a man marries several women at a time who are not necessarily sister to each other it is known as non-sororal polygyny.
Causes for polygyny:
i. Social status
ii. Desire for more children
iii. Taboos against menstruating
iv. Pregnant and lactating women
b. Polyandry:
Polyandry is a very rare type of marriage in the present day. In this type of marriage, a woman marries several men at a time. In the words of K.M. Kapadia, “Polyandry is a form of union in which a woman has more than one husband at a time or in which brothers share a wife or wives in common”. It is practiced among the Tibetans, Marquesas Islanders of Polynesia, the Bahamas of Africa, the tribals of Samoa and others. In India, the tribes such as Tiyan, the Toda, the Kota, the Khasa and Ladakhi Bota also practice polyandry. The Nairs of Kerala were polyandrous previously. Polyandry is divided into two types:
i. Fraternal Polyandry:
When several brothers share a common wife it is called fraternal or adelphic polyandry. Draupadi’s marriage to Pandavas is a fine example of fraternal polyandry. The determination of the father is associated with some rituals. It is prevalent among the Todas.
ii. Non-fraternal Polyandry:
It is just the opposite of fraternal polyandry. In this type of marriage husbands of a woman is not necessarily brother to each other. This type of marriage is found among the Nairs of Kerala, Wife goes to spend some time with each of her husbands. So long as a woman lives with one of her husbands, the others have no claim on her. This mainly happens due to the scarcity of women.
Causes for polyandry:
i. Scarcity of women
ii. High bride price
iii. Sterility of men
iv. Hypergamy in the case of Sudra men
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