The Dying Practice of Polyandry

In remote villages of India’s Himalayan valley, the last women with more than one husband, an ancient practice there, are dying out. Polyandry thrived for centuries on these small farms clinging to mountainsides 11,000 feet above sea level, where the line between survival and starvation was slim. But in a single generation, polyandry has nearly disappeared. Roads, cars, phones, and TV have brought about major social change. Several men, often brothers, would once share one wife; children called the eldest husband “father,” though they knew who their biological dad was, by their mother’s decree. It was also a form of birth control—five brothers would sire six or seven kids, instead of dozens. And the practice gave women a stronger voice in society. But now, thanks to roads, men can venture further to find better-paying jobs. They can afford their own wife.