polygyny

Marriage between one man and two or more women. Polygyny is practised in nearly 70% of all societies. In Islamic countries a man may have up to four wives by Koranic law. The Mormons of the US state of Utah practised polygyny until it was prohibited 1890.

Polygyny is particularly common in agricultural societies where women are valued as workers and child-bearers. It is usually older, wealthy men, or men of high status who have gained power and wealth in later life, who can afford another wife. Since the older and wealthy men monopolize the number of women available for marriage, young men have to turn to them for their help in arranging a marriage and are thus placed in their debt. Polygyny causes a shortage of marriageable women and characteristically men in such societies marry at a later age or not at all. A senior wife often encourages her husband to take another wife, because this lessens the workload and provides her with companionship. Senior wives usually have special privileges, and co-wives frequently live in separate living quarters, often to avoid quarrels which can erupt over whose children will inherit the husband's wealth.