DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31218#0074
CHAPTER IV
CASTE, SUBCASTE, AND MARRIAGE—contd.
D. PROHIBITED KIN
The law which prevents marriage within the exoga-
mous group in a patriarchal system does
/. Prohibited not prevent a man from contracting unions
degrees with very close relatives through his
mother, sister, and daughter. He could
marry his mother’s sister, his sister’s daughter, or even
his daughter’s daughter : and any of his cousins save the
daughter of his father’s brother. Marriages of this kind
form the subject of various special rules which have the
effect of bring'ing certain relatives within the prohibited
degrees. Castes which have no exogamous groups rely
entirely on such rules.
(a) The ‘sapinda’ rule. All castes which follow
Hindu Law—i.e. all castes of good posi-
2. Various ruies tion—are bound by its ‘sapinda’ rule.
°degreeshlted This prohibits the union of any two per-
sons who have a common ancestor not
more than six degrees removed on the male side, or four
degrees removed on the female side. This rule is said
to exclude 2,121 kinds of relative : the table of kindred
of the Anglican Church excludes 30, of which 15 pre-
suppose a former marriage. It is unnecessarily wide,
from a practical point of view : many of these relatives
would not be available for matrimonial purposes, since
they would be dead. It is excess of caution to forbid a
man to marry his great-great-grandaunt.
(b) The ‘avuncular’ rule. Many lower castes, such as
the Barai, Bharbhunja, Bhuiyar, Byar, Chero, Dangi, and
Dhuniya, are bound by a rule which forbids unions with
any person in the line of the paternal and maternal uncle
and aunt (chachera, mamera, phuphera, mausera). This
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CASTE, SUBCASTE, AND MARRIAGE—contd.
D. PROHIBITED KIN
The law which prevents marriage within the exoga-
mous group in a patriarchal system does
/. Prohibited not prevent a man from contracting unions
degrees with very close relatives through his
mother, sister, and daughter. He could
marry his mother’s sister, his sister’s daughter, or even
his daughter’s daughter : and any of his cousins save the
daughter of his father’s brother. Marriages of this kind
form the subject of various special rules which have the
effect of bring'ing certain relatives within the prohibited
degrees. Castes which have no exogamous groups rely
entirely on such rules.
(a) The ‘sapinda’ rule. All castes which follow
Hindu Law—i.e. all castes of good posi-
2. Various ruies tion—are bound by its ‘sapinda’ rule.
°degreeshlted This prohibits the union of any two per-
sons who have a common ancestor not
more than six degrees removed on the male side, or four
degrees removed on the female side. This rule is said
to exclude 2,121 kinds of relative : the table of kindred
of the Anglican Church excludes 30, of which 15 pre-
suppose a former marriage. It is unnecessarily wide,
from a practical point of view : many of these relatives
would not be available for matrimonial purposes, since
they would be dead. It is excess of caution to forbid a
man to marry his great-great-grandaunt.
(b) The ‘avuncular’ rule. Many lower castes, such as
the Barai, Bharbhunja, Bhuiyar, Byar, Chero, Dangi, and
Dhuniya, are bound by a rule which forbids unions with
any person in the line of the paternal and maternal uncle
and aunt (chachera, mamera, phuphera, mausera). This
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