What country allows concubines?

While traditional concubinage (unmarried partners with men) isn't legally codified in most modern nations, some countries, particularly in Asia and Africa, tolerate or legally recognize polygamous relationships (multiple wives) or de facto concubinage, often rooted in Islamic law or cultural traditions, with Malaysia, parts of Indonesia, and some African nations permitting polygamy for Muslims or within certain contexts, while countries like France and Switzerland have legal frameworks for concubinage as cohabitation (PACS/UNUS).

What countries still have concubines?

While official legal recognition of concubines is rare, the practice persists in informal ways, particularly in parts of Asia (like China, Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia) and the Muslim world (Middle East, parts of Africa, South Asia), often under customary law or as culturally accepted extramarital relationships, especially among affluent individuals. Modern forms often involve "second wives" (二奶, er nai) in China or long-term mistresses, blurring lines with traditional concubinage, though official monogamy laws usually apply. 

In what country is it legal to have multiple wives?

Polygamy (specifically polygyny, one man with multiple wives) is legal and practiced in many Muslim-majority countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Algeria, Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and parts of Nigeria, often under religious/customary law, though sometimes with conditions like first wife's consent or equal treatment. It's also recognized in countries like India and Malaysia for Muslims, and in parts of Indonesia (Bali, Papua). Many African nations like Mali, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Cameroon permit it under customary law despite civil law prohibitions, while some nations like the Netherlands recognize foreign polygamous unions for immigrants. 

What religion allows concubines?

Islamic views on concubinage. In classical Islamic law, a concubine was an unmarried slave-woman with whom her master engaged in sexual relations. Concubinage was widely accepted by Muslim scholars until the abolition of slavery in the 20th century.

Who has concubines today?

Concubinage still exists today in various forms. Women are not forced into it like they were, and it is still mostly among Asian wealthy class. Having a concubine or mistress is accepted as part of the culture in Asia.

Countries Where It Is Legal to Have Multiple Wives

Do concubines have ladies in waiting?

The ladies-in-waiting worked as personal assistants, tending to the emperor's wardrobe, assisting the emperor's baths, serving meals, performing and attending court rituals. Ladies-in-waiting could be appointed as concubines, consorts or even empresses by the emperor or the heir to the throne.

Do men in China still have concubines?

For China's Han majority, marriage is a monogamous institution – the days of multiple wives and concubines in the Imperial court have passed, and now, taking more than one spouse is a criminal offense, though having an extra-marital lover is more common today than many would like to admit.

Why would a woman become a concubine?

Alternatively, they might be a slave, or person from a poor family interested in a union with a man from the nobility. In other cases, some social groups were forbidden to marry, such as Roman soldiers, and concubinage served as a viable alternative to marriage.

Is having a concubine adultery?

Whether having a concubine is adultery depends on the legal, cultural, and religious context, but generally, in modern legal/Christian views, it is considered adultery or a similar marital infidelity, as it's sex outside the primary marriage; however, historically (like in the Bible's Old Testament), concubinage was a recognized, lower-status legal relationship, distinct from adultery (which was sex with someone else's married woman), though many biblical examples led to familial strife, and Jesus later emphasized monogamy, making modern concubinage align more with adultery. 

Where is polygamy most accepted?

Polygamy is most common in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly West and Central Africa, with countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, Gambia, and Nigeria showing high rates, often tied to religious (Islamic/Christian) or customary traditions, though it's also found in parts of the Middle East, Asia, and among fundamentalist groups in the U.S. Globally, it's still rare, but these regions see significant prevalence, with some African nations having over a third of households in polygamous arrangements. 

What states allow a 3-person marriage?

Polygamy was outlawed in federal territories by the 1882 Edmunds Act, and there are laws against the practice in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

How many wives can a Mormon have in Utah?

A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the mainstream "Mormon" church) in Utah can only have one legal wife, as polygamy is illegal in Utah and prohibited by the church; however, some fundamentalist groups, separate from the main church, still practice polygamy, and members may believe in "sealing" to multiple partners for eternity. The mainstream Church officially ended plural marriage in 1890 and excommunicates members who practice it, despite historical practice and ongoing confusion with fundamentalist groups. 

Can Muslims have more than one wife in the USA?

No, a Muslim man cannot have multiple legally recognized wives in the U.S., as polygamy is illegal in all 50 states, but some Muslim men quietly have multiple Islamic marriages (Nikah) while only one spouse is legally registered, leading to complex legal situations regarding benefits and inheritance. While Islamic law permits up to four wives under certain conditions, U.S. law recognizes only the first legal marriage, making subsequent religious unions unrecognized by the state. 

What happens if a concubine gets pregnant?

If a concubine gets pregnant, her status and the child's future depend heavily on the culture and ruler; she might gain significant favor and security (like becoming an umm al-walad in Islam or a high-ranking consort in China) if the child is a son, but in other contexts, the child might be secondary to a wife's offspring, or she could face peril, even death, depending on the ruler's whims or political climate, though usually, having heirs secured her position. 

Who is the most famous concubine?

“Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908) is the most important woman in Chinese history. She ruled China for decades and brought a medieval empire into the modern age. At the age of sixteen, in a nationwide selection for royal consorts, Cixi was chosen as one of the emperor's numerous concubines and sexual partners.

What are the duties of a concubine?

A concubine's duties were to provide sexual companionship, bear children (especially sons) for prestige and succession, manage households, and serve as political assets, all while holding a lower status than a legal wife. Their roles varied from domestic duties and entertainment (music, dance) to strategic alliances, with many groomed from youth for court life, often lacking legal rights but potentially gaining significant influence.
 

Which is heavier, adultery or concubinage?

Adultery, which covers married women, carries heavier penalty than concubinage, which covers married men. Further, adultery is easier proved than concubinage that requires the attendance of circumstances under Article 334.

What did concubines do all day?

Concubines spent their days in a structured life of education, self-care, arts, and social maneuvering, focused on pleasing the Emperor and securing their status, involving everything from music and games (Chinese chess) to intense political scheming, beauty routines (makeup, bathing), and raising children, all within the confines of the imperial harem with its strict hierarchy and constant monitoring. Their activities varied by rank but centered on entertainment, etiquette, and power plays for survival and advancement. 

What is the difference between a concubine and a consort?

A consort is typically the officially recognized spouse or companion of a monarch, holding significant status (like Queen/Prince Consort), while a concubine is a woman in a long-term relationship with a man, usually without legal marriage and generally holding a lower social rank, often one of several non-wife partners, though in imperial contexts, "consort" could refer to higher-ranking concubines. The key distinction lies in official status and legal recognition; a consort usually implies a formal, sometimes legally binding, role, whereas a concubine is a recognized mistress or partner outside formal marriage, though with varying levels of privilege. 

Are there modern day concubines?

Yes, concubines still exist, though often under different names or as unofficial arrangements, particularly in parts of Asia and among some wealthy individuals globally, evolving from historical practice to modern-day mistresses or "er nai," while some legal systems use related terms for cohabitation, but the traditional, formalized harem system is largely gone. While outright concubinage is illegal in many places like modern China, it persists as a cultural reality, especially with corrupt officials or the wealthy, and similar dynamics appear in some Western contexts as "sugar daddy" relationships, though not legally termed concubines. 

What does God say about concubines?

God's view on concubines, as presented in the Bible, shows a tension: while He designed marriage as one man, one woman (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6), He permitted concubinage in the Old Testament, often as a social solution for vulnerable women or a sign of wealth, though it frequently led to family strife and pain (Abraham, Jacob, Solomon) and wasn't God's ideal, with prophets later condemning infidelity within marriage. 

Did concubines have ladies in waiting?

Yes, concubines absolutely had ladies-in-waiting, often called maids-in-waiting or palace women, who attended to their daily needs, managed servants, and even served as confidantes and spies, with their numbers and status depending on the concubine's rank, though these attendants could also be servants or slaves with varying degrees of power and vulnerability in historical courts. 

How many men in China can't find a wife?

As many as 30 million bachelors in rural China

Chinese academics once estimated that there were about 20 million single men in rural China in 2014. A decade later, while there are no official statistics, academics generally believe that the number has risen to 30 million.

What are the outrageous laws in China?

China has several unusual or strict regulations, including needing government approval for Tibetan monk reincarnation, banning certain video games (violence, sex), restricting pet ownership (dogs/cats), limiting online streaming (mukbang), and historical rules like forbidding crying in public or naming buildings with foreign names, reflecting a blend of modern social control, cultural preservation, and historical oddities. 

Are human males naturally polygamous?

There's no definitive scientific consensus, but human mating is complex: some evolutionary theories suggest a tendency towards polygamy (especially male polygyny) for gene spread, while others point to serial monogamy as key to human survival, showing both polygamous and monogamous evolutionary paths. Anthropologists describe humans as "mildly polygynous" with tendencies, meaning while many societies allow polygamy, most relationships remain monogamous in practice, with cultural factors heavily influencing behavior over strict biological determinism.