Information AboutDowry |
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A dowry (also known as '''trousseau''') is a gift of money or valuables given by the Bride 's family to that of the Groom to permit their Marriage . In societies where payment of dowry is common, unmarried women are seen to attract Stigma and tarnish the family reputation, so it is in the bride's family's interest to marry off their daughter as soon as she is eligible. In some areas where this is practised, the size of the necessary dowry is directly proportional to the groom's Social Status , thus making it virtually impossible for lower class women to marry into upper class families. In some cases where a woman's family is too poor to afford any dowry whatsoever, she is either forbidden from ever marrying, or at most becomes a Concubine to a richer man who can afford to support a large household. Dowries have been part of civil law in almost all countries, Europe included. Dowries were important components of Roman Marriages . DOWRY IN INDIA The Dowry system, which was non-existent in India before the eighteenth century, can be attributed to the coming of the colonial and imperialist British with their land ownership rights and the associated revenues. Prior to the British instituted system, no single person held land ownership - in fact the village as a whole owned the land - so no give or take could be possible during weddings. Once individual and fractious land ownership was forcibly introduced by the British (as this facilitated the exploitation and pillage of Indian wealth by the Colonialists), it became possible for land to be traded and offered as gift or transferred. Prior to the British Dowry system, the only wealth given during weddings was the jewelry/ornaments passed from mother to daughter as has been happening since generations. Even now this tradition continues, but has been subsumed by the larger British Dowry system. Interestingly, the system of dowry does not exist in the most English of Britain's former colonies - namely, Canada, Australia, and the United States. This suggests that the India dowry system probably has at least some roots in indigenous Indian culture. The practice of widow-burning, which existed until the British stomped it out, indicates the historic value of Indian women relative to their husbands. In India , the practice is still very common, in arranged marriages and in rural areas as it is widely recognized as a Traditional Ritual of Marriage. Demanding dowry is Prohibited By Law as of 1961 but these laws are highly misused arresting mothers and sisters without investigation. Search for google keyword "IPC 498a" . Some families refuse to take part in this ritual due to the above law. The practice of the bride giving a dowry to the groom is said to have originated in the system of ''streedhan'' (woman's share of parental wealth given to her at marriage). As women could not inherit property, streedhan was seen as a way for the family to secure some of its wealth for its daughter. It was also a recognition that not only the husband was responsible for providing for his wife, but her father shared this responsibility. It is not clear when the practice began in India. In the recent times, as women have better economic opportunities, this tradition no longer holds valid. Yet, it is still practiced in India. While the burden is removed from a woman's father and brothers, it still remains with the husband. What began as gifts of land to a woman as her inheritance and sharing of the economic burden of protector and provider role between the two families in an essentially agricultural economy, today has degenerated into gifts of gold, clothes, consumer durables, and large sums of money, which has impoverished or heavily indebted poor families. The dowry is often used by the receiving family for business purposes, family members' education, or given to the husband's sisters. The transaction often does not end with the wedding, as the family is expected to continue giving. DOWRY IN CHINA The similarity between the dowry system in China and the dowry system in India is that it serves as a way for the family to secure some of its wealth for its daughters as women could not inherit property in the orthodox Confucian society of China. However, there are many important differences between the two and these include:
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