Polygamy in Sharifistan

Polygyny is legal in Sharifistan in religious groups that permit the practice but is a minority option due to financial conditions in Muslim Personal Law. Permission from his current wife or wives is also require before a man marries an additional wife though for cultural reasons most Sharifistani women in this situation do not object to their husbands taking another wife. Polyandry by women is illegal regardless of religion on the grounds that will make men psychologically unfit for military service.

History

Polygyny was legal in the Ottoman Empire, though only occurred amongst the wealthy. Men could have up to four wives and an unlimited number of slave concubines. Sharifistan promoted polygamy but forbade slavery and (until 1986) concubinage. Under the Millet system Christian churches could (and can) still prohibit their followers from engaging in polygyny.

Current law

Polygyny is legal for Muslim, Karaite Jewish and Fundamentalist Mormon men. Muslim men require permission of any existing wives, are required to be able to financially provide for each wife "sufficiently and equally" (Muslim Personal Law Code) with sufficiently being interpreted as giving each wife at least £28,000 and are required to equally allocate time. Karaite Jewish men can only take an addition wife if they do not reduce the quality or quantity of "food, clothing or marital rights" (Exodus 21:10) of any previous wives.

amongst religious minorities

25.5% of Fundamentalist Mormon men, 20.4% of Muslim men and 3.5% of Karaite Jewish men have two or more wives. 5.5% of Muslim men have four wives, though this is increasing due to the large number of war widows.

Amongst the Sharifistani royal family

All Sultans of Sharifistan have had three or more wives until Sultan Ed Ashleigh who only had wife, the late Sultana Khadijah Khan. After she died he discouraged marriage by war widowers and war widows, saying he would set the example by never marrying again.

Polyandry

Polyandry is illegal in Sharifistan and punishable by death for both the woman and any of her “husbands”. 21 dayooths (the legal term in Sharifistan for the man) and 14 polyandrous women have been executed since the introduction of the death penalty for polyandry in 2021.