What might have led to the practice of polyandry, as suggested by some historians?

1) A cultural tradition in the Deccan region
2) A shortage of women during times of warfare
3) A desire for marital variety among elites
4) A preference for complex marital arrangements

Choose the correct answer from the given options:

2

The correct answer is Option 2 - 2

2) A shortage of women during times of warfare

One of the most challenging episodes in the Mahabharata is Draupadi’s marriage with the Pandavas, an instance of polyandry that is central to the narrative. If we examine the section of the epic that describes this event, it is evident that the author(s) attempted to explain it in a variety of ways.

Present-day historians suggest that the fact that the author(s) describe a polyandrous union indicates that polyandry may have been prevalent amongst ruling elites at some point of time. At the same time, the fact that so many different explanations are offered for the episode suggests that polyandry gradually fell into disfavour amongst the Brahmanas, who reworked and developed the text through the centuries. Some historians note that while the practice of polyandry may have seemed unusual or even undesirable from the Brahmanical point of view, it was (and is) prevalent in the Himalayan region. Others suggest that there may have been a shortage of women during times of warfare, and this led to polyandry. In other words, it was attributed to a situation of crisis.