The custom of taking multiple wives, or polygyny, is well known. The opposite custom, the taking of two or more husbands or polyandry, is rather less well known and is becoming a very rare practice indeed in the modern world…
The word polyandry comes from the Greek, Poly (many) and Andros (man) and literally means the practice of one woman taking two or
more husbands. The custom evolved in human cultures where resources, particularly land and food, were scarce, and/or where women
were allowed to own property or ancestral titles of rank.
In some parts of the world, it occurred in areas where women themselves were scarce, for example in cultures where female infanticide
was routinely carried out, or where females were less likely to survive to adulthood. Polyandry allowed men to pool their resources and live
comfortable lives that might otherwise be denied to them and their children. And in these relationships, the women often enjoyed a very
high status.
In recent times, reports of women getting married to more than one man have flooded the social media, sparking diverse reactions on these platforms.
Although some religions and customs permit a man to marry more than one woman, it is often described as ‘strange’ when a woman has multiple partners.
Polyandry is a form of polygamy in which a woman takes two or more husbands at the same time. It refers to s3xual relations with multiple males within or without marriage.
Research has shown that the practise was very common decades ago. It has however depreciated in its importance and relevance due to globalization amongst other reasons.
While some are of the opinion that Polyandry is no longer practised in the 21st century, THE WHISTLER reports that the tradition still exists and brings you four countries that still engage in the act.
INDIA
India is a country in South Asia. In some parts of the country, two major types of polyandrous relationship are practised. The fraternal and sequential polyandry.
Fraternal polyandry, also called adelphic polyandry occurs when a woman is married to two or more men who are brothers.
Sequential polyandry occurs when a woman mates with a male, produces offspring, then terminates the relationship with that male, while she goes off to repeat this sequence with another male.
Polyandry was mainly prevalent in the Kinnaur region, a part of Himachal in India which is close to the Tibet or currently the Indo-China border and South India among the Todas tribes of Nilgiris, Nanjanad Vellala of Travancore and some Nair castes.
It is still practised by some Paharis, especially in the Jaunsar-Bawar region in Northern India. Recent years have seen the rise in fraternal polyandry in the agrarian societies in the Malwa region of Punjab to avoid division of farming land.
In Kinnaur, most often, all the brothers are married to a woman and sometimes the marriage to brothers happens at a later date.
In Toda, they practised both fraternal and sequential polyandry. A Toda woman when married was automatically married to her husband’s brothers. When the wife became pregnant, one husband would ceremonially give a bow and arrow to the wife and would be the father of that child. When the next child arrived, another husband would perform the ceremony and become the father.
CHINA
In modern-day China, Tibet is a region covering much of the Tibetan Plateau. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Tamang, Qiang, Sherpa, and Lhoba peoples and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han Chinese and Hui people.
Tibet people in time past practised fraternal polyandry. The woman in the scenario might not tell the husband which child belongs to whom in order not to create any problems or issues in their family.
However, the Tibet Autonomous Region government in 1981 ceased to tolerate new polyandry marriages under family law.
It is now illegal to practise such in Tibet but research has shown that it still happens in the rural areas.
Currently, polyandry is present in all Tibetan areas but particularly common in some rural regions of Tsang and Kham that are faced with extreme living conditions.
A 2008 study of several villages in Xigaze and Qamdo prefectures found that 20-50% of the families were polyandric, with the majority having two husbands. For some remote settlements, the number was as high as 90%. Polyandry is very rare among urban residents or non-agricultural households.
NEPAL
Nepal, also known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is located mainly in the
Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
Polygamy is officially banned in Nepal since 1963, but people in Humla, Dolpa and Kosi regions care about their traditions much more than
they do about the law.
Here one can find entire villages of polyandrous families. This form of marriage is also common among tribes in the north and north-east of
Nepal, such as Bhote, Sherpa, Newbie, and others.
KENYA
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country in Africa with 47 semi-autonomous counties governed by elected governors. At
580,367 square kilometres (224,081 sq mi), Kenya is the world’s 48th largest country by total area. With a population of more than 52.2
million people, Kenya is the 27th most populous country.
Kenyan law does not explicitly forbid polyandry, although it is not common custom.
Polyandry was never heard of in Kenya until news of a Makueni resident, Rael Mukeku, who married two men flooded the media.
Similarly, a Migori woman, Maurine Atieno was arrested following public outrage that she married two husbands.
NIGERIA
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa, bordering Niger in the north, Chad in the northeast, Cameroon in the east, and Benin in the west.
In an article written by Akinwale Akinyoade, it is mentioned that although largely uncommon in Nigeria, there are tribes in Nigeria that allow polyandry.
Among the Irigwe of Northern Nigeria, women have traditionally acquired numerous spouses called “co-husbands”.
The Irigwe people of Nigeria practised polyandry until their council voted to outlaw it in 1968. Until then, women moved from house to house, taking on multiple spouses, and the children’s paternity was assigned to the husband whose house the woman lived in at the time.
