In this short reference on the history of polygamy among the Bosnian people we can conclude that numerous historical and environmental opportunities had influence on its appearance and that it often appeared at times of certain crises, more as a practical option for preserving the family, then a status symbol of economic power of a certain male. It is interesting to note that contrary to popular belief, Islam as the religion determinant of Bosniaks had the least amount of influence on polygamy which is not the case among the Arabic people. Actually, after the occupiers (ottomans) left, Islam never fully developed in Bosnia in the traditional and cultural conscience of its people unlike for example among the Arabs, Turks or Iranians, primarily because as a European nation we were completely different from the people through which this religion reached us. A similar thing happened with Christianity which the Bosnian people rejected in its enforced form, and instead embraced a Bogomil religion. Constant resistance towards everything which came from the outside is obviously a product of historical resistance of Illyrians towards the Roman empire, which largely destroyed the Illyrian people in its entirety, and left a constant need for resistance in the collective consciousness of this people.
The issue of traditional family violence is also less connected to polygamy, and it stems from the patriarchal upbringing according to which a man "can fit everything under his hat" - adultery, abuse of his wife and children, without any public scrutiny; the cult of man as a warrior, protector, head of family was largely based on this belief. On the other hand, women were systematically raised to be subservient to men, they had a role of pleasing their husbands sexual needs, taking care of the house, feeding and giving birth to children. Women had to accept this forced role and over time they too became convinced that this role suits them. But, this doesn't mean that they were pleased with this degrading position which is evident by numerous folk statements such as "damned is the one who is born as a woman!", "a woman is even hated by god!", etc. Patriarchy had, without a doubt pronounced hatred towards women in its principles and history has proven this on numerous occasions. Let's remember the medieval inquisition which burned them because they were "witches". Besides, how else would one interpret numerous folk statements such as this one: "it's better to give birth to a dead son, than a live daughter?!"
In Cazin krajina (borderland) the negative attitude towards women was pronounced to the point that even old women said "that even the smallest male child was older than an old lady" i.e. one must show him greater respect then towards an old lady. Another disastrous mistake of patriarchy was purposefully (constantly) accentuated to the daughters from early childhood that they are "foreign", that they will find a husband and leave the home. Actually, the biggest concern of the parents is for their daughter to get married and leave the house, i.e. to get rid of them. The fact is that the highest percentage of marital violence is caused by the parents of the wife which passively observe what is happening, and they even force their daughter to bear with the violence, out of fear that she will return to their home and embarrass the family?!
All of this had a huge impact on the self-consciousness of Bosnian women which has a great challenge in front of her even today, a fight to prove her equality to men.
