mothers
in each case, then they cannot marry if they are third in descent
from the same ancestor, but may do so in the fourth or subsequent
generations. It is of no importance whether the intervening links
between the common ancestor and the proposed couple are male or female;
descent is considered to be male if through the father, and female
if through the mother. In practice, marriages are held to be valid
between persons fourth in descent from a common ancestor in the case
of male relationship, and third in the case of female relationship,
that is, persons having a common greatgrandparent in the male line
or a common grandparent in the female line can marry.

Other rules are that girls must not be exchanged in marriage between
two families, and a man may not marry two sisters, though he can
marry his deceased wife's sister. The bride should be both younger
in age and shorter in stature than the bridegroom. A younger sister
should not be married while her elder sister is single.

10. Hypergamy.

The practice of hypergamy is, or was until recently, common among
Brahmans. This is the rule by which the social estimation of a
family is raised if its girls are married into a class of higher
social status than its own. Members of the superior classes will take
daughters from the lower classes on payment usually of a substantial
bride-price, but will not give their daughters to them. According
to Manu, men of the higher castes were allowed to take wives from
the lower ones but not to give daughters to them. The origin of the
custom is obscure. If caste was based on distinctions of race, then
apparently the practice of hypergamy would be objectionable, because
it would destroy the different racial classes. If, on the other
hand, the castes consisted of groups of varying social status, the
distinction being that those of the lower ones could not participate
in the sacramental or communal meals of the higher ones, then the
marriage of a daughter into a higher group, which would carry with
it participation at the sacramental marriage feast of this group,
might well be a coveted distinction. The custom of hypergamy prevails
somewhat largely in northern India between different subcastes, groups
of different social status in the same subcaste, and occasionally
even between different castes. The social results of hypergamy, when
commonly practised, are highly injurious. Men of the higher subcastes
get paid for marrying sev