Page 111 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Unit 15: Bride-Wealth and Dowry

property or valuable fund, which is given as or acknowledged to give as a necessary condition Notes
for marriage, at the time of marriage, before or after the marriage by (i) One party to other party
doing the marriage or (ii) Parents or relatives of any person who is a party to the marriage to par-
ents or relative of the other party of the marriage directly or indirectly”. The definition of dowry
is very broad in which groom-price and bride-price both are considered. Side by side, gifts and
dowry are distinguished. Dowry is given as a necessary condition for marriage whereas gift is
given willfully.
Sometimes groom-price and dowry are distinguished. Parents of bride give dowry due to
affection, this is not pre-determined and depends upon the capacity of the bride-side, whereas
groom-price depends upon the personality, character, education, occupation, nobility and status
of family etc. and it is pre-determined to marriage.
Dowry is prevailing even from the ancient period. In Brahma marriage father got married his
well dressed daughter with ornaments and clothes with an able groom. Dowry was also popu-
lar in Ramayana and Mahabharata era. Description of dowry is also found in marriages of Sita
and Draupadi etc. in form of ornaments, horses, diamonds and jewels and many other valuable
articles. In that time, dowry was given willfully due to affection with the daughter. The tradition
of dowry was started in thirteenth and fourteenth century in Rajputa Period and noble families
started asking for dowry according to their social status. Later on, it became popular in other
people also. To get a groom with high education, wealth, good occupation or in a good job and
of a good family, a father has to give high class dowry even today. By the growth of education
and social awareness, the tradition of dowry has rather increased instead of decreasing and it
had acquired its worst form.
India has a bad name all over the world due to this custom. Here the daughter is called other’s
property even from her birth and she is discriminated in nurturing from boys. Parents discrimi-
nate their daughter considering her other’s property. The daughter has to bear abuses in hus-
band’s house if she is married without adequate dowry; also due to dowry the daughters-in-law
are burned alive.

Presently, dowry and groom-price is not distinguished broadly, because in pre-
sent period mostly the tradition of dowry is pre-determined in form of the con-
dition of marriage for bride and groom.

15.2 Causes of Dowry

1. Limited Scope of Selection of Life-Mate: When the daughter has to be married in own
class, caste and sub-caste, the region of marriage becomes limited and it becomes necessary
to give dowry for an able groom.
2. Child-Marriage: Due to child marriage the selection of bride and groom is made by the
parents and they demand immense dowry.
3. Necessity of Marriage: The marriage of daughter is considered necessary in Hindus. Tak-
ing the benefit of this, the groom side demands heavy dowry.
4. Noble Marriage: Due to noble marriage, the demand of the grooms from the noble families
raise and the bride side has to give dowry to get them.
5. Education and Social Status: In present time, due to more importance of education and
personal status, every person wants to marry her daughter with an educated and well
settled groom, for which they have to pay enough dowry because such boys lack in the
society.

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