Lineage is yet another term which needs to be defined. Its occurrence in kinship terminology is very common. Sometimes lineage is used synonymous with clan. However, they are different terms. Eriksen defines lineage as follows:
As a general rule, we may say that a lineage consists of persons who can indicate by stating all the intermediate links, common descent from a shared ancestor or ancestress.
Lineage, thus, is a group of people who link themselves to a common ancestor. The members practice strict exogamy. Eriksen has made this differentiation clear: a clan encompasses people who assume shared descent from an ancestor/ancestress without being able to enumerate all of these links.
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For instance, in medieval Rajasthan, the rulers and jagirdars used to have bards or barons who maintained the genealogy of the thikana family or the royal kin. Bards, thus, were genealogists and they enumerated all the generations which linked the ego to the ancestor.
Thus, the genealogists gave the names of the descent group. In such a group enumeration is essential. In the clan only those groups are identified who share common descent from a particular ancestor.
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