Dowry and Inheritance

The practice of dowry in modern India epitomizes the gulf between the ideal and the real. Stridhan or dakshina were gifts traditionally given at marriage to ensure the well-being of the bride in her new home. In its modern form, however, the demand for dowry has led to brides being tortured and even killed. The socialization of young girls into deference to parents-in-law and husband has spawned a ‘culture of silence‘ that leaves them open to harassment. Despite preventive litigation, dowry remains a widespread ‘social evil‘ - a marker of social status - more common, disturbingly, among the educated urban middle classes than among urban poor or rural population. While caste restrictions on the choice of marriage partners seem to have eased, socio-economic factors have gained in significance. Dowry is also making inroads into communities that did not follow the practice traditionally. Understanding the tenacity of dowry is a step towards ending an exploitative practice.

Table of Contents

1. Some Reflections on Dowry - M.N. Srinivas
2. Legal Reform in Dowry Laws - D.N. Sandanshiv & Jolly Mathew
3. Dowry in North India: Its Consequences for Women - Ursula Sharma
4. Girasla Bridesprice and the Politics of Marriage Payments - Maya Unnithan-Kumar
5. Economic of Bride-Price and Dowry -Indira Rajaraman
6. Sociology of Bride-Price and Dowry - Shalini Randheria & Leela Visaria
7. Economics of Bride-Price and Dowry - Rita Bhandari Sambrani & Shreekand Sambrani
8. Land Rights for Women - Bina Agarwal
9. Bringing Land Rights Centre-Stage - Indu Agnihotri
10. Widows & Property Rights: A Study of Two Villagers in Bihar - Seema Mishra & Enakshi Ganguly Thukral
11. Conjugality, Law and State: Inheritance Rights as Pivot of Control in Northern India - Prem Chowdhry
12. Progressive Land Legislations & Subordination of Women? - K. Saradamoni
13 The Tangled Tale of twisting a Safety Net into a Noose - Veena Talwar Oldenburg
14 Dowry & the State (?) - Sheel
15 The Monkey Dance: A Playscript - Malini Bhattacharya
16 Reaffirming the Anti-Dowry Struggle - Rajni Palriwala
17 On Kidneys & Dowry - C. S. Laxmi
18 Dowry & Inheritance Rights - Madhu Kishwar
19Ants in the Pants - Mary Roy
20 Zameen Kenkar? The Story of Women‘s Participation in the Bodhgaya Struggle Jote Onkar
21 Economic Rights of Ancient Indian Women - Sukumari Bhattacharji

About the Author:

Srimati Basu teaches anthropology, women's studies and Asian Studies at DePauw University, US. She is the author of She Comes to Take Her Rights: Indian Women, Property and Propriety.