Nyinba Polyandry and the Allocation of Paternity

Abstract

Fraternal polyandry among the Nyinba, an ethnic group of Tibetan cultural affiliation, is part of a unitary marital system. All men are regarded as husbands to their common wife and all expect to have children by her. Whereas the rights and duties associated with fatherhood may be characterized as joint in some contexts, they are clearly differentiated in others-as determined by the paternity of the children. The attribution of distinctive paternity is particularly crucial in that it establishes a child's place in society, his/her rights to property, and succession to office or ritual status.