Premium
Hierarchy and Hypergamy: Some Interrelated Aspects among the Kanya‐Kubja Brahmans 1
Author(s) -
KHARE R. S.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
american anthropologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1548-1433
pISSN - 0002-7294
DOI - 10.1525/aa.1972.74.3.02a00250
Subject(s) - hierarchy , competition (biology) , sociology , epistemology , positive economics , geography , political science , economics , philosophy , ecology , biology , law
This paper is concerned with an examination of structural interrelationships between hierarchy and hypergamy. As illustrated by the Kanya‐Kubja Brahmans of northern India, several elements of intracaste hierarchy—some ancient (gotraj, some medieval (biswa and ank) and some modern (secular economic status)–are found to interrelate directly with the system of intracaste hypergamy. The characteristics of hierarchy and hypergamy follow certain logical trends and interpretations which find support from the available empirical evidence. Gross movements of women and wealth across the hierarchical ranks are genealogically measurable, allowing one to isolate those features that emerge when the traditional marital structure accommodates increasing economic competition. At present the hierarchical structure reflects, whether directly or indirectly, several major effects of intracaste hypergamy.