Marriage among tribes

Tribal Marriage Pattern
(General Articles)
467 tribal groups (8.08% of the total Indian population) are living in India (1991 census).
Sex ratio is 1000 males to 972 females, while the sex ratio of India is 1000 males to 927
females.
Tribal India is practicing a variety of marriage patterns for their existence. Monogamy is
a common practice, while polyandry (a woman has more than one husband) is practiced
among Kinner of Himanchal Pradesh, Jaunsar bawar of Uttaranchal and Toda of Tamil
Nadu State. Polygamy (a man has more than one wife) is found in Gond, Bainga, Toda,
Lushai and maximum tribes of Central India.
In every tribe sociological father is important instead of the biological father. The
Pursutpimi (bow and arrow) ritual is carried out for the determination of the sociological
father (Toda).
Bride wealth is the common factor in marriages. Preferential marriages (cross cousin and
parallel cousin) are mainly found among Gond, Kharia, Khasi and Kadar tribes and
prescribed marriages (Levirate and surrogate) also exist.
Eight types of mate selections are in practice across the country.
• Kidnapping Marriage
Poverty and lack of bride wealth make this marriage practiced by the Bhumiz, Kharia,
Munda and Santhal. Symbolic kidnapping exists in Central India, kidnapping by force by
Naga of Northeast and festival based kidnapping in Central India (known as Ghamoria in
Langotia Bhil).
• Exchange Marriage
All Indian tribes except Khasi are practicing it.
• Purchase Marriage
Munda, Oranav, Ho, Santhal (Bihar State), Rengma, Naga (Northeast states) practice this
type of marriage. Bride wealth is the deciding factor in this type of marriage.
• Elopement Marriage (Love Marriage)
When the proposed husband and wife do not obtain the consent of their parents to marry.
Every tribal group is familiar with this type of marriage.
• Service Marriage
When the proposed husband is not in a condition to pay bride wealth, he does service
(domestic and outside work) for a stipulated time at his in-laws, which is equal to the
bride wealth. Gond, Baiga and all tribes of Manipur State are practicing this type of
marriage. The grooms in this marriage are known as Lam Seva in Gond and Gharia
among the Bainga tribe.
• Intrusion Marriage
A woman gets a man as her husband inspite of the unwillingness of the man’s parents. It
is known as Anadar (disrespect) among the Ho and the Bihore are also practicing it. The
proposed woman is tortured (beating, putting chili in her eyes) by the man’s side. If the
woman takes all this abuse patiently, she is allowed to marry.
• Probation Marriage
After living for a certain period together, a man and a woman decide for marriage. Kuki
(Manipur) is the tribe where this is practiced.
Widow marriage is very common in every tribe but among the Sema Naga (Northeast
states), this type of marriage is connected to property inheritance. They are a matrilineal
society in which property is inherited from mother to daughter.
Extra marital relations are permitted among the Kanayak Naga (Northeast states), Jaunsar
bawar and Tharu (Uttar Pradesh). Premarital relations are common among the tribes of
Central India but pregnancy is avoided. All youth homes of tribes give liberty for
premarital relations.
Divorce is a common feature of tribal marriages. Khasi, Gond, Kharia (Orissa), Lushai
(Northeastern states) are the main tribes where divorce is very common. In such cases the
bride wealth is returned to the bride. Infertility is also one of the factors for divorce.
Indian tribal marriages are the example of correlation between bride wealth and childbirth
(a woman who is fertile gets more bride wealth).
Adoption is also practiced. Socialization of the child is the main reflection of the tribal
marriage as Pursutpimi among the Khasi. It is a ritual of declaration of the social father. It
is commonly known as the bow and arrow ceremony. In this polyandrous society, one of
the husbands gives a bow and arrow to his pregnant wife during the seventh month of
pregnancy and the expected child is considered to be the child of that husband. In the
future, every child of child born is considered to be his child, unless another husband
carries out the Pursutpimi ritual.