The statement that says, ‘In a fairytale wedding, the prince charming wafts his bejeweled and decked up bride away to an idyllic town’ does not hold good for every marriageable damsel and her natal family in India, as the family may not be qualified to make her wedding a resplendent one.
In India, an ordinary family has the means to marry the daughters off on a decent budget. Not everybody can afford extravagant dowry on the daughter’s wedding. In recent years, the topic of dowry has intrinsically been connected to the discourse on marriage and family.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 The Literature Review
1.2 The Forms of Dowry in Literature
1.3 Perspectives on Stridhana or the Bridal Goods
2. Section A: How does South India cope with the ‘Dowry Disease’? A Case Study of Dowry in South India (with a special focus on the ‘Nagarattar’ mercantile caste in Chettinadu Town in Tamil Nadu)
2.1 Marriage: A Dream for a Poor Nagarattar Woman
2.2 Case Study 1: The Unfortunate Tale of an Unmarried Girl, Sala, who has Seven Siblings in her Family
2.3 My analysis
2.4 Divorce and Dowry
2.5 Case Study 2: The Sad Saga of a Twenty-Five-Year-Old Married Woman, Muttammal who has an Unsuccessful Marriage
2.6 My Analysis
3. Section B: 'Dowry Fever' grips the North and East India: A Case Study of Marriage and Dowry in Jammu and Kolkata (with a special reference to the mercantile caste 'Marwari' and the subcaste ‘Agarwal’)
3.1 Case Study 1: The Wedding Function and the Ritual of Dowry during the Marriage of Anju, a Marwari Woman from the ‘Aggarwal’ Subcaste
3.2 Understanding the Problematics of ‘Dowry’ and ‘Bridegroom’ in the Marwari case
3.3 My analysis
3.4 Case Study 2: The Case of the Upper-class Marwaris and the Organization of ‘Dowry Less Samuhik Vivah (Mass Marriages)’ in Kolkata
3.5 My analysis
4. Section C: Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the contrasting traditions of marriage and dowry among the Nagarattar mercantile caste in South India and the Marwari community in North and East India. It aims to analyze how dowry functions as both a potential source of security and a financial burden, specifically exploring the societal expectations and economic realities faced by women in these distinct cultural contexts.
- The role of 'stridhana' as a protective asset for women.
- The socio-economic pressures of marriage and dowry in poor households.
- The transformation of traditional dowry into 'bridegroom price' in urban contexts.
- The impact of institutional initiatives like 'Dowry Less Samuhik Vivah' on community practices.
Excerpt from the Book
Case Study 1: The Unfortunate Tale of an Unmarried Girl, Sala, who has Seven Siblings in her Family
Sala, the sixth daughter of her parents, was a school teacher and had plans to expand her profession after the completion of her M.A and B.Ed. degrees (Nishimura 1998, 139). When she was interviewed by Yuko Nishimura (1998), she used to earn a meager monthly wage of INR 650 and had deposited INR 1,000 per annum in a LIC (Life Insurance Corporation) policy and INR 50 in provident fund. Her family had mostly survived on her dowry and the earnings of her 2nd sister, as her father was a useless gambler and had squandered her mother’s dowry in a reckless manner (Nishimura 1998, 138). Sala’s family was so poor that her sisters could not form affinal relationships with their relatives. Most of Sala’s sisters got married either through ‘brokers’ or friends (Nishimura, 139). In Sala’s opinion, a decent Nagarattar man would ask them to cough up at least INR 40,000 at the time of marriage (Ibid). The demand would eventually go up for a man with a degree (Ibid). When she was interviewed by Nishimura (1998), her brother was not married and they had some expectations from his wedding. They could get as much as INR 1,00,000 in the form of cash payment (mamiyar siir danam).
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides a literature review on dowry forms and introduces the concept of stridhana within the context of Hindu Law.
Section A: How does South India cope with the ‘Dowry Disease’? A Case Study of Dowry in South India (with a special focus on the ‘Nagarattar’ mercantile caste in Chettinadu Town in Tamil Nadu): Analyzes the marriage challenges of the Nagarattar community through specific case studies and examines the rare instances of divorce in relation to dowry.
Section B: 'Dowry Fever' grips the North and East India: A Case Study of Marriage and Dowry in Jammu and Kolkata (with a special reference to the mercantile caste 'Marwari' and the subcaste ‘Agarwal’): Explores the Marwari marriage rituals, the concept of 'bridegroom price', and the emergence of mass marriage events in Kolkata as a response to dowry-related pressures.
Section C: Conclusion: Synthesizes findings, highlighting the key differences in how the Nagarattar and Marwari communities handle bridal property and the impact of these practices on women's autonomy.
Keywords
Dowry, Stridhana, Nagarattar, Marwari, Marriage, Bridegroom Price, Samuhik Vivah, Kinship, Gender, Property Rights, India, Social Reform, Mercantile Caste, Dowry Death, Inheritance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the ritualistic traditions of marriage and dowry among two specific communities: the Nagarattar mercantile caste in South India and the Marwari caste in North and East India.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
Key themes include the economic burden of marriage, the conceptualization of stridhana (bridewealth/bridal goods), the shift toward 'bridegroom price', and the influence of community-led social reform movements.
What is the primary objective of this work?
The objective is to understand how these communities navigate the socio-economic complexities surrounding dowry and how different practices impact women's rights to their assets and autonomy.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The study primarily utilizes a qualitative research methodology, incorporating a literature review of existing peer-reviewed publications and analyzing comparative case studies from previous ethnographic research.
What are the primary topics discussed in the main body?
The main body examines case studies of middle and lower-class families to highlight the challenges of arranged marriages, the financial consequences of divorce, and the evolution of wedding rituals in urban settings.
Which keywords best characterize this study?
The most relevant keywords include Dowry, Stridhana, Nagarattar, Marwari, Bridegroom Price, Kinship, and Gender.
How does the Nagarattar tradition differ from the Marwari tradition regarding bridal property?
In the Nagarattar community, women typically maintain control over their stridhana after marriage, whereas in the Marwari community, assets are often transferred to the mother-in-law, limiting the bride's control.
What significance is attributed to the 'Dowry Less Samuhik Vivah' events?
These mass marriage events, organized by organizations like the Mahila Samity, are presented as a strategy to mitigate public criticism and address the rising financial demands of 'showy' Marwari weddings.
- Quote paper
- Anusua Chowdhury (Author), 2021, Cash, Jewelry, and more. Marriage or a Money-making Business for the Groom's Family?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1318746
