ands ▁to ▁accum ulate ▁the ▁b ride ▁price ▁for ▁an ▁extra ▁wife . ▁ ▁Pol yg yn y ▁may ▁also ▁result ▁from ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁le vir ate ▁marriage . ▁In ▁such ▁cases , ▁the ▁dece ased ▁man ' s ▁he ir ▁may ▁inherit ▁his ▁assets ▁and ▁wife ; ▁or , ▁more ▁usually , ▁his ▁brothers ▁may ▁marry ▁the ▁wid ow . ▁This ▁provides ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁wid ow ▁and ▁her ▁children ▁( us ually ▁also ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁brothers ' ▁kin ▁group ) ▁and ▁maintain s ▁the ▁tie ▁between ▁the ▁hus b ands ' ▁and ▁w ives ' ▁kin ▁groups . ▁The ▁sor or ate ▁res emb les ▁the ▁le vir ate , ▁in ▁that ▁a ▁wid ower ▁must ▁marry ▁the ▁sister ▁of ▁his ▁dead ▁wife . ▁The ▁family ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁wife , ▁in ▁other ▁words , ▁must ▁provide ▁a ▁replacement ▁for ▁her , ▁thus ▁maintain ing ▁the ▁marriage ▁al liance . ▁Both ▁le vir ate ▁and ▁sor or ate ▁may ▁result ▁in ▁a ▁man ▁having ▁multiple ▁w ives . ▁ ▁In ▁mon og am ous ▁soci eties , ▁wealth y ▁and ▁powerful ▁men ▁established ▁end uring ▁relationships ▁with , ▁and ▁established ▁separate ▁household ▁for , ▁multiple ▁female ▁partners , ▁aside ▁from ▁their ▁legit imate ▁w ives ; ▁a ▁practice ▁accepted ▁in ▁Imperial ▁China ▁up ▁until ▁the ▁Q ing ▁D ynast y ▁of ▁ 1 6 3 6 – 1 9 1 2 . ▁This ▁constit utes ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁de   fact o ▁pol yg yn y ▁referred ▁to ▁as