What is Dowry System in India ?

In many communities throughout India, a dowry has traditionally been given by a bride's kin at the time of her marriage to the family of the groom a dowry. It is often a hefty amount of money, sometimes the majority of family’s life savings. There is not religious justification for dowries or even requirements for them withing the caste system. They are simply traditions and not even very old ones at that. One survey found that in the 1960s two thirds of communities had bride price payments rather than dowries. In the late twentieth century, the values of dowries have been increasing. Groups that never gave dowries in the past are being pressured to do so. Thus, a girl child can represent a significant economic liability to her parents.

The findings of MacDonell and Keith are similar to Witzel, and differ from Tambiah; they cite ancient Indian literature suggesting bridewealth was paid even in brahma- and daiva-types of marriage associated with the Brahmanic (priestly) upper caste

The underbelly of the dowry system revolves around the treatment of brides. Referred to as “bride-burning”, the act of maiming or even killing brides whose family cannot or will not meet a groom’s dowry demands is a worrying practice in India.

Bride price, also known as bride wealth, is a reversal of the dowry system. Its an amount of money or property paid by the groom or his family to the parents of a woman upon the marriage. In ancient literature, bride price has often been explained as payment made in exchange for the bride’s family’s loss of her labour and fertility within her kin group

The National Crime Records Bureau reports that in 2010 alone, there were 8,391 dowry-related deaths in the country, representing a 0.1% increase from 2009 and almost double the number of dowry-related deaths recorded two decades ago.

Dowry was not infrequent when the girl suffered from some bodily defect. Property rights for women increased in ancient India, suggest MacDonell and Keith, over the Epics era (200 BC to 700 AD).

Gender inequality – the idea of paying dowry in order to get a girl married generates an increased sense of inequality among the genders, placing men superior to women.

In ancient times, the dowry was considered a woman's wealth--property due a beloved daughter who had no claim on her natal family's real estate--and typically included portable valuables such as jewelry and household goods that a bride could control throughout her life. However, over time, the larger proportion of the dowry has come to consist of goods and cash payments that go straight into the hands of the groom's family. In the late twentieth century, throughout much of India, dowry payments have escalated, and a groom's parents sometimes insist on compensation for their son's higher education and even for his future earnings, to which the bride will presumably have access. [Source: Library of Congress]

The government has taken many steps to stop the abominable practice of dowry. The Dowry Prohibition Act, passed in 1961, prohibits the request, payment or acceptance of dowry, where “dowry” is defined as a gift demanded or given as a precondition for a marriage. Asking or giving of dowry can be punished by an imprisonment of up to six months, or a fine of up to Rs.5000. many anti-dowry legislations have also been made to tackle the dowry system.

Kane claims ancient literature suggests bridewealth was paid only in the asura-type of marriage that was considered reprehensible and forbidden by Manu and other ancient Indian scribes

Only a third of all reported cases result in conviction of the offenders.
Another flow on effect of the dowry system has been the practice of female infanticide and feticide.

Young girls are kept from schools while their brothers are given access to education.

A dowry can range from anywhere from $100 to a new car, apartments, gold or combination of these things. In the 1990s, dowry payments averaged around $2000 (10 times the income of many rural families). Even members of the lowest caste have to pay 10,000 rupees ($330) for a dowry, often a years salary.

A dowry is a type of payment or gift of property that accompanies a bride upon marriage. The custom has been most common in settled agricultural societies where it may form an important part of the financial arrangements for a marriage.

Originally dowries were gifts of clothing, land or servants intended to compensate the bride for the things that she missed from living with her family. They were intended to be farewell gifts to a bride or nest eggs for an emergency that were supposed to be used at the bride’s discretion.

They are regarded incompetent for roles other than housework and are often discouraged from taking up jobs.

Lochtefeld suggests that religious duties listed by Manu and others, such as 'the bride be richly adorned to celebrate marriage' were ceremonial dress and jewelry along with gifts that were her property, not property demanded by or meant for the groom; Lochtefeld further notes that bridal adornment is not currently considered as dowry in most people's mind.

The birth of a daughter can be a cause of great concern for families, particularly those from poorer demographics, as they must then start to figure out how they will pay a dowry when it comes time for the daughter to marry.

The types of property included in a dowry vary tremendously depending on the economic circumstances of the families involved and the customary expectations of the society.

With many Indian marriages, women in the family make the match and the men work out the monetary settlement once the match has been made. Newspaper marriages used the phrase "decent marriage" as code word for dowry.

Their opinions are suppressed, not valued or ignored more often than not. Physical and behavioral restrictions are imposed on girls that are completely natural for boys.

A woman's dowry might include personal possessions (such as clothing and jewels), money, servants, or land. Societies vary in regarding a dowry as the property of the bride, her husband, or her husband's family.

It is alleged that this concern leads partially to female infanticide and feticide in India, though exact figures relating to this are difficult to determine. According to 2011 census data, in the age group 0-6 years, there are 914 girls to every 100 boys in India.

Long Term Effects of Dowry System – the short term effects lead to the following long-term consequences

Wealthy rural families sometimes give away villages with more than 50 residents as a dowry. Poor families are often have to fork over money saved for fertilizer or livestock. Sometimes fathers arrange for their daughters to be married to sisters to save on the dowry.