Topic started by krishna (@ london-hse-ppp3539494.sympatico.ca) on Tue Sep 16 23:23:23 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

What is the history of "concubines" in TN?
How did this practice begin? When, if at all, did it end?
What is the psychological effect on children that result from such unions?

I have encountered a number of situations where references are made to the presence of concubines in TN society.
I'm interpreting the word "concubine" rather broadly here,it could mean a second wife (the first wife is still acknowledged as a wife), a mistress inhabiting a separate household and offspring are produced as a result of the union or a situation where a man co-habits with two or more women in the same household.
In particular, I'm referring to the presence of such "concubines" in Tamil Hindu society.

I have encountered references to "concubines" in the following situations:

1) In the book, 'A Documentary History of Indian South Africans' there is a heart-rending letter by a wife who lays a charge of bigamy against her husband. Dated September 4, 1895 the letter describes a charge of bigamy against Seeniwasa Padayachi laid by his wife Amirtham.
In the letter, Amirtham states that she is not Padayachi's "concubine" but his lawfully married wife.

2) Many years ago, I had a conversation with a South African Tamil who told me that there were many cases of married Tamil men emigrating to South Africa and co-habiting with South African Tamil women born during an earlier wave of immigration. Some of these men abandoned their South African families and returned to India, others abandoned their Indian families and remained in South Africa.

3) A friend tells me his Tamil grandfather emigrated to South Africa with two wives. This does not appear do be a practice confined to the so-called "lower" castes, the grandfather was a member of one of the "upper" Hindu castes.

4) I seem to recall reading that Annadurai, the founder of the DMK, was the illegitimate son of a married brahmin man and a woman from the weaver caste.
Is this correct?

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: truth (@ dsl-chn-111.253.247.61.touchtelindia.net) on: Sat Nov 20 07:43:41 EST 2004
  
  @davie
  And father of indian constitution is Ambedkar, SC fellow. Now u believe why Brahmins call low caste people idiots?
  Okay
  I am fed up with countering everything.
  Bye
  
  
• From: davie (@ laptop1) on: Sat Nov 20 09:50:07 EST 2004
  
  yea many are ignorant like u. if he lived before 500 years, then all these would not have happened (if constitution was framed before 500 yrs)
  
  
• From: sad @truth (@ dsl-chn (@ ) on: Mon Jan 10 00:48:26
  
  "I am fed up with countering everything"
  .
  So said yet another member of the Flat Earth Society before he signed off in front of his uncooprative audience.
  
  
• From: sad @truth (@ dsl-chn (@ ) on: Mon Jan 10 00:48:38
  
  "I am fed up with countering everything"
  .
  So said yet another member of the Flat Earth Society before he signed off in front of his uncooperative audience.
  
  
• From: truth (@ dsl-tn-150.254.247.61.touchtelindia.net) on: Sat Jan 15 00:11:04 EST 2005
  
  @sudras who comment on Hindus
  Initially all humans believed earth was flat.
  Monkies like Dravidians cant look beyong their land coz that is all they could see from top of the trees in tamil nadu.
  
  Arya Batta has measured the circumference of the earth with very little difference without any gadgets.
  
  While Dravidian sat on tree tops looking for mates.
  
  Just by obsering the movement of stars, sun and moon.
  
  Has any of ur monkey tamilian sudra done it?
  It looked flat in the eyes of Aryans in the begining.
  But Dravidian sudras say after so many years, earth is under tamil nadu.
  Who do u think is better?
  
  
• From: truth (@ dsl-chn-111.253.247.61.touchtelindia.net) on: Thu Jan 20 10:54:25 EST 2005
  
  @sudras
  someone is wiping out all valid postings i make here.
  Like EVR Hindus meaning Dravidians.
  The half evolved Dravidians at the time of Arya Batta.
  The way Arya batta calculated the circumference of the earth with little margin etc.
  Some fellow is doing that.
  What is he afraid of.
  Truth??
  
  
• From: real truth (@ 216-12-67-243.cv.mvl.ntelos.net) on: Thu Jan 20 11:07:05 EST 2005
  
  ok mr truth. go fuk urself.
  hehe
  all these are false.
  there is nothing called dravidians and aryans
  
  
• From: happyindian (@ bbcache-10.singnet.com.sg) on: Thu Jan 20 12:03:12 EST 2005
  
  Truth, some of your postings are offensive to southindians / dravidians.
  Everyone who is interested in considering themselves unique, whether you are a harcore tamizh who thinks tamils are a different race or a hardcore brahmin who thinks brahmins are a diff race: Please get a DNA profile done, then you will know your ancestry. Anyone from india will generally be grouped under "Indian". There is no race like brahmin or nadar or vanniya or whatever. All Indians are products of anuloma & pratiloma, including present day brahmins. Except some very restrictive communities like some tribals, intermixing has been everywhere. Please accept fellow humans as they are (why shd difference matter), you will eventually find joy in doing that and happiness in yourself. God bless.
  
  

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