(..1 A..)
MARRIAGE AND KINSHIP[1]
[A] MARRIAGE
QUESTION BANK
Q.1. Define “marriage” and “Family”. How are they interrelated?
Q.2. Discuss the meaning and importance of marriage and family as social institutions.
Q.3. Define marriage, family and kinship.
Q.4. Write an essay on ‘Evolution of the institution of marriage”.
Q.5. Explain the role of religious rituals and practices in moulding the rules relating to marital relations.
Q.6. Explain the concept of ‘Marriage’. Annotate on Affinal and consanguineous kinship.
Q.7. Write a detailed note on Religious rituals in Hindu, Muslim, Parsi and Christian Marriage.
Q.8. Define marriage. Explain fully the forms and conditions of marriage.
SHORT NOTES
- Polygamy
- Lineage
I] MEANING:-
Marriage is a sacred and legal bond between two persons of the opposite sex. It is a stable relationship in which a man and a woman are permitted to have children, have sexual intercourse, etc. It is an essential institution of humanity. Marriage announces the recognition of the husband and wife’s new status in the community. It also signifies the social approval and support of their new status as husband and wife.
II] DEFINITIONS:-
Following are some of the definitions of marriage-
1) Westermarck defines “Marriage” “as a relation of one or more men to one or more women which is recognised by custom or law and involves certain rights and duties both in the case of parties entering the union and in the children born to it.”
2) Tacob and Stern define “Marriage is a term for social relationship of husband and wife or of plural mates, also used for the ceremony of uniting marital partners.”
3) According to Lundberg, marriage consists of “The rules and regulations which define the rights, duties and privileges of husband and wife, with respect to each other.”
4) Mazumdar T. defines “marriage is a socially sanctioned[2] union of male and female or as a secondary institution devised by society to sanction the union and mating of male and female for the purposes of-
- a) establishing a household,
- b) entering into sex relations,
- c) procreating[3], and
- d) Providing care for the off-spring[4].”
III] DIFFERENT FORMS OF MARRIAGES:-
The main forms of marriage are as follows
1) Monogamy[5]:-
Monogamous marriage is a form of marriage in which one male marries a single female and vice versa. No one is allowed to remarry in the lifetime of another spouse.
2) Polygamy[6]:-
Under this system, one man has two or more wives at a time. It is found in Muslim Communities, early Hindu communities, etc.
3) Polyandry[7]:-
It is a form of marriage in which one woman marries more than one man at a given time. It is widespread in Tibet and the Todas of Malabar. An instance of this type of marriage is also found in the Mahabharata, wherein five ‘Pandavas’ married one wife, ‘Draupadi’. Therefore, she was described as ‘Panchali’.
Polyandry may be of the following two types:-
(i) Fraternal Polyandry[8]:-
In this form, the wife is regarded as the wife of all brothers who have sexual relations with her. The children are treated as the offspring of the elder brother.
(ii) Non-fraternal polyandry:-
In this form, one woman has many husbands with whom she cohabits in turn. These husbands don’t need to be brothers. Any of the husbands may be chosen as a father by special rituals of the child-begotten
4) Endogamy:-
According to Dr Mazumdar, “the practice of marrying within one’s tribe[9] or very rarely, clan[10] is called endogamy”. In India, 99% of marriages are endogamous, e.g., the marriage of a Maratha girl with a Maratha boy, of a Muslim girl with a Muslim boy, etc.
5) Exogamy[11]:-
“Exogamy” is the custom that requires an individual to marry outside a specific group he is not a member of. Thus, a Muslim male or female marriage with a Hindu male or female. A white English lady with a Black Negro man etc. Inter-caste marriages and inter-religious marriages are some examples of exogamy.
6) Hypergamy[12]:-
This form of marriage permits marriage between higher-caste males with lower caste women. The children begotten out of such wedlock are treated as the caste falling between the midway of father and mother.
7) Preferential mating[13]:-
It is a form of marriage between certain preferential relations. Preferential mating is preferred in the following relations-
(i) Cross Cousin Marriage[14]:-
Cross Cousin Marriage is the marriage between cross cousins, i.e. maternal brothers and sisters.
(ii) Parallel cousin marriage[15]:-
Under it, marriage is preferred between children to two brothers.
8) Companionate marriage[16]:-
In it, two persons, on understanding, live together as husband and wife as long as there is no child.
9) Experimental marriage[17]:-
This is the experimental marriage to see if they can live a permanent marital life.
10) Ancient Forms of Marriages:-
Following forms of marriage were in existence in ancient India, specifically among Hindus,
(a) Brahma– the marriage of a duly dowered girl to a man of the same class;
(b) Daiva– when a householder gave a daughter to a sacrificial priest as part of
his fee;
(c) Arsa– in which a token bride price was paid in the form of a cow and a bull
(d) Prajapathya– in it, the father gives the girl without dowry and without demanding bride price;
(e) Gandharva– marriage by the consent of the two parties. This was a sort -of
clandestine type of marriage, i.e. love marriages.
(f) Asura – marriage by purchase;
(g) Raksasa– marriage by capture;
(h) Paisacha– It is a seduction of a girl while asleep, mentally deranged or drunk.
The first four types of marriage were permissible, while others were disfavored.
IV] IMPORTANCE OF MARRIAGE IN SOCIETY:-
It is very difficult to trace the historical growth of the concept of marriage. It is rather human needs and desires that created the idea of marriage. Following are some of the main important needs or reasons for marriage viz-
1) Regulation of sex:-
Sex is the essence of a human being. Marriage regulates sexual relations. It makes the difference between a man and a wild animal; wild animals require no marriage.
2) Stable relationship[18]:-
Marriage makes a stable relationship in which a man and a woman are socially permitted to have children, sex, etc.
3) Family:-
It is only after marriage a family comes into being. It is after the marriage that the desire to perpetuate the name of the family arrives.
4) Procreation of children:-
It is only through legal marriage that legitimate children can be begotten. The illegitimate[19] children are not entitled to have a share in the ancestral[20] and their parent’s property.
5) Love and affection:-
Love and affection grow in the family after marriage. Man cannot live without love and affection. Love and affection prompt man to care for his own children, look at other’s children as his own, etc.
6) Social security[21]:-
In the absence of marriage, there will be no security for women. The whole of society will become insecure about them; many questions may come as to who will look after the children, who will feed them, etc.
7) Increase moral standards[22]:-
Marriage has helped maintain high moral standards. Without marriage, there may be various problems. Marriage institutions lay a check on prostitution and many other immoral activities.
*****
(येथून पुढे काही महत्त्वाच्या इंग्रजी शब्दांचे मराठीत अर्थ दिलेले आहेत. त्याचा उद्देष विद्याथ्र्यांना विष य चांगल्या प्रकारे समजावा एवढाच मर्यादित आहे. मराठी अर्थ हे विशयाला धरुन केले असल्यामुळे ते शब्दकोषाप्रमाणे अगदी बरोबर असतीलच असे नाही. विद्याथ्र्यांनी अभ्यास करताना विविध मराठी व इंग्रजी शब्दकोष वापरावेत.)
[यहाँ से कुछ महत्वपूर्ण अंग्रेजी शब्दों के मराठी और हिंदी’ में उनके अर्थ दिए गए हैं। इसका उद्देश्य छात्रों को विषय को अच्छी तरह से समझाना है। सिर्फ इसलिए कि मराठी अर्थ विषय पर आधारित हैं, , जरूरी नहीं कि वे शब्दकोशों के रूप में सटीक हों। विद्यार्थियों को पढ़ते समय विभिन्न मराठी और अंग्रेजी शब्दकोशों का प्रयोग करना चाहिए। ]
[1] नातेसंबंध [शादी और रिश्तेदारी]
[2] समाजमान्य [सामाजिक रूप से स्वीकृत]
[3] जन्म देणे [प्रजनन]
[4] मुलs [वंशज]
[5] एक पति-पत्नित्व [एक ही बार विवाह करने की प्रथा]
[6] बहुपत्नित्व
[7] बहुपतित्व
[8] बंधु-बहुपतित्व
[9] जमात [जनजाति]
[10] वंश
[11] स्वतःच्या जमातीबाहेर लग्न [विजातीय विवाह]
[12] आंतरजातीय विवाह
[13] अग्रक्रमातील लग्न [अधिमान्य विवाह]
[14] मामाच्या मुलाबरोबर इ. प्रकारचे लग्न [मौसेरे भाई बहीण मे शादी]
[15] चुलत्याच्या मुला-मुलीबरोबर लग्न [चचेरे भाई की शादी]
[16] मैत्री संबंध [साहचर्य-विवाह]
[17] प्रायोगिक लग्न [प्रायोगिक विवाह]
[18] स्थिर संबंध [स्थिर संबंध]
[19]अनौरस [अवैध]
[20] वडिलोपार्जित [पैतृक]
[21] सामाजिक सुरक्षितता [सामाजिक सुरक्षा]
[22] नैतिक दर्जात वाढ [नैतिक मानकों को बढ़ाएं]