describe the features of kinship of North India in 500 words
Answers
Gotra exogamy: One must not marry into his father's, his mother's and his father's mother's gotra. In orthodox societies, marriage into one's mother's mother's gotra is also a taboo.
Spatial and geographical limits of endogamy and exogamy: If a daughter is given into a certain family of a certain village, a second daughter is generally not given into the same family or village in that generation and not in the next two generations at least.
Marriages are customarily arranged - partners are chosen from within the caste (endogamy)
Hypergamy - Women tend to marry slightly upwards in the status hierarchy
Marriage of cousins viewed with great disfavour
Local exogamy, even if they are of different gotras
Rules of marriage:- must not marry in his patri-clan - must avoid marriage with children of his mother's siblings and cousins - must avoid marriage with children of his F'Zs children and with the children of his F's female cousins
Avoid marriage with Sapinda - 5 generations in the male line (Agnatic) and 3 generations in the female line (Uterine)
Asymmetrical relationship between wife-givers and wife-takers
Early marriage of girls and boys
Gauna ceremony
Separate rules of conduct for daughters and brides
Leviratic unions