Systems of Kinship in India | Sociology Mains Optional for UPSC 2024 PDF Download

 Page 1


 
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SOCIOLOGY PAPER-2 
B-5 
Systems of Kinship in India: 
(a) Lineage and descent in India. 
(b) Types of kinship systems. 
(c) Family and marriage in India. 
(d) Household dimensions of the family. 
(e) Patriarchy, entitlements and sexual division of labour. 
 
 
Lineage and Descent in India 
 
 
Lineage: 
- It is the principle based upon which inheritance is chosen.  
Example: Patrilineage, Matrilineage. 
- It refers to a particular type of kin group in which a member has a common ancestor whose 
identity is known. 
Also, a body of people who are arranged together on the basis of common blood linkage. 
Patriarchal society-daughter not part of father’s lineage group. 
 
Descent: 
- It is the principle whereby a child is socially affiliated with the group of his/her parents. 
 
Classical Anthropologists-  
Patrilineal-determining descent through the male line.  
Matrilineal-determining descent through the female line. 
Lineage system can be divided into 2 parts-  
Unilineal - a system of determining descent in which someone either belongs to father’s lineage 
or mother’s lineage, both patrilineal and matrilineal are included under unilineal lineage system. 
Non unilineal- a system where exists multiple forms of relationships. 
 
Indologist-  
Ghurye- role of descent in defining marriage, family, kinship and India.  
In Northern India- some one can’t marry within extended kinship group - marriage is driven by 
rules of kinship and descent. 
Page 2


 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
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Sleepy Classes 
SOCIOLOGY PAPER-2 
B-5 
Systems of Kinship in India: 
(a) Lineage and descent in India. 
(b) Types of kinship systems. 
(c) Family and marriage in India. 
(d) Household dimensions of the family. 
(e) Patriarchy, entitlements and sexual division of labour. 
 
 
Lineage and Descent in India 
 
 
Lineage: 
- It is the principle based upon which inheritance is chosen.  
Example: Patrilineage, Matrilineage. 
- It refers to a particular type of kin group in which a member has a common ancestor whose 
identity is known. 
Also, a body of people who are arranged together on the basis of common blood linkage. 
Patriarchal society-daughter not part of father’s lineage group. 
 
Descent: 
- It is the principle whereby a child is socially affiliated with the group of his/her parents. 
 
Classical Anthropologists-  
Patrilineal-determining descent through the male line.  
Matrilineal-determining descent through the female line. 
Lineage system can be divided into 2 parts-  
Unilineal - a system of determining descent in which someone either belongs to father’s lineage 
or mother’s lineage, both patrilineal and matrilineal are included under unilineal lineage system. 
Non unilineal- a system where exists multiple forms of relationships. 
 
Indologist-  
Ghurye- role of descent in defining marriage, family, kinship and India.  
In Northern India- some one can’t marry within extended kinship group - marriage is driven by 
rules of kinship and descent. 
 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
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Sleepy Classes 
Ghurye indicated- Gotra and Charna are exogamous groups-brings dispersed people together. 
The gotra and charna were kin categories of Indo-European cultures which systematized the 
rank and status of the people. These categories were derived from rishis (saints) of the past. 
These rishis were the real or eponymous founder of the gotra and charna. 
 
Gail Omvedt – Caste is an expanded descent system. 
 
Andre Beteille- kinship in India strong, so that Voting is driven by kinship rather than on merit. 
Primary source of political recruitment: kinship group. 
Thus, Democratic political system in India is engaged in social and cultural reproduction. 
 
Krishna Kumar - Kinship in India is so intensive that- behind every corrupt man - there is an 
ambitious family- Industrial recruitment greatly takes place on the basis of kinship rather than 
on merit. 
With modernity in India- kinship and descent have not changed a little also- so important to study 
under social transformation. 
 
Role of descent and kinship not only decides private spheres of life like marriage, family etc 
rather very well defines occupation, political activities etc. 
 
 
  
Page 3


 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
https://testseries.sleepyclasses.com/ 
Sleepy Classes 
SOCIOLOGY PAPER-2 
B-5 
Systems of Kinship in India: 
(a) Lineage and descent in India. 
(b) Types of kinship systems. 
(c) Family and marriage in India. 
(d) Household dimensions of the family. 
(e) Patriarchy, entitlements and sexual division of labour. 
 
 
Lineage and Descent in India 
 
 
Lineage: 
- It is the principle based upon which inheritance is chosen.  
Example: Patrilineage, Matrilineage. 
- It refers to a particular type of kin group in which a member has a common ancestor whose 
identity is known. 
Also, a body of people who are arranged together on the basis of common blood linkage. 
Patriarchal society-daughter not part of father’s lineage group. 
 
Descent: 
- It is the principle whereby a child is socially affiliated with the group of his/her parents. 
 
Classical Anthropologists-  
Patrilineal-determining descent through the male line.  
Matrilineal-determining descent through the female line. 
Lineage system can be divided into 2 parts-  
Unilineal - a system of determining descent in which someone either belongs to father’s lineage 
or mother’s lineage, both patrilineal and matrilineal are included under unilineal lineage system. 
Non unilineal- a system where exists multiple forms of relationships. 
 
Indologist-  
Ghurye- role of descent in defining marriage, family, kinship and India.  
In Northern India- some one can’t marry within extended kinship group - marriage is driven by 
rules of kinship and descent. 
 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
https://testseries.sleepyclasses.com/ 
Sleepy Classes 
Ghurye indicated- Gotra and Charna are exogamous groups-brings dispersed people together. 
The gotra and charna were kin categories of Indo-European cultures which systematized the 
rank and status of the people. These categories were derived from rishis (saints) of the past. 
These rishis were the real or eponymous founder of the gotra and charna. 
 
Gail Omvedt – Caste is an expanded descent system. 
 
Andre Beteille- kinship in India strong, so that Voting is driven by kinship rather than on merit. 
Primary source of political recruitment: kinship group. 
Thus, Democratic political system in India is engaged in social and cultural reproduction. 
 
Krishna Kumar - Kinship in India is so intensive that- behind every corrupt man - there is an 
ambitious family- Industrial recruitment greatly takes place on the basis of kinship rather than 
on merit. 
With modernity in India- kinship and descent have not changed a little also- so important to study 
under social transformation. 
 
Role of descent and kinship not only decides private spheres of life like marriage, family etc 
rather very well defines occupation, political activities etc. 
 
 
  
 
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https://testseries.sleepyclasses.com/ 
Sleepy Classes 
Types of kinship system 
 
 
 
Irawati Karve - 4 different kinship zones- North, south,central and east. 
 
North Indian Kinship System 
 
Areas of more aryan culture influence and Odisha, Bihar and West Bengal.   
Patrikins and Matrikins are different.  
Within patrilineal system father’s brother is distinguished from father’s sister.  
Fathers brothers are also distinguished in terms of age, so differential respect is attributed to 
them. 
 
Rule of marriage is highly exhaustive- One is not supposed to receive a woman from a group 
to which a woman is offered within 5 to 7 generations.  
One can’t receive a woman from his mother’s group, mother’s mother group, father’s mother 
group, and his own village. 
Marriage not in intra-family ties rather in inter-village ties.  
Residential system is Virilocal, same as patrilocal involves a series of presentational 
obligations. 
(In social anthropology, patrilocal residence or patrilocality, also known as virilocal residence or 
virilocality, are terms referring to the social system in which a married couple resides with or near 
the husband's parents.) 
 
Veena Das- In north Indian kinship – father son relationship precedes over husband wife 
relationship-on analysis of Punjabi kinship system she said- the natural sexual 
relationship between husband and wife is subdued to socially established father son 
relationship glorifying patriarchy. 
 
South Indian Kinship system 
 
Entire south India, some parts of MH and Odisha- No distinction between patrilineal and 
matrilineal. 
Father’s brother is equivalent to mother’s sister’s husband- both their children, parallel cousins, 
so marriage among them. 
Father’s sister group ~ mother’s brother group =>mother’s brother= father’s sister’s husband. 
Page 4


 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
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Sleepy Classes 
SOCIOLOGY PAPER-2 
B-5 
Systems of Kinship in India: 
(a) Lineage and descent in India. 
(b) Types of kinship systems. 
(c) Family and marriage in India. 
(d) Household dimensions of the family. 
(e) Patriarchy, entitlements and sexual division of labour. 
 
 
Lineage and Descent in India 
 
 
Lineage: 
- It is the principle based upon which inheritance is chosen.  
Example: Patrilineage, Matrilineage. 
- It refers to a particular type of kin group in which a member has a common ancestor whose 
identity is known. 
Also, a body of people who are arranged together on the basis of common blood linkage. 
Patriarchal society-daughter not part of father’s lineage group. 
 
Descent: 
- It is the principle whereby a child is socially affiliated with the group of his/her parents. 
 
Classical Anthropologists-  
Patrilineal-determining descent through the male line.  
Matrilineal-determining descent through the female line. 
Lineage system can be divided into 2 parts-  
Unilineal - a system of determining descent in which someone either belongs to father’s lineage 
or mother’s lineage, both patrilineal and matrilineal are included under unilineal lineage system. 
Non unilineal- a system where exists multiple forms of relationships. 
 
Indologist-  
Ghurye- role of descent in defining marriage, family, kinship and India.  
In Northern India- some one can’t marry within extended kinship group - marriage is driven by 
rules of kinship and descent. 
 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
https://testseries.sleepyclasses.com/ 
Sleepy Classes 
Ghurye indicated- Gotra and Charna are exogamous groups-brings dispersed people together. 
The gotra and charna were kin categories of Indo-European cultures which systematized the 
rank and status of the people. These categories were derived from rishis (saints) of the past. 
These rishis were the real or eponymous founder of the gotra and charna. 
 
Gail Omvedt – Caste is an expanded descent system. 
 
Andre Beteille- kinship in India strong, so that Voting is driven by kinship rather than on merit. 
Primary source of political recruitment: kinship group. 
Thus, Democratic political system in India is engaged in social and cultural reproduction. 
 
Krishna Kumar - Kinship in India is so intensive that- behind every corrupt man - there is an 
ambitious family- Industrial recruitment greatly takes place on the basis of kinship rather than 
on merit. 
With modernity in India- kinship and descent have not changed a little also- so important to study 
under social transformation. 
 
Role of descent and kinship not only decides private spheres of life like marriage, family etc 
rather very well defines occupation, political activities etc. 
 
 
  
 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
https://testseries.sleepyclasses.com/ 
Sleepy Classes 
Types of kinship system 
 
 
 
Irawati Karve - 4 different kinship zones- North, south,central and east. 
 
North Indian Kinship System 
 
Areas of more aryan culture influence and Odisha, Bihar and West Bengal.   
Patrikins and Matrikins are different.  
Within patrilineal system father’s brother is distinguished from father’s sister.  
Fathers brothers are also distinguished in terms of age, so differential respect is attributed to 
them. 
 
Rule of marriage is highly exhaustive- One is not supposed to receive a woman from a group 
to which a woman is offered within 5 to 7 generations.  
One can’t receive a woman from his mother’s group, mother’s mother group, father’s mother 
group, and his own village. 
Marriage not in intra-family ties rather in inter-village ties.  
Residential system is Virilocal, same as patrilocal involves a series of presentational 
obligations. 
(In social anthropology, patrilocal residence or patrilocality, also known as virilocal residence or 
virilocality, are terms referring to the social system in which a married couple resides with or near 
the husband's parents.) 
 
Veena Das- In north Indian kinship – father son relationship precedes over husband wife 
relationship-on analysis of Punjabi kinship system she said- the natural sexual 
relationship between husband and wife is subdued to socially established father son 
relationship glorifying patriarchy. 
 
South Indian Kinship system 
 
Entire south India, some parts of MH and Odisha- No distinction between patrilineal and 
matrilineal. 
Father’s brother is equivalent to mother’s sister’s husband- both their children, parallel cousins, 
so marriage among them. 
Father’s sister group ~ mother’s brother group =>mother’s brother= father’s sister’s husband. 
 
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Specific patrilineal kins are equated with specific matrilineal kins. 
 
Love for younger and respect for elders cutting across generational principles- father ~ elder 
brother, mother ~ elder sister and younger brother ~ son, younger sister ~ daughter. 
 
Cross cousins marriage allowable– exogamy not exhaustive like north India. 
 
Husband wife relationship is not subdued to father son relationship unlike north India. 
 
Hostility of relationship between the laws driven by suspicion –weak in south India. 
 
 
 
Central India Kinship system 
 
Gujurat, Maharashtra, MP- mixture of elements from NI and SI. 
 
Rajputs- marriage- on status of girls’s family- no caste bar- girl of their choice. 
 
Marthas-32 divisions- primary, secondary,tertiary divisions- marriage accordingly. 
 
Kumbi of Gujurat- can’t marry within one generations from father’s side and within 3 
generations in mother’s side. 
 
Rajasthan- On Akshya Tritiya- massive marriage takes place- all age groups-relaxed norms. 
 
 
Eastern India Kinship system 
 
Munda of Odisha, Manipuri of Manipur, Nagas, Kukis and Khasi. 
 
Munda- 6 different class- associated with symbols like- bamboo, lizards, teak, crocodiles etc- 
each class many lineage group- son gets patrilineal grandfather’s name, daughter gets patrilineal 
grandmother’s name, divorce is common among them. 
 
Page 5


 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
https://testseries.sleepyclasses.com/ 
Sleepy Classes 
SOCIOLOGY PAPER-2 
B-5 
Systems of Kinship in India: 
(a) Lineage and descent in India. 
(b) Types of kinship systems. 
(c) Family and marriage in India. 
(d) Household dimensions of the family. 
(e) Patriarchy, entitlements and sexual division of labour. 
 
 
Lineage and Descent in India 
 
 
Lineage: 
- It is the principle based upon which inheritance is chosen.  
Example: Patrilineage, Matrilineage. 
- It refers to a particular type of kin group in which a member has a common ancestor whose 
identity is known. 
Also, a body of people who are arranged together on the basis of common blood linkage. 
Patriarchal society-daughter not part of father’s lineage group. 
 
Descent: 
- It is the principle whereby a child is socially affiliated with the group of his/her parents. 
 
Classical Anthropologists-  
Patrilineal-determining descent through the male line.  
Matrilineal-determining descent through the female line. 
Lineage system can be divided into 2 parts-  
Unilineal - a system of determining descent in which someone either belongs to father’s lineage 
or mother’s lineage, both patrilineal and matrilineal are included under unilineal lineage system. 
Non unilineal- a system where exists multiple forms of relationships. 
 
Indologist-  
Ghurye- role of descent in defining marriage, family, kinship and India.  
In Northern India- some one can’t marry within extended kinship group - marriage is driven by 
rules of kinship and descent. 
 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
https://testseries.sleepyclasses.com/ 
Sleepy Classes 
Ghurye indicated- Gotra and Charna are exogamous groups-brings dispersed people together. 
The gotra and charna were kin categories of Indo-European cultures which systematized the 
rank and status of the people. These categories were derived from rishis (saints) of the past. 
These rishis were the real or eponymous founder of the gotra and charna. 
 
Gail Omvedt – Caste is an expanded descent system. 
 
Andre Beteille- kinship in India strong, so that Voting is driven by kinship rather than on merit. 
Primary source of political recruitment: kinship group. 
Thus, Democratic political system in India is engaged in social and cultural reproduction. 
 
Krishna Kumar - Kinship in India is so intensive that- behind every corrupt man - there is an 
ambitious family- Industrial recruitment greatly takes place on the basis of kinship rather than 
on merit. 
With modernity in India- kinship and descent have not changed a little also- so important to study 
under social transformation. 
 
Role of descent and kinship not only decides private spheres of life like marriage, family etc 
rather very well defines occupation, political activities etc. 
 
 
  
 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
https://testseries.sleepyclasses.com/ 
Sleepy Classes 
Types of kinship system 
 
 
 
Irawati Karve - 4 different kinship zones- North, south,central and east. 
 
North Indian Kinship System 
 
Areas of more aryan culture influence and Odisha, Bihar and West Bengal.   
Patrikins and Matrikins are different.  
Within patrilineal system father’s brother is distinguished from father’s sister.  
Fathers brothers are also distinguished in terms of age, so differential respect is attributed to 
them. 
 
Rule of marriage is highly exhaustive- One is not supposed to receive a woman from a group 
to which a woman is offered within 5 to 7 generations.  
One can’t receive a woman from his mother’s group, mother’s mother group, father’s mother 
group, and his own village. 
Marriage not in intra-family ties rather in inter-village ties.  
Residential system is Virilocal, same as patrilocal involves a series of presentational 
obligations. 
(In social anthropology, patrilocal residence or patrilocality, also known as virilocal residence or 
virilocality, are terms referring to the social system in which a married couple resides with or near 
the husband's parents.) 
 
Veena Das- In north Indian kinship – father son relationship precedes over husband wife 
relationship-on analysis of Punjabi kinship system she said- the natural sexual 
relationship between husband and wife is subdued to socially established father son 
relationship glorifying patriarchy. 
 
South Indian Kinship system 
 
Entire south India, some parts of MH and Odisha- No distinction between patrilineal and 
matrilineal. 
Father’s brother is equivalent to mother’s sister’s husband- both their children, parallel cousins, 
so marriage among them. 
Father’s sister group ~ mother’s brother group =>mother’s brother= father’s sister’s husband. 
 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
https://testseries.sleepyclasses.com/ 
Sleepy Classes 
Specific patrilineal kins are equated with specific matrilineal kins. 
 
Love for younger and respect for elders cutting across generational principles- father ~ elder 
brother, mother ~ elder sister and younger brother ~ son, younger sister ~ daughter. 
 
Cross cousins marriage allowable– exogamy not exhaustive like north India. 
 
Husband wife relationship is not subdued to father son relationship unlike north India. 
 
Hostility of relationship between the laws driven by suspicion –weak in south India. 
 
 
 
Central India Kinship system 
 
Gujurat, Maharashtra, MP- mixture of elements from NI and SI. 
 
Rajputs- marriage- on status of girls’s family- no caste bar- girl of their choice. 
 
Marthas-32 divisions- primary, secondary,tertiary divisions- marriage accordingly. 
 
Kumbi of Gujurat- can’t marry within one generations from father’s side and within 3 
generations in mother’s side. 
 
Rajasthan- On Akshya Tritiya- massive marriage takes place- all age groups-relaxed norms. 
 
 
Eastern India Kinship system 
 
Munda of Odisha, Manipuri of Manipur, Nagas, Kukis and Khasi. 
 
Munda- 6 different class- associated with symbols like- bamboo, lizards, teak, crocodiles etc- 
each class many lineage group- son gets patrilineal grandfather’s name, daughter gets patrilineal 
grandmother’s name, divorce is common among them. 
 
 
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Khasi- youngest daughter inherits property from mother- status of man ~ status of woman in 
north India. 
---------------------- 
 
These variations of kinship system speaks about differential residential system, property 
relations, status of men, women and children, entitlements based on gender-pluralistic society- 
unity is not about destruction of plurality rather respecting the plurality.