A term polygamy (literally numbers of marriage around late Greek) is used witharound related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology.

Inside social anthropology, polygamy is the practice of marriage to more than 1 partner at the same time (when opposed to monogamy where each individual has sole a single mate at once). Rather monogamousness, the term is typically utilized within a de facto sense, applying disregarding of whether a relationships come recognised per state.

Around sociobiology, polygamy is utilized inside the broad feel to mean any form of multiple mating. Inside the narrower feel, utilized by zoologists, polygamy includes a pair attach, mayhap irregular.

Forms of polygamy
Polygamy is inside deuce-ace specific forms, including polygyny (one human getting multiple married woman), polyandry (one woman getting multiple hubby), or even group marriage (some combination of polygyny & polyandry). Historically, everthing ternion practices stand been detected, however polygyny is by far a usual.

The notable lesson of polyandry occurs in Hindu culture in the Mahabharata, where a Pandavas are married to one most common married woman, Draupadi. In todays world these are near entirely found in the Toda tribe of India, where these are for instance a custom for many brothers to own of these married woman. within that context, the practice is meant to keep land (the preciously resource in a thickly settled united states such as India) from either existence stock split amongst male heirs. Polyandry was traditionally good among nomadic Tibetans, where it intended 2 unfortunate brothers sharing the married woman.

Group marriage, or circle marriage, could survive inside the total of forms, like in which supplementary than one human & further than a single woman form a single family unit, and everthing members of the marriage part parental responsibility for any children arising from either a marriage. An additional arrangement (taken from either science fiction) is the long-lived line marriage, where deceased person or even departing mate in the class action come high-pressure replaced by others, thus that personal property never becomes spread across inheritance.

Related terms

Bigamy

Polygamy is an anthropological term. The related legal term is bigamy, which refers to individual world health organization has entered into any total of "secondary" marriages additionally to of these legally-recognized marriage. Numerous countries use at times specific legislative act outlawing bigamy, making any secondary marriage the crime. Once the human by having trine married woman is charged, e.g., he is charged using ii numbers of bigamy, for the 2 "secondary" marriages when a foremost a single.

Polyamory

Independent article: Polyamory.

A term polyamory refers to romantic or intimate relationships involving multiple partners at another time, no matter of whether it require marriage. Any heteroicous relationship is polyamorous, & occasionally polyamorous relationships require multiple partner. "Polygamy" is unremarkably wont to refer to multiple marriage, when "polyamory" implies the relationship defined by negotiation between its members like than ethnical norms.

Poly relationship

Independent article: Poly relationship.

More forms of nonmonogamous relationships come discussed at poly relationship.

Polygamy worldwide

Based on data from a [http://eclectic.ss.uci.edu/~drwhite/worldcul/Codebook4EthnoAtlas.pdf Ethnographic Atlas Codebook] from either George P. Murdock’s Ethnographic Atlas recorded a married composition of 1231 societies, from either 1960-1980. One societies, 186 societies were monogamous. 453 experienced occasional polygyny, 588 experienced further frequent polygyny, & Quaternary got polyandry.

Patterns of occurrence

At a equivalent period, possibly in societies which allow polygamy, a actual practice of polygamy typically occurs sole seldom. To choose in other than a single married woman typically takes considerable fiscal resources: this can put polygamy beyond a means of the huge majority of population inside victims societies. Such appears a instance around numerous traditional Islamic societies, & around Imperial China.

Inside heteroicous societies, multiple married woman typically turn into the status symbol denoting wealth and power. Likewise, inside societies which formally prohibit polygamy, social opiniin will look favourably on souls maintaining mistresses or even engaging in serial monogamy.

the select few observers detect the social preference for polygyny around disease-prone (especially tropical) climates, & speculate that (from either a likely mother's viewpoint) perceived quality of agnate cistron can favour a practice there. the countervailing situation allegedly prevails within coarse climates, in which (again from either a possible mother's viewpoint) dependable agnatic care every bit exhibited inside monogamous pair-bonding outweighs a importance of agnatic factor.

Polygamy and religion

Hinduism
Around Hinduism, polygamy was practiced since ancient days. Hinduism doesn't prohibit polygamy, nor encourage it. A cause for this is because to own additional than a single married woman, over again means to become take a breath to trend lines the two financially. Historically, lone kings, around practice, were heteroicous, & this around section because it can afford it. For instance, a Vijanagar emperor, Krishnadevaraya had multiple wives. Around actuality Hinduism, & for that matter more Indian religions like Sikhism, Buddhism, & Jainism, actually consent for a man or woman to marry more than one person. A condition is virtually all humans just can not afford to st& supplementary than 1 partner, and use a instance to raise multiple children by using multiple partners. Because of this these are non expert around India. & equally mentioned prior to, Indian religions allow women to marry additional than a single human. However once more this is seldom expert, in case ever. But, Muslims around India come allowed to use at times multiple married woman. When of October, 2004, marriage laws witharound India come dependant upon a religion of the subject in wonder.^{[http://www.sudhirlaw.com/Marriages.html]} There own been efforts to propose a uniform married law that would address completely Indians the equivalent, disregardless of religion, however this hwhen non occurred as of eventually.

Judaism
Although authoritative Jewish literature indicates that polygamy was permitted, a various segments of Judaism use at times currently outlawed polygamy. A number 1 was Ashkenazi Jewry, which followed Rabbenu Gershom's ban since the 11th century. Still, there are a select few world health organization claim a ban was a irregular measure that there is no elongated applies based on data from the Jewish law & obviously restore polygamy. Look at [http://polygamy.com/Jewish/index.htm Jewish Doctrines Pertaining To Polygamy]. Occasionally Sephardi and Mizrahi groups only discontinued polygamy very much further recently, pertinent that a State of Israel had to make provisions for polygamic families immigrating when its 1948 creation. Several Jewish families from either countries like Iran & Yemen were assimilated to the general most common culture of the personal mass produced higher of the human, 2 or additional married woman, & their youngsters.

Christian
Saint Augustine demonstrated the conflict by using Old Testament polygamy in The Proficient of Marriage (chapter Fifteen, paragraph Seventeen), in which he wrote that though it "was lawful among the ancient fathers: whether it be lawful now also, I would not hastily pronounce. For there is not now necessity of begetting children, as there then was, when, even when wives bear children, it was allowed, in order to a more numerous posterity, to marry other wives in addition, which now is certainly not lawful." He declined to judge a patriarchs, however did non deduce from either their practice a on-going acceptableness of polygamy. In another place, he wrote, "Now indeed in our time, and in keeping with Roman custom, it is no longer allowed to take another wife, so as to have more than one wife living [emphasis added]."

Jesus states within Matthew 19:8-9, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery." A equivalent sentiment is echoed around Mark 10:10 in which Jesus states "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery." When occasionally state that a Bible says notool blackball all about polygamy, others locate these statements of Christ to exist as nonsensical in case polygamy & criminal conversation are non a equivalent thing in the eyes of God. Paul farther adds inside Titus 1:6 "An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife."

Sporadically, Christian reform movements that keep close at hand aimed at rebuilding Christian ism according to a Bible alone (sola scriptura) have at least temporarily accepted polygamy as a Biblical practice. When you took a Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther advised Philip of Hesse that although he found nothing unbiblical all about polygamy, he should keep his 2nd marriage the secret to stay away from public scandal. A radical Anabaptists of Münster also practiced polygamy, however it got little influence fallowing a kill of the Münster Rebellion in 1535. More Protestant leaders including John Calvin condemned polygamy, and at any rate sanctioned polygamy did non subsist yearn inside Protestantism.

"On February 14, 1650, the parliament at Nürnberg decreed that because so many men were killed during the Thirty Years’ War, the churches for the following ten years could not admit any man under the age of 60 into a monastery. Priests and ministers not bound by any monastery were allowed to marry. Lastly, the decree stated that every man was allowed to marry up to ten women. The men were admonished to behave honorably, provide for their wives properly, and prevent animosity among them." Larry O. Jensen, The Genealogic Enchiridion of German Locate (Rpm. Ed., 1980) p. 59 [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/Rg/images/Ger_BMD_RefDoc_HandbookGermanResearch.pdf].

A modern trend towards frequent divorcement & remarriage is occasionally refered to by Christians when 'serial polygamy'.

Islam
Muslim polygamy, around practice & law, differs greatly throughout a Islamic globe. Inside occasionally Muslim countries, polygamy is comparatively virtually all common, when around most others, these are typically uncommon or even non-missing. Polygamy is virtually all widely good by Muslims inside West Africa (where these are too widely expert by non-Muslims), besides when around certain hidebound Arabian states such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates; in the rest of the Muslim world, these are highly uncommon, by using a select few countries potentially banning it. One of that polygamy is seldom good around great deal of the muslim globecome is because that you must be super loaded sequentially to own multiple married woman. To each one married woman must keep around her have home, car, etc.

Inside Muslim countries within which polygamy does occur, there are certain core fundamental frequency encountered in commons among virtually all of the children. Based on datthe from traditional Islamic law, a human could require when much when foursome married woman, & both of people married woman must develop her have property, plus, & dowery, & as numbers of break one's back women as he may afford. Commonly a married woman develop little to there is no caltogether for sustaining both more & lead separate, single passes within their have houses, & periodically in different cities, though it all part a equivalent married man. So, Muslim polygamy is traditionally restricted to wealthy men, & inside the bit of countries these are illegal for a human to marry multiple married woman in case he is unable to afford to choose care of every of the babies properly.

Islam allows the human to keep around as much as quaternion married woman at any once. Nevertheless, the woman just can not keep close at hand supplementary than 1 hubby at once. A Qur'an in verse 4:3 states (English translation by Dr Muhammad Taqi-ul-Din Al Hilali and Dr Muhammad Muhsin Khan):

This verse is linked to the past verse which relates to the human ingesting an orphan girl when his married woman. A caregivers one orphaned girls use at times an unfair benefit (especially in a period of a period when you took which the Qur'an was revealed) above the babies whenever it wish to marry the children. Existence their shielder, it can be tempted to marry the two while forgoing paying the babies their fully dower or even sequentially to confiscate their inheritance. This verse is telling these men that whenever it fear that it just might non treat justly by having a orphans whom it wish to marry, so it should marry more women (not orphan women however loose women by using defender & families world health organization can look on top & protect their rights).

It's crucial to note a context inside which a term 'orphan girls' is existence utilized on text. Orphan girls (that is, orphaned of two mother & father too after any quick personal to look when a two) at a period when the Qur'an was revealed experienced super on line status around society & virtually there is no recognizable rights, unless the caregiver chose to choose the babies inside. A relationship of a caregiver to the orphan girl would use at times to satisfy the criteria placed call at the Qur'an verses 4:23 & 4:24 when to which women the human is permitted to marry under Islamic law sequentially for verse 4:3 to become valid.

Occasionally Muslims, notwithstanding, suppose that polygamy is restricted (e.g. [http://www.answering-christianity.com/polygamy.htm]). It quote a charted verse 4:129, (translation by Yusuf Ali):

This, united by using a requirement for fairness declared inside 4:3 & arguments according to its context, has led the children to conclude that polygamy is just sanctioned inside exceptional circumstances - e.g. whenever there is the shortage of male adults when a war - & that monogamousness is typically preferred. Opponents of this review think that verse 4:129 doesn't search to discourage polygamy, however instead guides a hubby withinside training handle tons of his married woman fairly in practice, possibly though, in term of (love & emotions) he may non exist as entity to love & sense a equivalent for the babies (entirely) equally.

Possibly though Muhammed was himself polyoicous, he expressed disapproval of it for his have girl, Fatima & recognised that it would emotionally upset her. Based on data from Bukhari (world health organization mentions a hadith twice, Book 7, Blunt 115 & 152),

Mormon
See main articles: Plural marriage, Plural wives of Joseph Smith, Jr., Polygamous Mormon fundamentalists.

Early in its history The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints practised polygamy in the United States and referred to it as "plural marriage". It was publicly announced by the Church in 1852, and the marriage ceremony (as conducted by an authorized priesthood leader) was believed to be a sacred, eternal ordinance. Only some members of the Church practiced polygamy. The practice was introduced by Joseph Smith, Jr., the Church's founder.

The practice of polygamy quickly led to persecution of the Church and the enacting of anti-polygamy laws. (The U.S. Congress made the practice illegal in U.S. Territories in 1862). Many members of the Church fled to Canada in an attempt to set up communities free from prosecution; for example, Cyril Ogston founded Seven Persons, Alberta. Although Latter-day Saints believed that their religiously-based practice of plural marriage was protected by the United States Constitution, opponents used it to delay Utah statehood until 1896. Increasingly harsh anti-polygamy legislation stripped Church members of their rights as citizens, disincorporated the Church, and permitted the seizure of Church property until the Church ordered the discontinuance of the practice in 1890.

National attention in the United States again focused on potential polygamy among the Church in the early 20th century during the House hearings on Representative-elect B. H. Roberts and Senate hearings on Senator-elect Reed Smoot (the Smoot Hearings). This caused Church president Joseph F. Smith to issue his "2nd Manifesto" against polygamy in 1904. Since that time, it has been Church policy to excommunicate any member either practicing or openly advocating the practice of polygamy.

The ban on polygamy resulted in a schism within the Church, with various splinter groups leaving the Church to continue the practice of polygamy. Polygamy among these groups persists today in Utah and neighboring states, as well as among isolated individuals with no organized church affiliation. Polygamists of this kind are sometimes called "Mormon fundamentalists", despite their lack of affiliation with the mainstream Church. According to one source there are as many as 37,000 Fundamentalist Mormons, with less than half of them living in polygamous households [http://principlevoicesofpolygamy.myblogsite.com/blog/_archives/2005/8/28/1176399.html]. Most of the polygamy is believed to be restricted to about a dozen extended groups of polygamous Mormon fundamentalists.

The practice of informal polygamy among these groups presents itself with interesting legal issues. It has been considered difficult to prosecute polygamists partly because they are not formally married under Utah law. Without evidence that suspected offenders have multiple, formal or common-law marriages, these groups are merely subject to the laws against adultery or unlawful cohabitation. These laws are not commonly enforced because they also criminalize other behavior that is otherwise socially sanctioned.

However, some "Mormon fundamentalistic" polygamists marry women prior to the age of consent. In 2005, the state attorneys-general of Utah and Arizona issued a [http://www.attorneygeneral.utah.gov/polygamy.html primer] on helping victims of domestic violence and child abuse in "Mormon fundamentalistic" polygamous communities. Enforcement of other crimes such as child abuse, domestic violence, and fraud were emphasized over the enforcement of anti-polygamy laws.

Legal situation

Secular law in most western countries with large Jewish and Christian populations does not recognise polygamous marriages. However, few such countries have any laws against living a polygamous lifestyle: they simply refuse to give it any official recognition. Parts of the United States, however, criminalise even the polygamous lifestyle, which is unusual; these laws originated as anti-Mormon legislation, although they are rarely enforced.

Multiple divorce and marriage for polygamy

Some polygamous families use a system of multiple divorce and legal marriage. This is where the husband marries the first wife, she takes his last name, he divorces her and then marries the next wife who takes his name. For polyandry relationships, it is the wife that marries and divorces the husbands one after another. This is repeated until he has married and divorced all his wives, except possibly the last one. This way the wives feel justified in calling themselves Mrs. [husband's last name] and, while legally they're divorced from the husband, they act still married to him and expect those around them to acknowledge and respect this.

Since only one wife is married to the husband at any one time, no law was being broken and so this type of polygamous family unit could be overt about their relationship.

This changed in 2001, with the conviction of Thomas Arthur Green -- .

Recent polygamy prosections and convictions
In 2001, the state of Utah in the United States convicted Tom Green of criminal non-support and four counts of bigamy for having 5 serially monogamous marriages, while living with previous legally divorced wives. His cohabitation was considered evidence of a common-law marriage to the wives he had divorced while still living with them. That premise was subsequently affirmed by the Utah Supreme Court in [http://www.utcourts.gov/opinions/supopin/greeni090304.htm State v. Green], as applicable only in the State of Utah. Green was also convicted of child rape and criminal non-support. In 2005, the state attorneys-general of Utah and Arizona issued a [http://www.attorneygeneral.utah.gov/polygamy.html primer] on helping victims of domestic violence and child abuse in polygamous communities. These states are emphasizing enforcement of crimes of child abuse, domestic violence, and fraud over the enforcement of the crime of bigamy. The priorities of local prosecutors are not covered by this statement.

[http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,405025347,00.html Deseret News article about Tom Green]

Current proponents and opponents

David Friedman and Steve Sailer have argued that polygamy tends to benefit most women and disadvantage most men. Friedman uses this observation to argue in favor of legalizing polygamy, while Sailer uses it to argue against legalizing it.

The Libertarian Party supports complete decriminalization of polygamy as part of a general belief that the government should not regulate marriages.

Individualist feminism and advocates such as Wendy McElroy also support the freedom for adults to voluntarily enter polygamous marriages.

The illegality of polygamy in certain areas creates, according to certain Bible passages, additional arguments against it. Paul of Tarsus writes "submit to the authorities, not just because of imaginable penalization however as well because of conscience" (Romans 13:5), for "the authorities that survive develop been established by God." (Romans 13:1) St Peter concurs when he says to "submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to each authority instituted among men: whether to a king, when the supreme authority, or even to governors, world health organization come sent by him to punish people world health organization run wrong & to commend victims world health organization clean perfect." (1 Peter 2:13,14) Pro-polygamists argue that, as long as polygamists currently do not obtain legal marriage licenses for additional spouses, no enforced laws are being broken any more than when monogamous couples who similarly co-habitate without a marriage license. The [http://www.biblicalpolygamy.com/exegesis/law-of-the-land/ "Law of the Land"] page at [http://www.biblicalpolygamy.com BiblicalPolygamy.com] provides and addresses more details on that specific issue.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints supports enforcing laws against polygamy.

The Catholic Church clearly condemns polygamy; the Catechism of the Catholic Church lists it in paragraph 2387 under the head "More offenses against a dignity of marriage" and states that it "isNon in unison by owning a moral law." Also in paragraph 1645 under the head "A Goods & Requirements of Conjugal Love" states "A unity of marriage, distinctly recognized by my Lord, is mass produced clear around the equal personalized dignity which must exist as accorded to human & wife in reciprocal & unreserved tenderness. Polygamy is contrary to connubial love which is undivided & exclusive."

The ACLU of Utah is [http://www.aclu.org/ReligiousLiberty/ReligiousLiberty.cfm?ID=8318&c=142 opposed to Utah's law against bigamy].

Those who advocate a Federal Marriage Amendment to prohibit same-sex marriage generally word their proposed laws to also prohibit polygamy.

United States Senator Rick Santorum opposes polygamy, comparing it to sodomy and adultery.

Robert Heinlein was a science fiction writer who discussed polygyny, polyandry, group marriage, and line marriage in his works.

How polygamists find more spouses
Those who live in their own communities tend to find their additional spouses from within their own communities or networks of like-communities. Those who are geographically separated from other polygamists in their culture use other means to find additional spouses. Some polygamists from all groups use the Internet to find additional spouses.

Mormon fundamentalists - aggregate in communities

So-called Mormon fundamentalists (who are not associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) continue to practice polygamy today, more than 100 years after the LDS Church discontinued the practice. These fundamentalists practice polygamy by tending to aggregate in communities where they all commonly share their own specific religious basis for polygamy.

Muslims & traditionalist cultures

Polygamy, and laws concerning polygamy, differ greatly throughout the Islamic world and form a very complex and diverse background from nation to nation. Whereas in some Muslim countries it may be fairly common, in most others it is often rare or non-existent. However, there are certain core fundamentals which are found in most Muslim countries where the practice occurs. According to traditional Islamic law, a man may take up to four wives, and each of those wives must have her own property, assets, and dowry. Usually the wives have little to no contact with each other and lead separate, individual lives in their own houses, and sometimes in different cities, though they all share the same husband. Thus, polygamy is traditionally restricted to wealthy men, and in some countries it is illegal for a man to marry multiple wives if he is unable to afford to take care of each of them properly.

In the modern Islamic world, polygamy is mainly found in traditionalist Arab cultures, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for instance, whereas in secular Arab states like Lebanon and non-Arab Muslim countries, Turkey and Malaysia for example, it is either extremely rare or even banned outright. In traditionalist cultures where polygamy is still commonplace and legal, Muslim polygamists do not separate themselves from the society at large, since there would be no need as each spouse leads a separate life from the others.

On the Internet - polygamy personals

When it comes to seeking polygamous family situations via the internet, the options are very limited.

For polyandrists, there are no web-sites dedicated to providing ads for single men seeking polyandry or even for polyandrous families seeking such single men. The only online opportunities for such ads would likely be found on polyamory sites such as [http://www.PolyMatchMaker.com PolyMatchMaker.com].

However, the very different kinds of relationship-seekers who would advertise on such polyamory sites involve additional issues with which most polygynists would never be interested in nor comfortable with being associated. Mormon, Muslim, and Christian polygamists are all exclusively polygyny-based, and all typically do not involve bisexual issues. Even most secular polygamists tend to be polygynists too.

A handful of polygamy web-sites have attempted to offer such "polygamy personals" for polygynists. But such sites accomplish very little because they always lack the most sought-after individuals: single women who are actually and currently interested in marrying polygynously. Only one site, [http://www.2Wives.com 2Wives.com - Polygamy Personals], has actually ever been able to put a functioning system in place to provide such current ads of such real women.

Polygamy in fiction
A number of writers have expressed their views on polygamy by writing about a fictional world in which it is the common type of relationship. These worlds tend to be utopian or dystopian in nature. For instance, Robert A. Heinlein uses this theme in a number of novels, such as Stranger in a Strange Land.

Polygamy is practiced by the Fremen in Frank Herbert's Dune, as a means to pinpoint male infertility. It is socially accepted as long as the man provides for all wives equally.

Similarly, the Aiel society in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series practice a form of polygamy, in which multiple women may marry the same man (in that fictional culture, women are the ones who propose marriage).

Sheri Tepper uses an extreme portrayal of Mormon polygamy in her book, 'The Gate to Women's Country'. Set in the future, after major calamities and atomic warfare, a group of Mormons are left to develop as a community. Woman are seen as mostly sex slaves who also do the cooking and laundry. Although the likelihood of this type of situation actually arising is slim, it does bring up the consequences of polygamy taken too far in a negative way.