In the Panjab, among Jat families too poor to bear the marriage expenses of all the males, the wife of the eldest son has sometimes to accept her brothers-in-law as joint husbands. The Ghakkar, the brave people of Rawal Pindi dis trict, are now Muhammadans, but their polyandry was one of the characteristics which specially struck the advancing Mubammadans in 1008. The Karakat Vellalar of Madura, at the opposite extremity of the Peninsula, no longer practise polyandry ; but they preserve a trace of it in their condonement of cohabitation with the hus band's kindred, while adultery outside the hus band's family entails expulsion from caste. The Reddi race of agriculturists in the southern Tamil provinces have a similar custom, in order to preserve their family lands ; and the Namburi Brahmans of Travancore, to preserve their family property, allow only the eldest son to marry. , In Ceylon there were two kinds of polyandric marriage, the Diga marriage and the Dina. In the former the woman went to her husband's hut, in the latter the man transferred himself to that of the woman. Moreover, according to Davy (p. 286), marriages in Ceylon were provisional for the first fortnight, at the expiration of which they were either annulled or confirmed.
In most countries, man has arrogated to himself a superiority over woman, and has regarded her duty to be to submit to man's decisions. But the ancient Britons, as also some of the Median Cantons, the Pict, and the Gete, were polyandrous, and the custom is traceable among the ancient Germans. The origin of polyandric customs has been referred to the communist practice still in force amongst Hindus with respect to all property and earnings, for where small parcels of land were to be subdivided amongst families, it was of conse quence that the members should continue limited. The scarcity of women amongst a Military class of foreign immigrants, and the absence of brothers on pasturing or commercial expeditions, whilst others stayed at home, have also been pointed to.
The Mahabharata relates that Pandu, with money and jewels, purchased Madri from her brother Salya, king of Madra. But in former times the princesses of some parts of India appear to have enjoyed the privilege of selecting a husband from amongst a number of suitors as sembled for the purpose at a Swayamvara or tournament. In the Institutes of Mann (book iii. ver. 27), eight different forms of marriage are mentioned, but this right of selection is not one of them. In the 9th book, ver. 9, there is an allusion to it, but it is doubtful whetherthis has reference to any but the commercial and servile classes : Three years let a damsel wait though she be marriageable. After that time let her choose for herself a bridegroom of equal rank.' In Kalidasa's celebrated poem, the Raghu vansa, there is a beautiful description of the Swayamvara of Indumati, sister of the king of Vidarbha, in which she chooses Aja, the son of Raghu, out of a large assemblage of royal suitors. In the Mahabharata we have an account of the Swayamvara of Draupadi, the daughter of Dru pada, king of Panchala, and afterwards the wife of the five Pandu princes.
From the fact of her marrying the five Pandit brothers, we learn that polyandry must have prevailed amongst some races of that period ; and Curao was no doubt not uncommon ; indeed, the compiler of the Mahabharata, Vyasa, was himself appointed to raise up offspring to his deceased brother. Herodotus tells us that poly andry prevailed among the nomadic Scythians, as it does at present among the Bhoteah. The practice is adopted also by races in Malabar, between whom and the people of the Himalaya Wilson traces the obscure vestiges of a connection.
It prevails in a household form amongst the people of Coorg, as also amongst the Toda of the Neilgherry, amongst the Kapilli tribe on the Dindigul valley, and amongst the Totti, a Pariah race in Mysore. The Coorg believe themselves to be descendants of the'daughters of Chandra Varma, king of Matsa Desha, obtained by the intercession of Parvati. Chandra Varma is said to have come originally to Coorg. They marry at a ripe age, but the wives of brothers are in common. They are a compact body of mountaineers, who have been lords of the soil from time immemorial, and live in farm-houses far apart. The Amma Coorg take among the Coorgs a place similar to that of the Brahmans among Hindus.
The Kunawar people may be found as petty traders between Tibet and Hindustan, in almost every hill state between Nepal and Kashmir. The custom of several brothers having but one wife amongst them is universal. The women of the Himalaya really marry a plurality of husbands, usually brothers.
The Nair woman has only one married husband, with whom, however, she never associates, but at will receives any other men of her own race. The most recent writer on the Nair customs, the Rev. Mr. Mateer, tells us that the object in going through a marriage ceremony has never been surmised. These Maleala Sudra or Nair customs admit of no real nuptials.
The females of a wealthy Nair family, especi ally where there is but one sister, are visited at their own homes by Brahmans, or by persons of their own "caste ; and their children are reared up in the same house, and inherit from their mothers' brothers. Females of poorer families go to reside with partners of their own caste, so long as they and the average duration of such unions happily is increasing. There is, indeed, a marriage ceremony performed in the childhood of every Sudra girl ; but it is never consummated as a marriage, conferring no connubial claims or obligations on the nominal bridegroom, who has thenceforth no further com munication with the girl, and it rather serves to set the girl at liberty, as soon as she arrives at maturity, to form temporary associations, or to change them as she pleases. At any time sub sequently, the girl may receive cloth ' from any suitable man, and consort with him. The subse quent trivial bond, signified by giving and receiving a cloth, is dissolvable with a word at the will and pleasure of either partner. With the Nair there is no fixed rule that the person who married her must not give cloth.