Forms of Marriage

Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners.

Polygamy exists in three specific forms:

polygyny - wherein a man has multiple simultaneous wives

Polyandry - wherein a woman has more than one husband at the same time. Fraternal polyandry was traditionally practiced among nomadic Tibetans in Nepal, parts of China and part of northern India, in which two or more brothers are married to the same wife, with the wife having equal 'sexual access' to them. The Indian epic the Mahabharata includes the polyandrous marriage of Draupadi to the five Pandava brothers. Polyandry is believed to be more likely in societies with scarce environmental resources, as it is believed to limit human population growth and enhance child survival. It is a rare form of marriage that exists not only among poor families, but also the elite.

Group marriage - wherein the family unit consists of more than two partners, any of whom share parental responsibility for any children arising from the marriage.

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