MARITAL JEALOUSY 157 



for the first time, are fully recognised, and their 

 children suffer no disability. If not allowed to marry, 

 such ladies are by no means always debarred from 

 indulging their fancies in a less regular manner. 1 



It will be sufficient here to mention one of the tribes 

 least affected by Hinduism, namely, the Santals. 

 The Santals are a large Dravidian tribe, classed on 

 linguistic grounds as Kolarian, which is found in 

 Western Bengal, Northern Orissa, Bhagalpur and the 

 Santal Pdrganas. They are divided into twelve 

 exogamous septs descendible in the male line. These 

 septs may be ascribed, though doubtfully, to a totemic 

 origin. " Girls are married as adults mostly to men 

 of their own choice. Sexual intercourse before 

 marriage is tacitly recognised, it being understood 

 that if the girl becomes pregnant the young man is 

 bound to marry her." It is suggested that fraternal 

 polyandry at one time existed. " Even now," says 

 Mr. Skrefsrud, a " man's younger brother may share 

 his wife with impunity, only they must not go about it 

 very openly. Similarly a wife will admit her younger 

 sister to intimate relations with her husband, and if 

 pregnancy occurs scandal is avoided by his marrying 



1 The half-Brahmanised tribes and castes are so numerous and 

 the details so varied that the general results of an examination of 

 the details given by Mr. Risley relating to the population of Bengal 

 and by Mr. Crooke relating to that of the United Provinces can 

 only be stated here. Nor is it possible to compile accurate statistics, 

 in consequence of the tendency of many of the castes to sub-division 

 on minute points and the local differences of practice. Reference 

 should be made to The Tribes and Castes of Bengal and The Tribes 

 and Castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, and to the 

 Report of the Census of 1901. A distinct connection is traceable 

 between the comparative freedom of women before and after 

 marriage, though it is not invariable. 



