Dowry System in India - A Continued Enigma

Dowry System in India - A Continued Enigma

Author Name : Dr. Maninderjit Singh

INTRODUCTION

Dowry has been seen to have emanated from the practice of Kanyadan (gifting of the daughter) which was to be accompanied with some gifts to the groom (var-dakshina) following the ‘dan’ Traditional gifts given by the bride's father to the bride (Streedhan) were aimed to ensure economic security to the daughter. However, hypergamous and patrilocal nature of Hindu marriage in which the girl's parents strive to marry their daughter to a man who is older, taller, and better placed educationally, economically, and socially than themselves and she relocates to her matrimonial home where the husband resides, additional gifts were given by the bride's faker to the groom and his family to uplift their daughter's social status in the marital home. Earlier women had no right to immovable property. Hence, the parents sought to give her some share of their wealth at the time of marriage and on various occasions after her marriage. Initially such gifts were voluntary in nature. However, in the course of time, it began to be seen as a matter of pride and prestige of the groom and the voluntary nature of these practices morphed into demands for such gifts resulting in cruelty, harassment, and even killing of married woman when such demands were not fulfilled.