Page 220 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Sociology of Kinship

Notes 7. In some castes of the central region, like the Marathas and the Kunbis, bride value is preva-
lent, though the custom of dowry is also there.
8. Though the Patrilocal Family system is prevalent in Maharashtra, yet unlike North India,
where a, wife permanently lives with her husband after ‘Gauna’, and visits her father’s
home only occasionally, in the Maratha caste, she visits her father’s home very frequently.
Once she goes to her father’s home, it is hard to get her back to her husband’s home. This
symbolises the influence of the South on Kinship relations.
9. Though most of the kinship words resemble those by the North. Yet there are some words
of the Southern Dravid origin, for example: Anna, ‘Nana’ or Dada’ are used for brother.
Similarly for sister, words such as ‘Akka’, ‘Tai’ and ‘Mai’ are used.
10. The Kinship system amongst the tribals of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh is a slightly
different from that of the caste-its Hindus. This difference is found in kinship, vocabulary,
marriage rules, inheritance system and the duties of clans.
Thus, it can be said that though the kinship organisation is almost the same in the Northern
and Southern regions, yet it could be termed as the ‘Region of transition, from the North to the
South. The state of Maharashtra is the ‘Region of cultural borrowing and cultural synthesis.
(Karve; 1953; 176)

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
1. The Kinship system amongst the __________ of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh is slightly
different from the casties Hindus.
2. Though the Kinship organisation is almost the same in the Northern and Southern regions,
yet it could to termed as the region of ____________, from the North to the South.
3. __________ can marry amongst themselves or marry a Satkuli girl.

28.3 South Zone

The Southern Zone presents a complex form of Kinship system. Though in most of the castes
and communities, the families are mainly Patri local (like, Namboodri), but there are such parts
of the population, which are Matrilocal (like, Nair). There are many whose system includes the
characteristics of both the Patrilocal and Matrilocal organisation. (like Toda). Similarly, there
are castes and tribes which follow the Polygamy custom only (like Asari, Nair), yet there are
those systems too, in which both the customs. Multi wives and multi husbands are prevalent
(like Toda). Multihusbands is the major partilocal group too (like Asari) and multihusbands is
major matrilocal group too (like, Tiyan, Nayyar), Multiwives is the major Patrilocal group too
(like Namboodri) but there is no major multi wives Matrilocal group. Similarly, there are pat-
rilocal. Joint families and Matrilocal joint families too. All this shows the diverse forms of the
Kinship system prevalent in the Southern region. Here we will discuss about the few forms/
organisatons.
In the Matrilocal family, the Kinship relations amongst women are in the form of daughter,
mother, sister, mother’s sister and sister’s daughter. The kinship relations amongst men and
women are in the form of brother, son, daughter’s son and sister’s sons. The Kinship relation
amongst men are in the form of mother’s brother, brother and sister’s son. All these are
consanguineous based relations. No relations based on wedlock, have been established. It is so
because a husband rarely comes in a family.

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