Page 141 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Unit 19: The Geneological Method

3. Hypogamy Marriage Notes
In this kind of marriage, a girl marries a boy of lower caste/sub caste. According to the scholars,
Hypogamy marriage is not justified. Normally, people from the upper caste/sub caste do not ar-
range their daughter’s marriage with a boy from a lower caste. But sometimes the circumstances
are such that an upper caste boy has to marry a lower caste girl. Today because of education,
Hypogamy marriages are on the rise. Sometimes, a boy from the upper caste cannot find an
educated match within his own caste, then he turns to the lower caste. Sometimes, in a certain
caste, the ratio of man-woman gets unbalanced, then too, an individual is compelled to accept
Hypogamy marriage. By the way, Hypogamy marriage is not viewed with respect, according
to the Hindu concept.

4. Exogamy

Exogamy to marry in those groups which are outside one’s sib’s, caste. Marrying in one’s own
blood-relation is risky. For the sake of the purity of blood, the kings of Greece used to marry in
their own sib. But biologists say it is not justified to marry in one’s own caste. The Hindu mar-
riage too, recognizes Exogamy. In a way, the rules of Exogamy fulfil the rules of Endogamy.
Such a marriage is restricted. In some place, the restriction is so narrow that it includes members
of the first family only (i.e., brother and sister, mother-father and son-daughter marriage). In
some places, it is so intensive that it includes those individuals too, who are in the line of kin-
ship. In some groups, restricted sexual relations within kinship, is known as Incest. In almost
all the groups, marriage and sexual-relations between brother and sister are termed as immoral.
But the specification of Exogamy group differs from place to place.

Self Assessment
Fill in the blanks:
1. Endogamy means marrying in one’s own __________________ .
2. There are some recognized __________________ by the caste and the life partner is chosen
according to them.
3. In some castes of South India, marrying with __________________ is given preference.
A girl born in a North Indian village is considered the daughter of the entire village and thus,
she cannot marry a boy from her village. It is called Village Exogamy. In South India, the situa-
tion is different. There, the definition of Exogamy covers, one’s own generation and one’s own
brother-sister and cousins (maternal and paternal). Marriage with them is prohibited. Exogamy
has two more rules:
1. Bahirgotra marriage
2. Bahirspind marriage
Bahir Gotra Marriage: The rule of this marriage is in fact Exogamy. It means marrying outside
one’s own caste. Marriage is restricted between the descendants of the same ancestors (gener-
ally sages or seers). It is clear that individuals belonging to the common sib cannot marry. P.N.
Prabhu analysis ‘Sib’ or ‘gotra’ as a herd coup of the individuals belonging to the same caste
are considered brothers and sisters. Thus, the members of the group cannot marry each-other.
Same-sib members are considered to be the descendants of the common ancestors and thus mar-
riage are not allowed between them.
For instance, in Hindu castes, four sib rules or four sib Exogamy rules are prevalent. According
to this four sib rule, any individual cannot marry a girl in: “(i) his fathers sib, (ii) his mother’s
sib, (iii) his paternal grandmother’s sib or his father’s mother’s sib, and (iv) his maternal grand-
mother’s sib or his mothers mother’s sib.” Irawati karve has analysed this rule. She says in all
the castes of North India, marriage is restricted between paternal-maternal cousins.

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