The Evolution of Marriage and of the FamilyLetourneau, Ch. (Charles)
Science
The Evolution of Marriage and of the Family
Letourneau, Ch. (Charles)
Families; Marriage
relations.[1010] At the death of a man, among the Garos, the widow
remains mistress of the house, but the other property passes to a
collateral heir, who marries the widow and sometimes her daughter also.
If we were to confine ourselves to the consideration and interpretation
of these facts only, we might naturally conclude that the familial
_régime_ of the aborigines of Bengal is maternal; but contradictory
facts are not wanting. Among the Bhuiyas, although the demand in
marriage is made by the girls, as with the Garos, the sons receive the
names of their male ascendants; the eldest son takes the name of the
grandfather; the second son takes that of the great-grandfather, and
the names of collaterals are given to the other sons.[1011] Among the
Muasis, it is the father who negotiates the marriage of his daughter,
or who sells her, rather, for a certain number of measures of rice
solemnly measured and delivered.[1012]
Among the Malers of Rajmahal, it is again the father who places his
daughter’s hand in that of her future husband and exhorts him to love
his wife.[1013] The Kandhs have adopted succession in the masculine
line, with a division of property amongst the sons.[1014] The servitude
of the women amongst the Korwas is very great; they are oppressed with
work, and till the fields and gain the daily bread, whilst the men
hunt or repose.[1015] The Mishmis buy their wives, have as many as
they can procure, and own them like chattels, since at a man’s death
all his wives, except the mother of the heir, pass to the nearest male
relation.[1016] Among the Mundas, after the decease of the father of
a family, the sons live together until the majority of the youngest
of them; they then proceed to divide the property, including their
sisters, who are exactly assimilated to cattle.[1017] The Oraons share
the widows amongst the brothers and cousins in the same way as the
Mundas share their sisters.[1018]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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