“The earliest record i’ve regarding polyandry one of several Sinhalese was probably the Magul Mahavihara inscription off Vihara-maha-devi owned by concerning 14th century where we discover the fresh new king getting in touch with by herself the principle consort of these two aunt kings named Perakumba (Perakumba de-be-raja-daruvan de–denata aga mehesun vu vihara-maha-devi). The new sis leaders referred to on the epigraph was evidently two petty kings exactly who wielded independent expert on Ruhuna nation at the time. [Source: Asiff Hussein, Week-end Observer]
The fresh new English publisher Robert Knox states in the Historical Family of Ceylon (1681): „Within this nation for each and every guy, probably the best, hath however, you to wife; however, a female have a tendency to has actually one or two husbands
The latest practice failed to stay away from the brand new notice of your Western european editors of your colonial several months that left all of us vivid definitions out-of brand new customized as it stayed then. The latest Portuguese historian Joao Ribeiro states inside the Fatalidado Historica da Ilha de- Ceilao (1685) that once the marriage ceremony try ended, the original nights consummation was allotted to the husband, the second in order to his sis, the next to another sis, etc as much as new 7th nights, whenever in the event the there be much more brothers, the rest are not eligible to the brand new advantage of your earliest half dozen. „Such earliest months becoming prior, the fresh partner has no greater claim for the their wife than simply their brothers has; in the event the the guy discovers her alone, he requires their so you’re able to themselves, however, if one of his true brothers getting together with her, the guy cannot disturb all of them. They promote the money into the a standard inventory, in addition to pupils telephone call all of the brothers indifferently its fathers“.
“The fresh new Dutch missionary Philip Baldaeus in the Breakdown regarding Ceylon (1672) states your Sinhalese advise that new conjugal responsibility be done from the their particular brothers and cites the case of a female citizen from Galle exactly who „had rely on adequate to complain of the require off obligation inside the their own partner’s brother thereon membership“. For this is actually legitimate and normal with them for 2 brothers to save domestic and additionally you to definitely partner, while the college students would recognize and label each other fathers“.
“The very last substantial account of behavior is perhaps that of Sir James Emerson Tennent in the monumental functions Ceylon (1859) in which he states one polyandry is available regarding the inside of Ceylon, mainly within wealthier categories; out of exactly who, you to definitely lady keeps frequently three to four husbands, and regularly as much as eight. The guy notes that in most cases, new husbands try people in a comparable family unit members, and more than frequently brothers. Brand new customized is actually although not to not will still be court for long for the british banned it the same seasons, though it could has endured to have a significant months afterwards.
“Ponnambalam Arunachalam observed in Twentieth-century Thoughts of Ceylon (1907) that „Polyandry, though unlawful, will continue to exist among the Kandyan peasantry, especially in the way it is out of brothers. What the law states against polyandry try evaded from the not joining new relationship whatsoever or from the registering it with that brother simply“.”
Why Polyandry Lived into the Sri Lanka
Asiff Hussein published: “On how which unusual custom have live for so enough time isn’t a difficult question to respond to, considering the character of the Kandyan and almost every other communities where we know to have been successful. Poverty, a Going Here desire to limit family proportions also to keep possessions undivided inside the families appear to have been the big items that have triggered the fresh new success and perhaps perhaps the emergence from polyandry throughout these societies. That significant factor that seems to have led to the prominence regarding the times of brand new Kandyan Kings is plainly this new behavior away from Rajakariya otherwise necessary services with the county exacted on the land-holding male people. [Source: Asiff Hussein, Week-end Observer]