Book Summary
Marriage gifts have always form part of the marriage celebrations universally.These gifts revolve around the daughter who is the main the object of exchange between kanyapaksa and varapaksa respectively. This explains why in Ancient India the daughter was a super gift while other gifts were subsidiary.In Modern India the opposite is the truth. Motswapong demonstrates how the position of the bride as a gift has evolved from what she terms a "Super gift" to a "Poisonous gift." The daughter in Modern India becomes a vehicle for transporting the gifts. It is failure to produce gifts on demand that has left new brides either maimed or murdered by the in-laws. These accidents are commonly known as "kitchen fires" and later "dowry murders". Motswapong traces the history of the custom to Hindu Ancient Religious texts to establish to what extent the custom is Hindu. She concludes dahej/dowry is not Hindu but is a result of an external influence,while Modern Indian dowry is greatly influenced by a number of factors like greed, status, honour and shame among other things.Lastly, Hindus as well as adherents of other religions in India follow the custom as well.
Book Details
| Book Name | Marriage Dana In Ancient And Modern India |
| Author | Pulane E. Motswapong |
| Publisher | Vdm Verlag (Jul 2009) |
| ISBN | 9783639178937 |
| Pages | 316 |
| Language | English |
| Price | 5594 |
