“The first checklist i’ve off polyandry among the Sinhalese are perhaps the Magul Mahavihara inscription out of Vihara-maha-devi belonging to about the 14th century in which we find brand new king calling by herself the chief consort of the two brother kings titled Perakumba (Perakumba de–be-raja-daruvan de–denata aga mehesun vu vihara-maha-devi). The sister leaders regarded about epigraph is actually evidently two petty leaders who wielded independent authority on the Ruhuna country at enough time. [Source: Asiff Hussein, Weekend Observer]
The newest English copywriter Robert Knox says within his Historical Loved ones from Ceylon (1681): “Inside country for every people, probably the top, hath but one to partner; but a female have a tendency to features several husbands
The newest practice didn’t escape the see of your own European editors of your own colonial period who have remaining us brilliant descriptions of the fresh new individualized because lived then. The new Portuguese historian Joao Ribeiro states within his Fatalidado Historica da Ilha de Ceilao (1685) that when the marriage ceremony are ended, the original night of consummation was assigned to the new partner, another to his sister, the next to another aunt, and so on as much as the fresh new 7th evening, when in the event that there become more brothers, others commonly permitted the latest privilege of your own eldest half a dozen. “These types of very first weeks getting earlier in the day, this new husband has no deeper claim on his partner than their brothers enjoys; when the he finds their alone, he takes her so you’re able to themselves, but if one of his brothers end up being together with her, the guy cannot disrupt them. It offer their income into the a typical stock, and the people name all the brothers indifferently its fathers”.
“The Dutch missionary Philip Baldaeus inside the Breakdown out of Ceylon (1672) claims the Sinhalese advise that this new conjugal responsibility be done from the her brothers and you will cites the actual situation out-of a female citizen out-of Galle just who “got rely on sufficient to complain of one’s wanted out of obligation during the their unique partner’s cousin thereon membership”. For this is actually lawful and you will normal with all of them for 2 brothers to save household and that partner, and the children manage acknowledge and you can name each other fathers”.
“The last ample account of practice could very well be that of Sir James Emerson Tennent in his monumental work Ceylon (1859) where he states that polyandry is out there throughout the interior of Ceylon, mainly amongst the richer categories; away from which, you to definitely woman features appear to 3 or 4 husbands, and regularly as much as seven. He notes you to definitely typically, the latest husbands is actually members of a comparable loved ones, and most seem to brothers. The fresh new customized is actually however to not ever are still legal for long having british banned it an identical season, although it can has actually survived to own a sizeable months afterwards.
“Ponnambalam Arunachalam found in Twentieth century Thoughts out of Ceylon (1907) you to definitely “Polyandry, even though unlawful, will continue https://getbride.org/no/indisk-brud/ to exist among the Kandyan peasantry, particularly in the case out-of brothers. The law against polyandry are evaded from the not joining the latest partnership whatsoever otherwise by joining it having one to sister merely”.”
As to the reasons Polyandry Existed from inside the Sri Lanka
Asiff Hussein had written: “On what it strange customized possess lasted having very a lot of time isn’t a difficult question to respond to, considering the characteristics of one’s Kandyan additionally the most other societies in which it is known to own been successful. Poverty, a desire to limitation relatives proportions in order to continue property undivided inside the household have been completely the top products which have lead to the fresh new survival and possibly possibly the introduction off polyandry in these communities. You to major component that seemingly have lead to their popularity in the days of the new Kandyan Kings is obviously the fresh new behavior regarding Rajakariya otherwise compulsory provider to your county exacted regarding land-carrying male inhabitants. [Source: Asiff Hussein, Weekend Observer]