it refers to marriage in which one common husband is engaged in marital ties with more than one wife.
- Features of such societies – hunter gathers, frequent warfare, primitive agri, horticulture & high role of women in subsistence
- Example – The Baiga, Naga, Gonds & Toda, Naga
- In Pre independent Bengal, practice of Hypergamy leas to polygyny
- More wives in Nagas → status symbol → heroism
- More women → ↑ child → more labour i.e Economic pragmatism ; African tribes & central Indian tribes like Santhal
- Types of Polygyny
- Sororal Polygyny
- Non Sororal Polygyny
Sororal Polygyny
Marriage in which a man is married to two nor more sisters.
Non Sororal Polygyny
Marriage in which wives are not related as sisters.