What is the meaning of the word 'Matriliny'?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Tracing the descent from mother.
Option (1) Tracing the descent from father. — Incorrect. This is patriliny: tracing descent from father to son, grandson and so on. Under patriliny, sons could claim the resources of their fathers.
Option (2) Tracing the descent from grandfather. — Incorrect. Descent is not counted from a grandfather. A grandfather comes into the line only as part of patriliny, which runs from father to son and grandson.
Option (3) Tracing the descent from mother. — Correct. Matriliny is the term used when descent is traced through the mother.
Option (4) Tracing the descent from outside gotra. — Incorrect. The gotra rules were about marriage: each gotra was named after a Vedic seer, and members of the same gotra could not marry. They do not define matriliny.
NCERT (2026-27): “2.2 The ideal of patriliny … Ultimately, the conflict ended in a battle, in which the Pandavas emerged victorious. After that, patrilineal succession was proclaimed. While patriliny had existed prior to the composition of the epic, the central story of the Mahabharata reinforced the idea that it was valuable. Under patriliny, sons could claim the resources (including the throne in the case of kings) of their fathers when the latter died. Most ruling dynasties (c. sixth century BCE onwards) claimed to follow this system… Patriliny means tracing descent from father to son, grandson and so on. Matriliny is the term used when descent is traced through the mother.” |