concubines

A concubine is a woman who lives with a man in a relationship resembling marriage but who is not legally or formally recognized as his wife. In many historical societies, concubinage was part of polygynous arrangements in which a man could keep one or more women beyond his wife or wives. The legal or social status of a concubine was generally subordinate to that of a wife, and her rights, duties, and the status of her children varied by time and culture.

Across civilizations, concubines served domestic, political, and economic functions. Rulers and elite households often used concubinage to secure political alliances, produce heirs, or extend influence. Some cultures maintained formal structures within royal households, sometimes granting concubines rank, residence, or particular duties. In other contexts, concubinage occurred within broader social hierarchies, and the status of children born to concubines could range from legitimate heirs in certain systems to non-heirs in others. Slavery or servitude sometimes accompanied the role of a concubine, but in other societies concubines were free women who entered the arrangement by agreement with the man or his household.

In modern times, most legal systems have ended or restricted concubinage, treating such arrangements as private or informal unions rather than legally recognized marriages. Contemporary discussion about concubinage often centers on historical interpretation, gender equality, and the implications for family law, inheritance, and individual autonomy.