Living examples of matrilineal societies in India
March 8, 2017
Have you ever wondered what the world would look like with women swapping roles with men?
Have you ever wondered what the world would look like with women swapping roles with men? As utopian as it sounds, this is a possibility and we have living examples of societies that can prove this. Despite the power endowed to the mother of the house, calling these societies ‘matriarchal’ will be an overstatement. What shifts the power to the mother is the matrilineal system of inheritance; the property is passed from the mother to daughter.
The Khasi tribe:
The majority of this tribe resides in the state of Meghalaya. Given the hilly terrain and dense forests of the region, it is relatively isolated from the societies residing in the plains. Though women of the tribe still lack any representation in the political arena of the state, the affairs of the tribe as well as domestic affairs are controlled by the women of the house. Following the matrilineal law of inheritance, the youngest daughter of the house will stay with the parents and inherit the house that is named after her mother. The husband is expected to leave his house and live with his wife in his mother-in-laws house.
The Garo tribe:
Neighbours to Khasi, this tribe has a similar social formation and also follows the matrilineal methodology to trace property. A Garo family is headed by the mother of the house but the father is responsible for providing sustenance. The tribe is divided into sub tribes and clans, with marriage outside the tribe highly discouraged. The daughter of the family carries the clan name throughout her life, whereas the son takes up his wife’s clan name after marriage. If the marriage doesn’t work out, the couple can get separated without any social stigma. Similar to the Khasi tradition, the youngest daughter in a Garo family will inherit the property and if there is no female inheritor within the immediate family, the property passes to the daughter of the mother’s sister.
