Page 142 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Sociology of Kinship

Notes Bahir-sa-Pind Marriage: This rule of marriage is also restricted. ‘Sa-Pind’ means the kinship/
relation between the alive members and the deceased ancestors. The word ‘Sa-Bind’ means: Part
of that Body. It means those people who offer cooked rice balls (known as ‘Pind’) to their de-
ceased ancestors. In the Hindu caste, there is no common definition of kinship groups to know
amongst which groups were the marriages restricted. Some people are of the opinion that mar-
riages between the members of seven generations of the father’s side and five generations of the
mother’s side are restricted. In South India, the rules are different. These marriages are allowed
between father’s sisters son/daughter or mother’s brother’s son/daughter.
According to the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, marriage is not allowed between five generations
of the father’s side and three generations of the mother’s side. In Hindus paternal lineage family
is an important Exogamy unit. It is clear that the prohibition to marry in five generations of the
father’s side is evident everywhere. In Christians and Muslims, the first or the nuclear family
is the Exogamy unit. In Nayyars, who are Maternal Lineage group, a girl can never marry her
mother’s brother, though amongst the many groups of South India, this group is given prefer-
ence.

19.4 Summary
• Kinship is determined on the basis of descent.
• Descent has mainly three rules, Paternal descent, Maternal Descent and Uni Descent. Three
more rules originate from these three main rules, making them six rules.

19.5 Keywords

1. Geneological Method: A working method in the field of humanology, in which geneologi-
cal methods are systematically compiled. It is used to know the methods of numbering,
related to kinship system, method of marriage, as social group, geneological order and
descendance.
2. Hypogamy Marriage: In this marriage, a girl marries a boy from a lower caste/sub caste.

19.6 Review Questions

1. What do you understand by the geneological method?
2. Give a detailed account of the main geneological method prevalent in India.

Answers: Self Assessment

1. Caste 2. Rules 3. kin

19.7 Further Readings

Families in India, Marriage and Kinship—Shobhita Jain, Rawat Publication
Sociology of a Family—Dr. Sanjeev Mahajan Arjun Publishing House.

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