Definition:
A unilineal group of kin who trace their descent from a known common ancestor or ancestress is a lineage.
According to the definition a lineage is a unilineal descent group or a consanguineous group whose members claim descent from a common known ancestor or ancestress. At the same time they can cite and demonstrate the actual consanguineal links between themselves and their known common ancestor or ancestress. To be brief, all the members of a lineage can be identified and the generalized connection between them can be demonstrated. That means a lineage is based on demonstrated descent.
Types:
- On the basis of the types of descent, lineages may be classified into several types; Patrilineages and matrilineages.
- A unilineal group of kin who trace their descent from a known common male ancestor is a patrilineage. It is based on demonstrated patrilineal descent.
- A unilineal descent of kin who trace their descent from a known common female ancestor is a matrilineage. It is based on demonstrated matri1ineal descent.
Distribution:
Patrilineages can be found among the food-gathering and hunting societies like those of Witoto Red Indians of Amazonia, Yanomamo Red Indians of Southern Venezuela and northern Brazil and the Miwok Red Indians of California, among the pastoral societies like those of Gilyak of Siberia, Bedouins of Cyrenaica, Nuer of Sudan and among the agricultural societies like those of China and most of India.
Matrilineages also occur among the food-gathering and hunting societies like those of the veddas of Ceylon, Ramkokamekra of east central Brazil and the Kurtachi of Solomon Islands among the horticultural societies like those of Tikopia in Polynesia, Bemba of Zambia and Yako of Nigeria and the Khasi and Garo of Meghalaya in India and among the agricultural societies like the Minangkabau of Sumatra and Nayars of Kerala in India.
Attributes:
- Name: usually lineages have labels, symbols, designations or names. However in a few societies like those of our own lineages are not named.
- Exogamy: Since the members of every lineage are blood relatives they have to choose spouses from every other lineage, Thus lineages in all societies regulate marriages through exogamy.
- Common religious obligations: The lineages may have their own Gods, Priests, and peculiar ritual and ceremonial paraphernalia for dealing with the supernatural. Each lineage venerates its dead ancestors. Through ancestor veneration or ancestor worship every lineage respects its dead founders and organizes its living members.
- Corporate property-ownership: In a vast majority of the societies each lineage acts as a corporation because it owns property and controls the use and inheritance of property, In this sense each lineage functions as a corporation in many societies. However, in some of the societies the individual families within a lineage own property. In a small number of societies none of the lineages own property. Among the Nuer inheritance of cattle takes place exclusively within the lineage, from father to son or brother to brother. In many societies, land is held jointly by lineage members.
- Corporate enterprise: A lineage may undertake corporate enterprise. Its members may co-operate for economic purposes such as hunting, fishing and gardening or ceremonial purposes, such as initiation rites, marriage ceremonies and death ceremonies. Among the Plateau Tonga, Trobrianders, Tikopians and Pukapukans, the lineages regularly serve as co-operative units
- Social control: A lineage may act as a unit of social control. It regulates the behavior of its members; it punishes those who violate the customs, traditions and laws of their society. Thus a lineage may enforce the rules of society among its members. Among the Muria, Tiv and Nayars lineage acts as a unit of social control, enforcing its rules and punishing Infractions
- Mutual aid: A lineage supports its members- on important occasions in the life cycle. Those who get into trouble or have a legitimate need that cannot be handled otherwise may turn to other members of their lineage or the others may come to their aid voluntarily out of their kinship. It is often the responsibility of lineage members who are better off to ensure that others who are poor, infirm, or elderly are cared for. Among the Siwai, matrilineage people are considered responsible for each other’ s welfare in their life and in the next.
- Feuding: in many societies a lineage acts as a feud group. Lineages within a single clan feud with each other, and then, at times unite to fight members of another clan. The Gusii of Kenya, the Tiv of Central Nigeria and the Nuer of Sudan in Africa may be cited as examples of lineage level feuding.
- Hospitality: A lineage acts as a unit of hospitality. Among the Gusii, the largest hospitality unit is a relatively small segment, the “riiga lineage; common membership in the larger segments like clan sub-clan, sub-sub clan does not carry an obligation to hospitality.
To summarize: the various attributes of- lineages reveal how the members of a lineage acquire membership in a group and even get identification label in terms of the name of their lineage, regulate their marriages by means of lineage exogamy, organize activities at different levels within a lineage by means of lineage segmentation, use and inherit property by corporate character of their lineage, have ceremonial and religious concerns and express solidarity by the religious and enterpriseaspect of lineage, adhere to rules of society, help themselves in times of peace and guard themselves in times of conflict or war by means of lineage solidarity.