Page 223 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Unit 28: Family and Marriage in India: Regional Diversities

28.5 Comparison, of Kinship Systems of North and South Notes
1. In the South Indian family, there is no clear division between the ‘Family of Orientation’
and the ‘Family of Procreation,’ unlike the North. No member of the orientation Family (i.e,
father, mother and sister) can become the member of the procreation family, but it is pos-
sible in the South.
2. In North India, every word related to kinship clarifies that the individual being referred to
is a consanguinal or Affinal Kin, but it is not so in South.
3. In South India, some of an individual’s Kin are his consanguinal Kin and there are some
others, who are his consanguinal as well as Affinal kin.
4. In South India, the Kinship organisation is divided into two groups, according to the chron-
ological age. i.e., elder to an individual is ‘tam-mum’ and younger ‘tam-pin.’ ‘Tam’ means
‘self’, ‘Mum’ means ‘before’ and ‘Pin’ means ‘after.’
5. The kinship organisation in the South depends on the difference in chronological age, while
in the North, it depends on the ideology of general divisions.
6. In South India, the married women are not required to follows any standards of behaviour
while in North India, they are burdened with many restrictions.
7. In South India, marriage does not signify an end to her relationship with her father and
family, but in North India, the married woman occasionally visits her father’s home.
8. In North India, marriage is meant to extent the Kinship group while in South India, it is
meant to make the pre-existing bonds stronger.

28.6 Eastern Zone

In Eastern India, the Kinship system is different. There, in comparison to casteist Hindus, there
are more tribals (in parts of Bengal, Bihar, Assam, and Orissa). The main schedule tribes are:
Khasi, Virhod, Munda and Oraon. They do not have any Kinship system. Mundari-speaking
people are Patri-Local, but in this area, joint families are rarely found. Opposite gender cross-
cousin marriage are found rarely. Paying money for the bride is common. The woman is ad-
dressed as ‘Do’, like (you Do). The Kinship vocabulary has been adapted from Sanskrit and
Dravid languages. Khashi and Garo people have Matri-Lineage, joint families. (e.g., Nayars in
the South). After marriage, a man rarely lives with his family. He sets up a separate home.
It may be concluded that the kinship system in India is affected by caste and language. In today’s
age of competition and circumstances, a man’s family should play a supportive role. Caste and
language related group may help an individual from time to time, but his die-hard supporters,
trustworthy and faithful people exist in his family only.

It is important for an individual to keep the kinship bonds strong and
extend them as well.

28.7 Summary

• In South India, a family strengthens the Kinship relation by marriage while in North India,
a family establishes a relation with whom it was not previously related.
• In Central India (e.g., Gujarat), the custom of periodic marriage is prevalent, which encour-
ages child marriages and unmatched marriages. Such marriages are prevalent till today.

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