Matriarchal Theory

                     Matriarchal Theory

Macleannan , Morgan and Jenks are chief exponents of this theory. In their books,"Primitive Society"(1866),"Studies is Ancient Society"(1877),"A History of Politics"(1900),they have explained this theory and rejected outrightly the proposition that patriarchal family was the earliest form of society. They maintain that the primitive family had no common male head and kinship was traced through mothers. The matriarchal family was prior to patriarchal family. The patriarchal family was possible only where monogamy or polyandry existed. The earliest form of marriage relation was polyandry. According to it one woman had more than one husband. In such a society kinship is traced through females and not males. Meclennan and Morgan share "the credit of discovering the clan, a maternally organised hereditary ,unilateral unit, unilateral because children under this system belonged to the clan of their mother without regard to the clan of the chief of the family".After her mother's death, the eldest daughter inherited the property. A few examples of such a system of family are available in Australia, Malaya, Madagaskar and Malabar. Jenks has attempt to illustrate his proposition with the help the conditions still existing among the natives of Australia where people live in totem groups and intermix with one another. When the wandering tribes settled in a permanent place and started their business, monogamy or polygamy come into being. Since then patriarchal families come into being. Therefore, the supporters of the matriarchal family are right when they argue that the matriarchal family is prior to the patriarchal family. They firmly believe that the union of families leads to the formation of Gens and Gens to that of tribes. The expansion of tribes give shape to the village and the expansion of villages give shape to the state.

Criticism of Matriarchal Theory

1-At first it is difficult to shape that in the very beginning matriarchal families excited in the primitive society. It is possibly that at some places the tradition of patriarchal family was popular. In this connection, Dr. Leacock has very aptly remarked that "here the matriarchal relationship and there a patriarchal regime, is found to have been the rule-either of which may perhaps be displaced by the other".

2-This theory does not attempt to explain the true origin of the state. It deals only with the primitive stage of human society.

3- The process of the development of state is not so simple as is explained in this theory. It ignores many complex factors which play their role in the development of state.