05-10-2017, 10:22 AM
19-10-2017, 12:01 PM
A dowry is a transfer of property, gifts or money from parents in a daughter's marriage. The dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dowry. While the price of the bride or the service of the bride is a payment from the groom or his family to the parents of the bride, the dowry is the wealth transferred from the family of the bride to the groom or his family, apparently to the bride . Similarly, the dowry is owned by the bride, the bridegroom at the time of marriage and remains under their ownership and control. Dowry is an ancient custom, and its existence may well be prior to the records of it. The dowries are still waiting, and are demanded as a condition to accept a marriage proposal, in some parts of the world, mainly in parts of Asia, North Africa and the Balkans. In some parts of the world, dowry-related disputes sometimes result in acts of violence against women, including murders and acid attacks. The custom of dowry is more common in cultures that are strongly patrilineal and expect women to reside with or near their husband's family (patrilocality). The talents have a long history in Europe, South Asia, Africa and other parts of the world.
The history of dowry in South Asia is unclear. Some scholars believe that dowry was practiced in antiquity, but others do not. Historical eyewitness accounts, as discussed below, suggest that dowry in ancient India was insignificant, and daughters had inheritance rights, which were customarily exercised at the time of their marriage. Documentary evidence suggests that at the beginning of the twentieth century the price of the bride, rather than the dowry, was the common custom, which often resulted in the very poor boys remaining single.
Stanley J. Tambiah states that the ancient Manu Code sanctioned dowry and dowry in ancient India, but dowry was the most prestigious form and was associated with the Brahman (priestly) caste. Bridewealth was restricted to lower castes, who were not allowed to give dowry. He cites two early twentieth-century studies with data suggesting that this pattern of dowry in upper castes and dowry in lower castes persisted during the first half of the twentieth century. However, marriages are more likely to involve reciprocal gifts between the two families, Tambiah asserts, so that to the extent that the groom's family gives him the dowry, it tends to be returned as the culturally validated dowry for the bride as a party of their marriage. estate.
Michael Witzel, on the other hand, asserts that ancient Indian literature suggests that doping practices were not significant during the Vedic period. Witzel also notes that women in ancient India had property inheritance rights either by appointment or when they had no siblings.
The findings of MacDonell and Keith are similar to Witzel, and differ from Tambiah; cite ancient Indian literature suggesting that the dowry was paid even in the kinds of brahma and daiva marriages associated with the brahmanical (priestly) superior caste. The dowry was not infrequent when the girl suffered from a bodily defect. Property rights for women increased in ancient India, suggest MacDonell and Keith, during the Epic era (200 BC to AD 700).
Kane claims that ancient literature suggests that dowry was paid only in the type of asura marriage that was considered reprehensible and prohibited by Manu and other ancient Indian scribes. Lochtefeld suggests that the religious duties enumerated by Manu and others, such as "the bride dresses rich to celebrate marriage" were ceremonial attire and jewels along with gifts that were his property, not property required or intended for the groom; Lochtefeld further notes that bridal adornment is not currently considered dowry in the minds of most people.