In this essay we are going to talk about the Dowry System. Dowry system has been an age-old tradition in the country and somewhat it is an ugly picture of the country but still a large number of the population is unable to give up this notion. The system has been there since our ancient times. It has become a cultural identity but it is going wrong somewhere. Here, we present you an essay where the aspects of dowry system has been discussed and debated extensively.
Short Essay On Dowry System
Dowry is nothing but a certain amount of money or goods or property that is expected to be given by the woman’s family to the man’s family for marriage. It happens only in some countries. Although it is not accepted legally in most of the countries but it is culturally accepted in many countries. So to say, it has become an unsaid norm. This tradition is a symbolic representation of how patriarchal our society is. This system has been more prevalent in the South Asian countries, African countries and some European countries. Some part of the population considers this as a gift from the bride’s side for the marriage. Although cash is generally preferred but furniture, bedding, jewelleries, utensils, vehicles etc.
The history of dowry system remains unclear in the South Asian countries. As per historians, dowry system was not that much significant in ancient India. Even some reports say that girls had right on their father’s property even after marriage. Most probably, the system has evolved from the cultural traditions of ancient India’s practices of “ Kanyadaan” and “Streedhan” or “ Vardakshina” . Hindu marriages are very ritualistic. Even there is believe in Hinduism that marriage is for lifetime and there is no scope of separation after that. Earlier, in ancient India, the marriage ceremonies were quite different from today’s marriage ceremony. The earlier practice included marrying the wife by capturing her. With time this practise evolved and the wife’s family started to accept money and gifts from the groom’s family in order to avoid bloodshed during capturing her.
Factors
There are various factors for dowry system in India and around the world. Some of the factors are being discussed below.
Economic factors
Dowry can be considered as an economic security of the woman who is getting married. Earlier, women have no legal rights on properties or anything. As such, dowry system has evolved with as a security of the bride. Although women, these days, have inheritance rights. This has been making the concept of prenup strong.
Social factors
The kinship of marriage and structure in parts of India contributes largely to the system of marriage. In North India, marriages are generally patrilocal that is the bride is supposed to shift to the groom’s place and live with his family. Hence, here dowry is a form of premortem inheritance. It is because there is an exclusion of the bride’s family.
The picture is totally different in south India, they believe in marrying into their own kinship. Generally the bride is married to some close relative or to some cross cousin. This way, The girl has some inheritance rights too and the pressure on dowry is less.
Although the country has been progressing in women’s rights and today’s generation does not consider dowry that much prevalent but the family notion is still there and parents have the expectation of dowry.
Religious factors
Somewhere or other religious practices has affected the dowry system. Our religious norms and believes has always made us perform rituals which we do not really care of or we do not really find rational. Dowry system has always been very significant into the Hindu rituals. But dowry system has not been limited to only Hinduism. Many other religion practices have the same norms. In Islam, the bride is supposed to pay the Jahez. Jahez is nothing by dowry. Jahez can be categorised into two forms. The first includes the outfit of the marriage and the clothes of daily uses. Other than that, the second form includes the daily use items such as properties, utensils etc. The bride’s family is supposed to pay all the costs of the whole marriage. After all these, the family needs to pay the cash called Mahr separately.
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Dowry in modern times
Dowry has still been very prevalent in the modern era in India. It can be in the form of cash payment or gifts from the bride’s family. There are different varieties depending upon geography and class. Dowry system is most significant in the northern states of India. That too, in all the classes. Sometimes, other than cash, even movable goods are proffered.
In south India, bride price system is more prevalent and it is generally in the form of land or property. This system makes the bride marry someone in the kinship and hence keeps the property in the family only.
Economic statuses of families affect dowry system too. Upper class people are likely to follow the system of dowry rather than the lower class people.
The dowry system evolved from the vedic period in India as the women of the family who will be getting married had no property right and the dowry used to ensure that the bride had some properties on her name too. It used to be given on the name of ‘streedhan’ . This kind of dowry was given to the groom’s family but on the name of the bride. This was generally practiced by the upper classes while lower classes preferred bride price to compensate the loss of income.
Things have changed a lot in recent times. Bride price has disappeared almost and dowry has been prevailing. Even, in modern era, many families have given up on this system.
Types of dowry crimes
The ugliest aspect of dowry system is dowry crimes. Dowry crimes have become one of the common forms of crimes in this country. Women are tied socially and economically to their new husbands and hence, many a times, has become the target of violence related to dowry. Dowry crimes have become a threat to the newly married woman’s life and therefore, the family has no option but has to pay the dowry. Dowry related crimes are most in the northern and eastern Indian states.
Dowry crimes include physical violence, sexual violence, and abetment of suicide, emotional abuse and even murder of new brides.
There are many cases of fraud related to dowry system too. Some of the common cases is groom running away without marrying the girl after he takes the dowry.
Harassment and torture, both verbal and physical has become very common these days when the girl is not able to meet the expectations of dowry. This includes several cases of domestic violence too. It has significantly affected women’s life. Domestic violence related to dowry system has become so common but still the married woman is afraid to raise her voice against this as it has been imprinted in her mind that paying the dowry amount is her family’s duty.
Because of all these, the partner has to suffer a lot mentally as well as physically. And so suicide cases related to dowry is another most common aspect of the system in India. The continuous emotional and physical abuse a woman goes through in some cases is unthinkable at times. All these violence can be grouped as abetment of suicide; such physical and emotional trauma encourages the person to end her life. Dowry related violence has also increased the cases of depression and other mental diseases.
The hard to believe fact of dowry related crimes are dowry related murders. These kinds of deaths are often showcased as suicides. There is practise of bride burning too. When the female is unable to meet the wants of the family, she is burnt alive. Sometimes, as abetment of suicide, the girl ends her life by setting herself on fire.
Other than bride burning, acid attack cases, too, are being majorly common these days. The statistics can blow someone’s minds. Every 90 minutes, a girl is murdered because of dowry.
The government has made many laws against dowry related crimes. Other than that the government has set up many policies for the protection of women too. Even the United Nations has been working extensively with India to reduce such crimes and aware everyone about human rights.
Conclusion
We need to understand one thing for fact that times have changed and it is our time to change. The only way to reduce such kinds of crimes is to give the dowry practices. Gifts given out of love and affection are completely different. Forcing someone to pay for marriage is somewhere very bogus. Marriage should be a concept of love. These kinds of practises pollute the meaning the marriage and love.
This was an essay on dowry system. I hope the ideas have been put out in the right way. Thank you.