The world’s Biggest Family

The Man with 39 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren

“Today I feel like God’s special child. He’s given me so many people to look after”

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My note: Two similarly extraordinary stories from two different countries; India and Ethiopia. India has 1.2 billion people, Ethiopia 91 million. In the Indian case we see writers promoting polygamy through love, harmony and romantic dreams. But, in the Ethiopian case, we see them highlighting the frustration, desperation and a bit of pessimistic inclination of Ato Ayattu – to promote family planning and contraception.

By the way, the record number of offspring for any man throughout history holds Moroccan emperor, Moulay Ismail “The Bloodthirsty” who lived during 1672 – 1727. He had a total of 867 children including 525 sons and 342 daughters. Here are the 10 biggest Families of the World

Getting back to the man with 39 wives…

• Ziona Chana lives with all of them in a 100-room mansion

• His wives take it in turns to share his bed

• It takes 30 whole chickens just to make dinner

He is head of the world’s biggest family – and says he is ‘blessed’ to have his 39 wives. Ziona Chana of India also has 94 children, 14-daughters-in-law and 33 grandchildren.

They live in a 100-room, four storey house set amidst the hills of Baktwang village in the Indian state of Mizoram, where the wives sleep in giant communal dormitories.

‘I consider myself a lucky man to be the husband of 39 women and head of the world’s largest family.’

The family is organized with almost military discipline, with the oldest wife Zathiangi organizing her fellow partners to perform household chores such as cleaning, washing and preparing meals.

One evening meal can see them pluck 30 chickens, peel 132lb of potatoes and boil up to 220lb of rice. Coincidentally, Mr Chana is also head of a sect that allows members to take as many wives as he wants.

Another of his wives, Huntharnghanki, said the entire family gets along well. The family system is reportedly based on ‘mutual love and respect’

And Mr Chana, whose religious sect has 4,00 members, says he has not stopped looking for new wives.

‘To expand my sect, I am willing to go even to the U.S. to marry,’ he said.

He even married ten women in one year, when he was at his most prolific, and enjoys his own double bed while his wives have to make do with communal dormitories.

He keeps the youngest women near to his bedroom with the older members of the family sleeping further away – and there is a rotation system for who visits Mr Chana’s bedroom.

Rinkmini, one of Mr Chana’s wives who is 35 years old, said: ‘We stay around him as he is the most important person in the house. He is the most handsome person in the village.

One of his sons insisted that Mr Chana, whose grandfather also had many wives, marries the poor women from the village so he can look after them

Source

Polygamy no fun, admits Ethiopian

An Ethiopian man, Ayattu Nure, with 11 wives and 77 children is urging people not to follow his example and is giving advice on family planning and contraception.

He says he cannot remember all his children’s names but tries to work out who they are from their mothers and which huts they live in.

“People see me as a funny man, but there is no fun in my condition”

Source

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