Tibet's harsh life: why local women have several husbands

If polygamy is widespread in the Middle East and in some other countries of the world, then polygamy can be found not so often. This unusual form of polygamy is becoming less common, and in some countries, such as China or Nepal, it is even prohibited at the legislative level. But in high Tibet, a significant proportion of women still have two or even three husbands. What are the reasons for such unusual family customs, we will tell in our review.

Polygamy or polyandry is most common in Tibet, where a woman often has two or even three husbands who are siblings. This tradition is closely connected with the culture of the so-called "multiple fatherhood" when it is believed that a child can have several fathers at the same time. In addition to Tibet, polyandry is still found on some islands of Southeast Asia, in African tribes and in other areas of the Himalayas. But, according to researchers, it is in Tibet, as well as in some neighboring areas, this phenomenon is so widespread.

Accurate statistics on the number of women with two or more husbands in Tibet, of course, are not available. After all, it is part of China, where polyamy is prohibited by law. But according to unofficial data, 15 to 25 percent of Tibetan women are married to several husbands. Moreover, the so-called fractal polyandry is widespread here, when a woman is married to husbands who are siblings.

But do not think that this form of marriage is a triumph of female supremacy in the family, by analogy with polygamy. Quite the contrary, the life of Tibetan women is much harder than living in an eastern harem. According to ethnographers, such a family structure in Tibet arose due to extremely difficult living conditions in a harsh highlands, where there is practically no land suitable for farming. A large part of the population of Tibet is forced to fight every day for livestock, raising livestock and cultivating scarce land plots. With such a life, dividing the father’s inheritance into parts means even more impoverishment and reduces the chances of the future generation to survive. And with polygamy, when all the sons are married to one woman, the family inheritance remains intact and all the brothers equally participate in the care of the children. In addition, only one will have to pay a ransom for the bride, which is also a big plus in conditions of poverty. The head of such a family is not a woman, as it might seem at first glance, but an older brother. Moreover, even with two, three or four husbands, a Tibetan woman lives very hard: all the housework and child care are on her shoulders.

Polygamy in the countries of the East today has unshakable positions, while polygamy in the modern world has practically disappeared. Under the influence of globalization, even the most isolated tribes are gradually losing their ethnic identity, and polyandry is becoming a thing of the past. And today Tibet remains almost the only place on the planet where polygamy is still a common form of marriage.

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