Polygyny s a type of marriage in which one man marries more than one woman. In this form of marriage we find, what may be called "the plurality of wives". Though monogamy was the rule fixed by the Rig Veda and the Brahmachari entered the grihastashrama with his marriage, polygyny was in practice in the ancient times and persisted till the beginning of the present century. Until the passage of Hindu Marriage Act in 1955, every Hindu was in theory free to marry a number of women. In fact, however a very small percentage of Hindus were polygynous. It had become a social custom to have many wives as it increased the prestige of the man in the society. it wad usual for the princes and the aristocratic people and not for the common people. The Nawabs and the rich landlords used to have a number of wives. Polygyny among the Hindus has become a thing of the past. It is legally prohibited. Mumbai State had passed a legislation against its practices as early as n 1946 and later Madras and Saurashtra government followed it. But The Hindu Marriage Act 1955 introduced by the Central Government repealed all the previous legislation and it strictly prohibits polygyny.
