Hinduism The Hindu scriptures acknowledge numerous occasions of polygyny; it was the norm among kings, the nobility and the extremely wealthy. For instance Pandu, the father of the Pandavas in Mahabharata, had two wives Kunti and Madri. Similarly, Dashratha had three chief wives: Kausalya, Sumitra, and Kaikeyi. Having more than one wife was a social custom that was believed to increase the prestige of a man. Although many other personalities including Rama had only one wife, as monogamy was regarded as the morally superior type of marriage, polygyny remained customary and widely acceptable among Hindus until it was legally abolished for Hindus in India by the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955.
Hinduism The Hindu scriptures acknowledge numerous occasions of polygyny; it was the no.rm among kings, the nobility and the extremely wealthy. For instance Pandu, the father of the Pandavas in Mahabharata, had two wives Kunti and Madri Similarly, Dashratha had three chief wives: Kausalya, Sumitra, and Kaikeyi. Having more than one wife was a social custom that was believed to increase the prestige of a man. Although many other personalities including Rama had only one wife, as monogamy was regarded as the morally superior type of marriage, polygyny remained customary and widely acceptable among Hindus until it was legally abolished for Hindus in India by the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955.