The locus of Naga culture is the hill country of northeast India between Assam’s Brahmaputra Valley to the west and the Myanmar (Burma) border to the east.
While folk traditions regarding the history of the various Naga tribes abound, scholarly consensus has not been reached concerning their origin. Lhotas, Semas, Aos, and other Naga tribes use jhum cultivation almost exclusively
.
There are two forms of marriage in Naga, one ceremonial, the other non-ceremonial. The ceremonial form is desired as a symbol of status and consists of an elaborate ritual involving the services of a Marriage broker, the taking of omens, and the negotiation of a marriage-price (usually nomi
nal).
The Lhotas are polygynous, a husband having as many as three wives. Young girls are preferred and bride-prices are high; they are paid in installments over ten years.
Divorce among the Lhota is also common. Arranged marriages are the norm with women having no Freedom of choice in the selection of a spouse. A husband may also allow his brother or nearest relative on his father’s side to have conjugal access to his wife when he is absent for any length
of time.
The Semas are also polygynous. A Sema husband may have as many as five to seven wives. Sema women have freedom of choice in mate selection.
As is the case among the Lhota, marriage-prices are high. Marital residence practices seem to differ among the various Nag
a tribes.
Part of the Angami marriage ceremony involves the giving of land to the new couple by the bridegroom’s parents. The new couple works and eats on this land.
This may be an indication of a patrilocal postmarital residence pattern. Part of the betrothal process involves the husband’s construction of a marital home (location not indicated) with materials gathered from the fields of his parents and the parents of his wife.
