Interviews with a random sample of households resident in metropolitan Madras in 1966 revealed that many women, of the different age cohorts, married consanguineously. Most often these women married men who were defined by their communities as the most preferred types of mates - mother’s brother, mother’s brother’s son, or father’s sister’s son. As compared with non-consanguineous marriages, these marriages were usually arranged by the parents and usually occurred at young ages for -bride and groom. Comparatively speaking, they produced more offspring and had greater infant and child mortality. Findings for metropolitan Madras are similar to findings reported in studies of other areas of Tamil Nadu and of Karnataka State. These patterns for South India are vivid contrasts to marital patterns elsewhere in India and in other nations.
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