When people talk about savage practices in a decent society, often the first thing that comes to mind is polygamy, harems. If the audience takes the issue seriously, sooner or later the question arises: why are they allowed, but we are not? After all, even gambling games, such as gates of Olympus slot, are already available to everyone. What then about the possibility of having multiple husbands?
India
Previously, polyandry was quite prevalent in India, especially in certain northern regions that still follow matriarchal societal structures, such as Kashmir and regions bordering Pakistan.
These mountainous territories have a scarcity of agriculturally viable land. This scarcity necessitated a system to prevent land division.
This system operated as follows: The eldest brother would marry, and his wife would be regarded as a wife to his brothers as well. This system ensured that land was not fragmented.
Interestingly, the bride had the option to reject any or all of the brothers. Rejection could condemn the brothers to monastic life. If she agreed, her marital duties were shared evenly amongst the husbands, with a different husband each week.
While not as prevalent today, there are still some followers of this ancient tradition.
Tibet
In the People’s Republic of China, having multiple spouses is discouraged, even though it could potentially reduce the population. This reluctance is largely due to Communist principles.
The reasoning mirrors that of India, which is the shortage of fertile land. It is often more economical for a group of brothers to share a bride than for each son to have an individual wife.
In Tibet, women do not choose their husbands. They are given to a family of ‘grooms’ to be shared by all. Furthermore, it’s not common practice to assign paternity to children!
Nepal
Although polygamy was outlawed in 1963, loopholes in the law have allowed the practice to continue.
The tradition of polyandry is still prevalent in the provinces of Dolpa, Homla, and Kosi. If a wife cannot bear children for her multiple husbands, another woman is brought into the household, typically the first wife’s sister, but occasionally an unrelated woman.
Unofficial statistics suggest that up to 25% of Nepalese women are married to multiple men. Despite this, the Constitution still places women in a secondary role to men.
Kingdom of Bhutan
Another country on the border between Indian and Chinese culture, experiencing approximately equal influence of both. It is located in the Himalayan Highlands and is considered the highest mountain in the world, so the difficulties with the lack of arable land are more relevant here than ever.
That is why it has been the custom here for a long time that a lady can have a lot of gentlemen, and marital jealousy was not in honor. There were even cases when the same woman was shared by representatives of several families, neighbors, or even people from different localities.
In some areas, however, the number of families of this type is relatively large and exceeds 10-15% of the total number of residents. The Minaro people are particularly committed to the traditions of their ancestors.