Irawati Karve in her " kinship organization in india " divided india into four cultural kinship zones , broadly coinciding with the language zones based on many factors like Kinship terms language , descent and inheritance , patterns of marriage and family . And other cultural values .
She has taken a historical ,evolutionary ,comparative approach and she started with a genealogy of the characters of Mahabharata of india .
Distinctive features of kinship in northern, southern, central and eastern India
⏺️Clear distinction between matrilineal and patrilineal kin
⏺️Clear and specific terminology( kin terms are very specific and non repetitive)
⏺️Sapinda rule exerized(five generation to mother side and seven generations to father side )
⏺️Village exogamy ( mother and father exogamy is followed)
⏺️Fout gotra exogamy rule
2.southern indian Kinship system
⚫No strict village exogamy
⚫Preferential marriages
⚫No clear kinship terminology
⚫Clan exogamy
⚫Levirate is a taboo
⚫Matrilineal system also exist in tharawad
3.Central Kinship system
🔸Mixed patterns of North and South ( cross cousin Marriage allowed )
🔸Peculiar local rules in gururat ( no strculy follow of principles of village exogamy,and some of the caste in these areas allow Marriage only during particular years )
🔸Levirate also practiced
🔸Hypergamy also exists ( inter clan marriage clan exogamy and hypergamy also exists )
4.eastern kinship system
▶️Totemic clan exogamy( tribes are often divided into exogamous totemic clans )
▶️Rare cross cousin marriage ( in ho tribes but certain conditions)
▶️Matrilineal relations also exist ( in khasis tribes have metrilineal families)
Bride price is also prevalent
▶️Dormitory system ( youg male and female are kept and they even indulge in pre marital sex and it may or may not lead to marriage )
