{"id":129,"date":"2019-03-20T11:14:45","date_gmt":"2019-03-20T11:14:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/antp05.epgpbooks.inflibnet.ac.in\/?post_type=chapter&p=129"},"modified":"2019-03-20T11:47:11","modified_gmt":"2019-03-20T11:47:11","slug":"kinship-familyand-marriage-among-the-indian-tribes","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in\/antp05\/chapter\/kinship-familyand-marriage-among-the-indian-tribes\/","title":{"rendered":"Kinship, familyand marriage among the Indian tribes"},"content":{"raw":"
\"epgp<\/a>\r\n<\/span><\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n
\r\n\r\n\u00a0 \u00a0 Learning Objective<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Able to describe about Tribes.\r\n\r\n2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Discuss write a short note on Kinship, Family and Marriage.\r\n\r\n3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Able to write about Indian Tribes.\r\n\r\n4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Able to write about short notes on Social organization of Indian tribes-kinship, family and Marriage.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nIntroduction<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nKinship, Family and Marriage<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

Kinship is a method of reckoning relationship. In any society, every normal adult individual belongs to two different nuclear families. The family in which he was born and the family in which he make relation through marriage. This universal fact of individual membership in two families gave rise to Kinship system. The tribes of India are divided into lineages.Study of kinship is very useful for understanding the elements of social organization as they serve the mechanism of organizing social activities and coordinating social relations. Kinship generally traced from an ego. All persons having relationship with an ego are defined in terms of kinship system. The most profound impact of kinship ties on the social life may be felt through kinship usages found in every society. Kinship usage\u2018s among the tribes of India present very interesting and significant spectacle.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Family is the basis of human society. Relationship between the members of the family is formed based on marriage and descent. Variation in the forms of family is quite natural. This depends on the ways of marriage and economic system.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\nCharacteristic of Tribal Family:<\/strong>\r\n\r\n(i) A family has a limited size.\r\n\r\n(ii)The relationship between the members of the family is of permanent nature.\r\n\r\n(iii)Husband and wife are permanent sexual partners.\r\n\r\n(iv)At least one member of the family has to be bread earner for all the members.\r\n\r\n(v)\u00a0 Members have a common habitation.\r\n\r\n(vi)Members have a common nomenclature.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nClassification of the Family:<\/strong>\r\n\r\n1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 On the Basis of Marriage<\/strong>\r\n\r\na. Monogamous Family\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 b. <\/strong>Polygynous Family\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 c. Polyandrous Family\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n2. <\/span>On the Basis of Structure<\/strong>\r\n\r\na. Nuclear <\/span>Family\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0b. Joint Family\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>c. Extended Family<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n3.\u00a0 <\/span>On the Basis of Residence<\/strong>\r\n\r\na. Patrilocal <\/span>Family\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 b. Matrilocal Family<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n4.\u00a0 <\/span>On the Basis of Ancestry and Property Inheritance<\/strong>\r\n\r\na. Patrilineal <\/span>Family\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0b. Matrilineal Family<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n5.\u00a0 <\/span>On the Basis of Blood Relationship<\/strong>\r\n\r\na. Consanguineous <\/span>Family\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 b. Conjugal Family<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n

Family appears as a result of marriage and it continues through marriage. Therefore it is <\/span>very important institution without which the society could never be sustained. Edward Westermarck defined \u2015marriage as the more or less durable connection between male and female lasting beyond the mere act of propagation till after the birth of offspring\u2016. Monogamy is a form of marriage in which no man may be married to more than <\/span>woman at a time. Majority of Indian tribes practices monogamy. <\/span>Polygamy , that is marriage to more than one person. Among Indian tribes, there are many who are following this type of matrimonial alliance. Polygamy has two aspects: (1) Polygyny (2) Polyandry.<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n

Preferential Marriage and Prohibitions<\/strong><\/p>\r\n \r\n

The following are some of the popular types of \u2017preferential\u2018 marriage prevalent among the Indian tribes:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

1. Cousin Marriage<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u00a0 \u00a0A.\u00a0 Cross-cousin marriage<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u00a0 \u00a0B.\u00a0 Parallel-cousin marriage<\/span><\/p>\r\n

2. Levirate<\/span><\/p>\r\n

3. Sororate<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n

Ways of Acquiring Mates<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Nine important ways of acquiring a mate have been found to be popular among the Indian tribes:<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nDo you know Tribes?<\/strong>\r\n

Tribes are the indigenous or autochthonous population of <\/span>Indian subcontinent. Tribal society is often <\/span>referred as \u2017primitive society\u2018 or \u2017pre-state society\u2018, or \u2017Folk society\u2018 or even a simple society.<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n

From 1971 through the census 1931, the term referring Tribes undergo successive changes, involving primarily changes in descriptive adjective such as \u2015aboriginal\u2016 or \u2015depressed classes\u2016. After <\/span>Independence the word Scheduled Tribe arrives or they simply called as Adivasi.<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n

Ralph Linton <\/strong>defines Tribe as a-In <\/span>its simplest form <\/span>the tribe is a group of bands occupying a contiguous territory or territories and having a feeling of unity deriving from numerous similarities in culture, frequent contacts, and a certain community of interest.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAccording to D. N. Majumdar, tribe define as\r\n\r\n1.\u00a0 Territorial affiliation\r\n\r\n2.\u00a0 Endogamous\r\n\r\n3.\u00a0 No specialization of function\r\n\r\n4.\u00a0 Ruled by Tribal officers\r\n\r\n5.\u00a0 United in language\r\n\r\n6.\u00a0 Distance with other tribes or castes\r\n\r\n7.\u00a0 Beliefs and customs\r\n\r\n8.\u00a0 Illiberal of naturalization of ideas from alien sources\r\n\r\n9.\u00a0 Conscious of homogeneity of ethnic and territorial integration\r\n\r\n \r\n

Tribal community constitute 8.61% of the total population of the country, numbering 104.28 million (2011 Census) and cover about 15% of the country\u2018s area. The fact that tribal people need special attention can be observed from their low social, economic and participatory indicators. Whether it is maternal and child mortality, size of agricultural holdings or access to drinking water and electricity, tribal communities lag far behind the general population. These indicators underline the importance of the need of livelihood generating activities based on locally available resources so that gainful employment opportunities could be created at the doorstep of tribal people.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\nAlthough tribes are scattered all over <\/span>the India but they are chiefly centered into three zones:<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n \r\n

Territorially, tribes in India are divided into three main zones, namely (1) North-North- Eastern Zone, (2) Central Zone and (3) Southern Zone.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n1. North-Eastern Zone:<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

Eastern Kashmir, Eastern Punjab. Himachal Pradesh, Northern Uttar Pradesh, Nagaland, Assam etc. constitute this zone. The Aka, the Mishmi, the Chulikata and the Naga are some of the tribes of this zone.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n2. Central Zone:<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

Bihar, Bengal, Southern U.P., Southern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa come under this zone. The Kondh, the Santhal, the Bhil, the Gond, the Muria and the Baiga are only a few of the large number of tribes of this zone. The bulk of the tribal population lives in this zone. There is a very high concentration of tribal population in central India. Over 85 per cent of the total tribal population inhabits the eight States that constitute this zone.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n3. Southern Zone:<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

The Southern zone <\/span>is consisted of four Southern States \u2013 Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka <\/span>and Kerala. The Toda, the Chenchu, the Kadar and the Koraga are some of the important tribes of this zone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n

Besides these main zones, there is another isolated zone constituting the Andaman and Nicobar Island in the Bay of Bengal. The Jarawa, the Andamanese <\/span>and the Nicobarese are the important tribes of this zone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n

1.\u00a0<\/strong>North-Eastern Zone: <\/strong>A large number of tribes agglomerate in the areas namely the Assam, Manipur, and Tripura. The tribal areas of Eastern Kashmir, East Punjab, Himachal Pradesh <\/span>and Northern U.P also come under this zone. The major tribes are Nagas, Khasis, Garos.<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n

GARO<\/strong><\/p>\r\n \r\n

The Garo tribe shows tradition of shifting cultivation. The main concentration of this tribe is found in the Garo hills of Meghalaya. A sizable population also lives in Bangladesh, West Bengal, Nagaland, Mizoram <\/span>and Tripura. The Garos call themselves achik-mande (achik denotes hill and mande denotes man). There regionally divisions <\/span>known as Chatchi. Each regional group (Chatchi) is again divided into a number of clans (machang).<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n

Mostly families are matrilocal i.e. bridegroom comes to reside in the house of brides\u2018 mother after marriage. clans are reckoned through mothers<\/span>.Though mother is the person in supreme command in a Garo family, yet <\/span>father is responsible for the subsistence of the family members. A sharp division of labor is found to exist in a Garo family. Regional groups are endogamous in nature but the clans are strictly exogamous. Monogamy is common among Garo but polygamy is also prevelant in some places. In Garo tribes, a man can marry maximum three times with the permission from first wife ( zik mamong) and his second wife must be elder sister of <\/span>first wife. Some of them are found to marry their widow mother-in-law.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nA Garo couple in traditional dress\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/3\/38\/GARO_TRADITIONAL_DRESS-9.jpg\r\n\r\n \r\n

The marriage rules are designed in such a way that a person can keep the whole property of his in-law\u2018s house under control. The custom of bride price is not seen in Garo tribes. Kinship terminology is of classificatory type. Terms of address are common for father, Father\u2018s brothers, mother\u2018s brothers, and mother\u2018s sisters\u2018 husbands and father\u2018s sister\u2018s husbands. In the same manner, female relatives in the status of <\/span>mother are designated as a common term. A couple can easily get divorced on the basis of adultery or physical defects.<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n

KHASI<\/strong><\/p>\r\n \r\n

The Khasi is a matrilocal community who lives mainly in the Khasi and Jaintia in the state of Meghalaya. Some Khasi <\/span>are found in Garo hills, North Cachar hills and also along the northern and southern slopes down to the Bramputra and Surma Valleys. The tribe is divided into four main sub-groups:<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Khynriam Khasi or Upland Khasi\r\n\r\n2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Phar Khasi of the Jaintia hills\r\n\r\n3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The War Khasi\r\n\r\n4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Bhoi Khasi\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/www.apagemedia.com\/Content\/images\/gallery\/photo\/Photo_2738.jpg\r\n\r\n \r\n

The Khasi are monogamous. The clan of Khasi tribe is reckoned through the mothers. Position of Women is very high in the society. Mothers are regarded as a custodian of family rites and religious performances. Choosing mate from one\u2018s own clan is regarded as a great sin. Young men and women are permitted considerable freedom in the choice of mates and in premarital Sexual relations.They are permitted to marry the children of maternal uncle or children of father\u2018s own sister. The bond of marriage is very strong among this tribe. Marriage to a deceased wife's elder sister is prohibited. This is the only form of the sororate found among the Khasi. The levirate does not obtain in Khasi society.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

A man becomes a member of his wife\u2018s clan and lives with his wife in her house. Income of son-in-law is solely handed over to the mother-in-law for the maintenance of the family. All sons of the family\u00a0leave their family orientation after marriage. Mother\u2018s elder brother get special attention in Khasi society and management is under his control. The ancestral property <\/span>is passes through the female line. The youngest daughter inherits the largest share of the property. The sons have no right on the property. Mother\u2018s residential house usually goes to the youngest daughter.<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n

NAGAS<\/strong><\/p>\r\n \r\n

The total population of the Angami is around 12 million. Agriculture is the main occupation. The design of the clothes worn by the Angami men and women are quite different from each other.<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n

The Angami are monogamous. There are two forms of marriage\u2014one ceremonial, the other non-Ceremonial. The ceremonial form is desired as a symbol of <\/span>status .The nonceremonial form involves the taking of a woman to the house of a man where they remain <\/span>kenna<\/em> (forbidden) for one day. Women are allowed freedom of choice in the selection of mates. Marriage-prices are high. Polygamy is not allowed in Naga. Divorce is allowed and is common. The wife gets one-third of the couple's joint property, exclusive of land. The divorced and widowed are permitted to remarry.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/i239.photobucket.com\/albums\/ff222\/varunsolanki\/Ethnic%20Arts%20India\/naga-tribe.jpg\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nNaga tribe\r\n