Caste Based Endogamy in a Punjabi Village of Pakistan

Caste based endogamy is one of the main characteristics of traditional caste system practiced in rural Pakistan. Members of different quoms do not inter-marry or at least do not prefer to marry out of their quom. While social acceptance for inter quom marriages among different landowning quoms is increasing in Punjabi villages, inter marriages between landowning quoms and service providing quoms are normatively discouraged even at present. As a result, members of landowning quoms and service providing quoms do not form kinship associations, which reproduce them as two mutually exclusive social groups placing landowning quoms at a higher and service providing quoms at a lower status category. Caste based status differences across landowning quoms and service providing quoms and emphasis on collective life in rural setting are seen as the main reasons that reinforce caste based endogamy. Educational, economic or professional accomplishments of the members of service providing quoms do not affect the structure of caste based endogamy in Punjabi villages. Though a few incidents of elopement marriages among landowning quoms and service providing quoms are found, such marriages do not generally gain social approval.