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			{{short description\|Money or other form of wealth paid by a groom or his family to the family of the bride}}
	{{Close Relationships}}
			] bride dowry basket piece from the early 20th century. In the collection of ].]]
	'''Bride price''', also known as '''bride wealth''', is an amount of ] or ] or ] paid by the groom or his family to the ]s of a woman upon the ] of their daughter to the groom. (''Compare'' ], which is paid to the groom, or used by the bride to help establish the new household, and ], which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage.) In anthropological literature, bride price has often been explained in ] terms, as payment made in exchange for the bride's family's loss of her labor and fertility within her kin group. The agreed bride price is generally intended to reflect the perceived value of the girl or young woman.
			{{Anthropology of kinship \|concepts}}
			{{Close relationships \|practices}}
			'''Bride price''', '''bride-dowry''', '''bride-wealth''',<ref>{{cite journal\|last1=Dalton\|first1=George\|author-link=George Dalton (economist)\|title=Brief Communications: "Bridewealth" vs. "Brideprice"\|journal=American Anthropologist\|volume=68\|issue=3\|pages=732–737\|doi=10.1525/aa.1966.68.3.02a00070\|year=1966\|doi-access=free}}</ref> ''']''' or '''bride token''', is ], ], or other form of ] paid by a ] or his family to the woman or the family of the woman he will be ] to or is just about to marry. Bride dowry is equivalent to ] paid to the groom in some cultures, or used by the bride to help establish the new household, and ], which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. Some cultures may practice both simultaneously. Many cultures practiced bride dowry prior to existing records.

			The tradition of giving bride dowry is practiced in many ]n countries, ], the ], parts of ] and in some ] societies, notably those in ]. The amount changing hands may range from a token to continue the traditional ], to many thousands of US dollars in some marriages in ], and as much as a $100,000 in exceptionally large bride dowry in parts of ] where bride dowry is customary.<ref>{{Cite news \|date=2020-01-28 \|title=Bride Price: 'My husband can't afford me' \|language=en-GB \|work=BBC News \|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-51264574 \|access-date=2023-07-28}}</ref>
	The same culture may simultaneously practice both dowry and bride price. Many cultures practiced bride price prior to existing records.

			==Function==
	==History of the tradition==
			Bridewealth is commonly paid in a currency that is not generally used for other types of exchange. According to French ] Philippe Rospabé, its payment does therefore not entail the ], as was thought in the early twentieth century. Instead, it is a purely symbolic gesture acknowledging (but never paying off) the husband's permanent debt to the wife's parents.<ref>{{Cite book\|url=https://archive.org/details/debtfirst5000yea00grae/page/131\|title=Debt: The First 5,000 Years\|last=Graeber\|first=David\|publisher=Melville House\|year=2011\|isbn=978-1-933633-86-2\|pages=}}</ref>
	The ] mentions bride price in various laws as an established custom. It is not the payment of the bride price that is prescribed, but the regulation of various aspects:
	*a man who paid the bride price but looked for another bride would not get a refund, but he would if the father of the bride refused the match.
	*if a wife died without sons, her father was entitled to the return of her dowry, minus the value of the bride price.

			'''Dowries''' exist in societies where capital is more valuable than manual labor. For instance, in Middle Ages Europe, the family of a bride-to-be was compelled to offer a dowry — land, cattle and money — to the family of the husband-to-be.{{Citation needed\|date=January 2024}}
	The ] mention the practice of paying a bride price to the father of a minor girl. The practice of the bride price is referred to in the ], in the ]. {{bibleverse\|\|Exodus\|22:16-17\|NIV}} says:

			'''Bridewealth''' exists in societies where manual labor is more important than capital. In Sub-Saharan Africa where land was abundant and there were few or no domesticated animals, manual labor was more valuable than capital, and therefore bridewealth dominated. In Eastern Europe, the bride's family is compensated for their loss of a worker.{{Citation needed\|date=January 2024}}
	:If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price, and she shall be his wife. If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins.

			An ] explanation for dowry and bride price is that bride price is common in ] societies which have a relative scarcity of available women. In ] societies where women have little personal wealth, dowry is instead common since there is a relative scarcity of wealthy men who can choose from many potential women when marrying.<ref name=Oxford2007>''The Oxford Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology'', Edited by Robin Dunbar and Louise Barret, Oxford University Press, 2007, Chapter 26, "The evolutionary ecology of family size".</ref>
	{{bibleverse\|\|Deuteronomy\|22:28-29\|NIV}} similarly states:

			==Historical usage==
	:If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.
			===Mesopotamia===
			The ] ] mentions bride price in various laws as an established custom. It is not the payment of the bride price that is prescribed, but the regulation of various aspects:
			*a man who paid the bride price but looked for another bride would not get a refund, but he would if the father of the bride refused the match
			*if a wife died without sons, her father was entitled to the return of her dowry, minus the value of the bride price.<ref>{{cite web \|title=The Code of Hammurabi \|url=http://avalon.law.yale.edu/ancient/hamframe.asp \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20101020002415/http://avalon.law.yale.edu/ancient/hamframe.asp \|archive-date=2010-10-20 \|translator=L. W. King \|date=1915}} See Laws 163 and 164</ref>

			===Jewish tradition===
	<!-- I'm commenting out the following because I don't think it's true and there is no reference to a defense of it. User Eric Kvaalen.
			{{see also\|Ketubah}}
			The ] discusses the practice of paying a bride price to the father of a virgin at Shemot (]) 22:16-17 (] translation): "And if a man entice a virgin that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely pay a dowry for her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins." Devarim (]) 22:28-29 similarly states, "If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days."

			Jewish law in ancient times insisted upon the betrothed couple signing a '']'', a formal contract. The ketubah provided for an amount to be paid by the husband in the event he divorced his wife (i.e. if he gives her a '']''; women cannot divorce their husbands in orthodox Jewish law); or by his estate in the event of his death. The provision in the ketubah replaced the bride price tradition recited in the Torah, which was payable at the time of the marriage by the groom.
	The idea behind the bride price implied that an act of willful ] had occurred, that at least a small amount of trickery or deception (for example, the promise of marriage) was included. Exodus focused on the act of seducing an eligible young woman, while Deuteronomy's verse focused on the extra-marital sexual encounter itself. Contrary to misconceptions by those unfamiliar with the Hebrew language of the ], these two laws are describing the same event. Deuteronomy here is poorly translated in a manner that <i>incorrectly</i> suggests that 1) a rape is described and, 2) a virgin would be forced marry to her violator. {{Fact\|date=February 2007}}
	-->
	In the Jewish tradition, the rabbis in ancient times insisted on the marriage couple's entering into a marriage contract, called a '']''. The ''ketubah'' provided for an amount to be paid by the husband in the event of a ] or by his estate in the event of his death. This amount was a replacement of the biblical ] or bride price, which was payable at the time of the marriage by the groom.

	This innovation came about because the bride price created a major social problem: many young prospective husbands could not raise the amount at the time when they would normally be expected to marry. ~~So, to~~ enable these young men to marry, the rabbis, in effect, delayed the time that the amount would be payable, when they would be more likely to have the sum. It ~~may~~ ~~also~~ be ~~noted~~ ~~that~~ ~~both~~ ~~the~~ ~~dower and the ''ketubah'' amounts served the same purpose: the~~ protection for the wife should ~~her~~ ~~support~~ ~~(either~~ by ~~death~~ or ~~divorce) cease~~. The only difference between the two systems was the timing of the payment.		This innovation came about because the bride price created a major social problem: many young prospective husbands could not raise the amount at the time when they would normally be expected to marry. To enable these young men to marry, the rabbis (in effect) delayed the time that the amount would be payable, when they would be more likely to have the sum. The object — in either case — was financial protection for the wife should the husband die, divorce her or disappear. The only difference between the two systems was the timing of the payment.

			In fact, the rabbis were so insistent on the bride having the "benefit of the ketubah" that some even described a marriage without one as being merely ], because the bride would lack the benefit of the financial settlement in case of divorce or death of the husband; without which the woman and her children could become a burden on the community. However, the husband could refuse to pay if a divorce was on account of adultery by the wife.
	The bride price may be seen as related to present-day customs of ] for the wife in the event of the breakup of marriage, and family maintenance in the event of the husband not providing adequately for the wife in his ]. Another function performed by the amount was to provide a disincentive for the husband to divorce his wife: he would need to have a certain amount to be able to pay to the wife.

			To this day in traditional Jewish weddings between opposite-sex couples, the groom gives the bride an object of value, such as a wedding ring, to fulfill the requirement in the ketubah.<ref name="RLamm15">The Jewish Way in Love & Marriage, Rabbi Maurice Lamm, Harper & Row, 1980, Chapter 15</ref> The object given must have a certain minimal value to satisfy the obligation but, modernly, the value is otherwise nominal and symbolic.
	Islamic law commands a groom to give the bride a gift called a ] prior to the consummation of the marriage. A mahr differs from the standard meaning of bride-price in that it is not to the family of the bride, but to the wife to keep for herself. In the ], it is mentioned in chapter 4, ], verse 4 as follows:

			===Ancient Greece===
	<blockquote>And give to the women (whom you marry) their ] (obligatory bridal money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage) with a good heart; but if they, of their own good pleasure, remit any part of it to you, take it and enjoy it without fear of any harm (as Allah has made it lawful).</blockquote>
			Some of the marriage settlements mentioned in the '']'' and '']'' suggest that bride price was a custom of ]. The language used for various marriage transactions, however, may blur distinctions between bride price and dowry, and a third practice called "indirect dowry," whereby the groom hands over property to the bride which is then used to establish the new household.<ref name="Snodgrass">{{cite book\|last1=Snodgrass\|first1=A.M.\|title=Archaeology and the Emergence of Greece'\|date=2006\|publisher=Cornell University Press}}</ref>{{RP\|177}} "Homeric society" is a fictional construct involving ], though drawing on the historical customs of various times and places in the Greek world.<ref name="Snodgrass" />{{RP\|180}} At the time when the ] were composed, "primitive" practices such as bride price and ] were no longer part of Greek society. Mentions of them preserve, if they have a historical basis at all, customs dating from the ].<ref name="Snodgrass" />{{RP\|185}}

			In the ''Iliad'', ] promises ] that he can take a bride without paying the bride price (Greek ''hednon''), instead receiving a dowry ''(pherne'').<ref name="Snodgrass" />{{RP\|179}}<ref>''Iliad'' 9.146</ref> In the ''Odyssey'', the least arguable references to bride price are in the marriage settlements for ], the sister of ];<ref>''Odyssey'' 15.367.</ref> ], the daughter of ], who demanded cattle for her;<ref>''Odyssey'' 11.287–297 and 15.231–238. The two versions vary, but the bride price demanded takes the form of a mythological test, labor, or ordeal; William G. Thalman, ''The Swineherd and the Bow: Representations of Class in the Odyssey'' (Cornell University Press, 1998), p. 157f.</ref> and the goddess ] herself, whose husband ] threatens to make her father ] return the bride price given for her, because she was adulterous.<ref name="Snodgrass" />{{RP\|178}} It is possible that the Homeric "bride price" is part of a ] between the prospective husband and the bride's father, but while gift exchange is a fundamental practice of aristocratic friendship and hospitality, it occurs rarely, if at all, in connection with marriage arrangements.<ref name="Snodgrass" />{{RP\|177-178}}
	Islamic law considers it ] for a husband, the groom's family or the bride's family to take the mahr of the bride without her willful decision. However, in many parts of the Muslim world, this aspect of Islamic law is overlooked in favor of practices that more closely align with pre-Islamic or extra-Islamic cultural norms.

			===Islamic law===
	The Greeks practiced bride price in ancient times. In the '']'', ] complained of the suitors wooing his mother ]:
			Islamic law commands a groom to give the bride a gift called a ] prior to the consummation of the marriage. A mahr differs from the standard bride-price in that it is paid not to the family of the bride, but to the wife to keep for herself; it is thus more accurately described as a ]. In the ], it is mentioned in chapter 4, ], verse 4 as follows:
	<blockquote>
	They are too craven to go to the house of her father Icarius, that he may himself set the bride-price for his daughter, and bestow her on whom he will, even on him who finds favour in his sight.
	</blockquote>
	The custom lasted into classical times, by which time it had become a token sum of less value than the bride's ].

			<blockquote>And give to the women (whom you marry) their ] with a good heart; but if they, of their own good pleasure, remit any part of it to you, take it and enjoy it without fear of any harm (as Allah has made it lawful).</blockquote>
	The practice of bride price also existed in ]. It became considered a social evil because of the implications of selling a woman. There was a social and political movement in the early 20th century to end the practice and it was largely successful. The practice of requiring a bride price from the groom has been making a comeback in recent years due to an increasing shortage of women.{{Citation needed\|reason=Jun 2009\|date=June 2009}}

			===Morning gifts===
	]s, which might be arranged by the bride's father rather than the bride, are given to the bride herself. The name derives from the Germanic tribal custom of giving them the morning after the wedding night. The woman might have control of this morning gift during the lifetime of her husband, but is entitled to it when widowed. If the amount of her inheritance is settled by law rather than agreement, it may be called ]. Depending on legal systems and the exact arrangement, she may not be entitled to dispose of it after her death, and may lose the property if she remarries. Morning gifts were preserved for many centuries in ], a union where the wife's inferior social status was held to prohibit her children from inheriting a noble's titles or estates. In this case, the morning gift would support the wife and children. Another legal provision for widowhood was ], in which property, often land, would be held in joint tenancy, so that it would automatically go to the widow on her husband's death.
			{{Main\|Dower}}
			Morning gifts, which might be arranged by the bride's father rather than the bride, are given to the bride herself. The name derives from the Germanic tribal custom of giving them the morning after the wedding night. The woman might have control of this morning gift during the lifetime of her husband, but is entitled to it when widowed. If the amount of her inheritance is settled by law rather than agreement, it may be called ]. Depending on legal systems and the exact arrangement, she may not be entitled to dispose of it after her death, and may lose the property if she remarries. Morning gifts were preserved for many centuries in ], a union where the wife's inferior social status was held to prohibit her children from inheriting a noble's titles or estates. In this case, the morning gift would support the wife and children. Another legal provision for widowhood was ], in which property, often land, would be held in joint tenancy, so that it would automatically go to the widow on her husband's death.

			==Contemporary==
	==The tradition today==
			===Africa===
	The tradition of giving bride price is still practiced in many ]. The amount changing hands may range from a token to continue the traditional ], to many thousands of US dollars in some Thai marriages.
			{{Essay-like\|section\|date=January 2021}}
			In parts of ], a traditional marriage ceremony depends on payment of a bride price to be valid. In Sub-Saharan Africa, bride price must be paid first in order for the couple to get permission to marry in church or in other civil ceremonies, or the marriage is not considered valid by the bride's family. The amount can vary from a token to a great sum, real estate and other values. ] (or Lobola, sometimes also known as Roora) is the same tradition in most cultures in ] Xhosa, Shona, Venda, Zulu, Ndebele etc. The amount includes a few to several head of cattle, goats and a sum of money depending on the family. The cattle and goats constitute an integral part of the traditional marriage for ceremonial purposes during and after the original marriage ceremony.

			In some societies, marriage is delayed until all payments are made. If the wedding occurs before all payments are made, the status is left ambiguous.<ref>{{Cite book\|title=Africa\|editor1=Grosz-Ngaté, Maria Luise \|editor2=Hanson, John H. \|editor3=O'Meara, Patrick\|isbn=9780253013026\|edition= Fourth\|location=Bloomington\|oclc=873805936\|date = 2014-04-18}}</ref> The bride price tradition can have destructive effects when young men don't have the means to marry. In strife-torn South Sudan, many young men ] for this reason, often risking their lives.<ref>{{Cite web\|url = http://www.dandc.eu/en/article/bride-price-tradition-destructive-strong-strife-torn-south-sudan\|title = Risking one's life to be able to marry\|date = 26 June 2016\|access-date = 7 July 2016\|publisher = D+C, development and cooperation\|author1 = Aleu, Philip Thon\|author2 = Mach, Parach\|name-list-style = amp\|archive-date = 17 November 2019\|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191117113211/https://www.dandc.eu/en/article/bride-price-tradition-destructive-strong-strife-torn-south-sudan\|url-status = live}}</ref>
	===Thailand===
	] In ], bride price (Thai: สินสอด, pronounced and often erroneously referred to by the English term "]") is common in both Thai-Thai and Thai-foreign marriages. The bride price may range from nothing, if the woman is divorced, has a child fathered by another man, or is widely known to have had premarital relations with men; to millions of ] (US$30,000) for a woman of high social standing, a beauty queen, or a highly educated woman. The bride price in Thailand is paid at the engagement ceremony, and consists of three elements: cash, Thai (96.5% pure) gold, and the more recent Western tradition of a diamond ring. The most commonly stated rationale for the bride price in Thailand is that it allows the groom to demonstrate that he has enough financial resources to support the bride (and possibly her family) after the wedding. In many cases, especially when the amount is large, the parents of a Thai bride will return all or part of the bride price to the couple in the form of a wedding gift following the engagement ceremony.

	===~~China~~===		===Asia===
			====Western Asia====
	In traditional ], an auspicious date is selected to ''Ti Qin'' (literally meaning "propose marriage"), where both families will meet to discuss the amount of the bride price demanded, among other things. A couple of weeks before the actual wedding, the ritual of ''Guo Da Li'' (literally meaning "performing the rites") takes place (on an auspicious date). The groom and a ] will visit the bride's family bearing gifts like wedding cakes, ] and jewelry, as well as the bride price. On the actual wedding day, the bride's family will return a portion of the bride price (sometimes in the form of ]) as a goodwill gesture.
			], who are indigenous people of ], commonly practice the bride price (''niqda''{{which lang\|date=January 2023}}) custom. The ] would involve the bridegroom's family paying to the father of the bride. The amount of money of the niqda is reached by ] between groups of people from both families. The ] of the groom's family influences the amount of the bridewealth that ought to be paid. When the matter is settled to the contentment of both menages, the groom's father may kiss the hand of the bride's father to express his chivalrous regard and ]. These situations are usually filmed and incorporated within the ]. ] and dancing is accompanied after the payment is done, which usually happens on the doorstep, before the bride leaves her home with her escort (usually a male family member who would then walk her into the church).<ref>{{Cite web \|url=http://www.aina.org/articles/yoab.htm \|title=Assyrian Rituals of Life-Cycle Events by Yoab Benjamin \|access-date=2018-02-12 \|archive-date=2019-11-28 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191128065312/http://www.aina.org/articles/yoab.htm \|url-status=live }}</ref>

			====Central Asia====
	Changing patterns in the betrothal and marriage process in modern China can be represented as the following stages:<ref>Han, Min, , ''Senri Ethnological Studies 58'', Osaka, Japan: National Museum of Ethnology, December 20, 2001.</ref>
			In many parts of Central Asia nowadays, bride price is mostly symbolic. Various names for it in Central Asia include {{langx\|kk\|қалыңмал}} {{IPA-kk\|qaləɴmal\|}}, {{langx\|ky\|калың}} {{IPA-ky\|qɑlɯ́ŋ\|}}, {{langx\|uz\|qalin}} {{IPA-uz\|qalɨn\|}}, and {{langx\|ru\|калым}} {{IPA\|ru\|kɐˈɫɨm\|}}. It is also common in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.<ref>{{cite book\|last=Ramet\|first=Sabrina P.\|title=Religious policy in the Soviet Union\|url=https://archive.org/details/religiouspolicys00rame\|url-access=limited\|year=1993\|publisher=Cambridge UP\|location=Cambridge\|pages=\|isbn=9780521416436 }}</ref> The price may range from a small sum of money or a single piece of livestock to what amounts to a herd of livestock, depending on local traditions and the expectations and agreements of the families involved.<ref>{{cite web\|last=Rakhimdinova\|first=Aijan\|title=Kyrgyz Bride Price Controversy.\|url=http://iwpr.net/report-news/kyrgyz-bride-price-controversy\|work=IWPR Issue 17, 22 Dec 05\|publisher=IWPR\|access-date=25 September 2011\|archive-date=19 January 2021\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119031407/https://iwpr.net/global-voices/kyrgyz-bride-price-controversy\|url-status=live}}</ref> The tradition is upheld in ]. A "dark distortion" of it involved a 6-year-old daughter of an Afghan refugee from ] in a Kabul refugee camp, who was to be married to the son of the money lender who provided with the girl's father $2500 so the man could pay medical bills. According to anthropologist ], the practice increased after the fall of the ].<ref>{{cite news\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/01/world/asia/afghan-debts-painful-payment-a-daughter-6.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130401&_r=0\|title=Afghan Debt's Painful Payment: A Daughter, 6\|last=Rubin\|first=Alissa J.\|date=1 April 2013\|work=]\|access-date=1 April 2013\|archive-date=5 April 2013\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130405060641/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/01/world/asia/afghan-debts-painful-payment-a-daughter-6.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130401&_r=0\|url-status=live}}</ref>
	# ''Ti qin'', "making an offer of marriage";
	# ''He tian ming'', "divination";
	# ''Jian mian'', "looking in the face", i.e. meeting;
	# ''Ding hun'', "being betrothed";
	# ''Yao ri zi'', "asking the wifegivers the date of the wedding"; and
	# ''Jie xin ren'', "transferring the bride".

	===~~Africa~~===		====Thailand====
			In ], bride price—''sin sod''<ref name="khongmun">{{cite web\|title=Cultural aspects within marriage\|url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/vdo/expat-advice/544371/cultural-aspects-within-marriage\|website=Bangkok Post\|access-date=12 March 2016\|type=Video\|date=2015-04-28}}</ref> (Thai: สินสอด, pronounced and often erroneously referred to by the English term "]") is common in both Thai-Thai and Thai-foreign marriages. The bride price may range from nothing—if the woman is divorced, has a child fathered by another man, or is widely known to have had premarital relations with men—to tens of millions of ] (US$300,000 or ~9,600,000 THB) for a woman of high social standing, a beauty queen, or a highly educated woman. The bride price in Thailand is paid at the engagement ceremony, and consists of three elements: cash, Thai (96.5 percent pure) gold, and the more recent Western tradition of a diamond ring. The most commonly stated rationale for the bride price in Thailand is that it allows the groom to demonstrate that he has enough financial resources to support the bride (and possibly her family) after the wedding. In many cases, especially when the amount is large, the parents of a Thai bride will return all or part of the bride price to the couple in the form of a wedding gift following the engagement ceremony.
	In parts of ], a traditional marriage ceremony depends on payment of a bride price to be valid. The amount can vary from a token to a great sum. ] is a similar tradition in some cultures in ]. In the east African country of Uganda, the MIFUMI Project<ref></ref> held a referendum in ], ] in 2001 on whether a bride price should be a non-refundable gift. In 2004 it held an international conference on the bride price in ], Uganda.It brought together activists from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Rwanda and South Africa to discuss the effect that payment of bride price has on women. Delegates also talked about ways of eliminating this practice in Africa and elsewhere. It also issued a preamble position in 2008.<ref></ref> In 2007 MIFUMI took the Uganda Government to the Constitutional Court wishing the court to rule that the practice of Bride Price is un-constitutional. The case was heard in September 2009 and judgement is pending. To change customary law on bride price in Uganda, however, is difficult as it is guarded by society with some women, especially in the rural areas still approving its relevance. Customary law is also considered more than just bride price but other rituals and ceremonies that enrich Ugandan cultures.Next to constitutional changes, changes in customary law are necessary to abolish the practice.<ref></ref>

			It is also practised by Muslims in Thailand and is called ].
	===Central Asia===
	{{Citations missing\|section\|date=June 2009}}
	In many parts of Central Asia, bride price is still expected and mandatory. Various names for it in Central Asia include {{lang-kk\|қалыңмал}} {{IPA-kk\|qaləɴmal\|}}, {{lang-ky\|калың}} {{IPA-ky\|qɑlɯ́ŋ\|}}, {{lang-uz\|qalin}} {{IPA-uz\|qalɨn\|}}, and {{lang-ru\|калым}} {{IPA-ru\|kˠalˠim\|}}. The price may range from a small sum of money or a single piece of livestock to what amounts to a herd of livestock, depending on local traditions and the expectations and agreements of the families involved.

	===~~Elsewhere~~===		====Kachin====
			In ] society they have the system of Mayu and Dama. "Mayu" means a group of people who give woman and "Dama" means a group of people who take woman. The “bride wealth” system is extremely important for kinship system in Kachin society and has been used for centuries. The purpose of giving "bride wealth" is to honor the wife giver "Mayu" and to create a strong relationship. The exact details of the “bride wealth” system vary by time and place. In Kachin society, bride wealth is required to be given by wife taker “Dama” to wife giver “Mayu.” Kachin ancestors thought that if wife takers “Dama” gave a large bride price to wife giver “Mayu”; it meant that they honored the bride and her family, and no one would look down on the groom and bride.<ref>Num Wawn Num La Shaman Ga hte Htinggaw Mying Gindai,2010, Mougaung Baptist Church</ref>
	The bride price practice contrasts sharply with the poorly understood nuptial arrangement known as ]. This is practiced among other regions of the world, including the ] ] peoples, such as the ] of ].

	===~~Criticisms~~===		====China====
			{{missing information\|section\|the 彩礼 terminology\|date=November 2024}}
	The bride price is the gift in the transaction that has the purpose to maintain the continuity of the two groups' social relationship by compensating the loss of one object (daughter) by another object (money). The bride price can be seen as a social custom that permits the sale and purchase of girls and women; women are assimilated to merchandise that men can exchange with other merchandise such as money or women.
			{{See also\|Chinese pre-wedding customs#Betrothal\|l1=Chinese pre-wedding customs}}
			In traditional ], an auspicious date is selected to ''ti qin'' ({{zh\|s=提亲\|t=提親\|l=propose marriage}}), where both families will meet to discuss the amount of the bride price ({{zh\|t=聘金\|p=pìn jīn\|labels=no}}) demanded, among other things. Several weeks before the actual wedding, the ritual of ''guo da li'' ({{zh\|s=过大礼\|t=過大禮\|l=going through the great ceremony\|labels=no}}) takes place (on an auspicious date). The groom and a ] will visit the bride's family bearing gifts like wedding cakes, ] and jewelry, as well as the bride price. On the actual wedding day, the bride's family will return a portion of the bride price (sometimes in the form of ]) and a set of gifts as a goodwill gesture.

			Bride prices varies by eras, for instance during the ], bride prices were usually in a form of a sack of rice or wheat. However bride prices were sent in secret during the Cultural Revolution following a public discouragement on bride price, which was seen as a feudalist legacy.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=传统农业地区的婚姻特征 \|url=http://shxyj.ajcass.org/Admin/UploadFile/20130926008/2015-09-15/Issue/adztoj4c.pdf \|website=传统农业地区的婚姻特征}}</ref> Since Deng's reform, bride prices vary from {{Currency\|1000000\|CNY}} in famously money-centric<ref name="nytimes1">{{cite news\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/24/international/asia/24china.html?ex=1295758800&en=8f0cfe0607b2af3b&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss\|title=In a Richer China, Billionaires Put Money on Marriage\|first=Howard W.\|last=French\|date=2006-01-24\|access-date=2014-04-16\|newspaper=The New York Times\|archive-date=2012-05-05\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505112745/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/24/international/asia/24china.html?ex=1295758800&en=8f0cfe0607b2af3b&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss\|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/23/world/asia/23iht-journal.html\|title=Rich guy seeks girl, must be virgin: Read this ad\|first=Howard W.\|last=French\|date=2006-01-23\|access-date=2014-04-16\|newspaper=The New York Times\|archive-date=2021-01-19\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119031410/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/23/world/asia/rich-guy-seeks-girl-must-be-virgin-read-this-ad.html\|url-status=live}}</ref> Shanghai<ref name="nytimes2">{{cite news\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/22/world/shanghai-journal-it-s-a-lucky-day-in-may-and-here-come-the-brides.html\|title=Shanghai Journal;It's a Lucky Day in May, and Here Come the Brides\|first=Seth\|last=Faison\|date=1996-05-22\|access-date=2014-04-16\|newspaper=The New York Times\|archive-date=2014-04-18\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140418100637/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/22/world/shanghai-journal-it-s-a-lucky-day-in-may-and-here-come-the-brides.html\|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="nytimes3">{{cite news\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/business/in-a-changing-china-new-matchmaking-markets.html\|title=In a Changing China, New Matchmaking Markets\|first=Brook\|last=Larmer\|date=2013-03-09\|access-date=2014-04-16\|newspaper=The New York Times\|archive-date=2015-03-24\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324001350/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/business/in-a-changing-china-new-matchmaking-markets.html\|url-status=live}}</ref> to as little as {{Currency\|10000\|CNY}}.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://news.ifeng.com/society/2/detail_2013_06/05/26084612_0.shtml\|title=全国聘礼地图：山东3斤百元人民币重庆0元(图)\|date=2013-06-05\|access-date=2014-04-16\|archive-date=2014-04-17\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417015022/http://news.ifeng.com/society/2/detail_2013_06/05/26084612_0.shtml\|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ifeng2">{{cite web\|url=http://www.echinacities.com/china-media/The-Price-of-Marriage-in-China-Infographic-Shows-Astounding-Data\|title=The Price of Marriage in China: Infographic Shows Astounding Data\|date=2013-06-11\|access-date=2014-04-16\|archive-date=2014-04-17\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417022914/http://www.echinacities.com/china-media/The-Price-of-Marriage-in-China-Infographic-Shows-Astounding-Data\|url-status=live}}</ref> A house is often required along with the bride price<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://www.qz.com/92267/in-a-reversal-of-the-dowry-chinese-men-pay-a-steep-price-for-their-brides/\|title=Forget dowries: Chinese men have to pay up to US$24,000 to get a bride\|date=June 9, 2013\|access-date=April 16, 2014\|author1=Gwynn Guilford, Ritchie King\|author2=Herman Wong\|name-list-style=amp\|archive-date=April 18, 2014\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140418161233/http://qz.com/92267/in-a-reversal-of-the-dowry-chinese-men-pay-a-steep-price-for-their-brides/\|url-status=live}}</ref> (an apartment is acceptable, but rentals are not<ref name="npr">{{cite web\|url=https://www.npr.org/2013/04/23/176326713/for-chinese-women-marriage-depends-on-right-bride-price\|title=For Chinese Women, Marriage Depends On Right 'Bride Price'\|first=Louisa\|last=Lim\|website=NPR.org \|date=April 23, 2013\|access-date=April 16, 2014\|archive-date=April 21, 2014\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421222657/http://www.npr.org/2013/04/23/176326713/for-chinese-women-marriage-depends-on-right-bride-price\|url-status=live}}</ref>) and a car under both or only the bride's name,<ref name="nytimes3"/><ref name="ifeng2"/> neither of which are counted toward the bride price itself. In some regions, the bride's family may demand other kinds of gifts,<ref>{{cite magazine\|url=https://newsfeed.time.com/2013/06/10/the-steep-price-for-a-chinese-bride/\|title=The Steep Price for a Chinese Bride\|magazine=Time\|first=Anjani\|last=Trivedi\|date=June 10, 2013\|access-date=April 16, 2014\|archive-date=April 19, 2014\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419021634/http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/06/10/the-steep-price-for-a-chinese-bride/\|url-status=live}}</ref> none counted toward the bride price itself. May 18 is a particularly auspicious day on which to pay the bride price and marry as its Chinese wording is phonetically similar to "I will get rich".<ref name="nytimes2"/> Bride prices are rising quickly<ref name="npr"/><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.yangtse.com/system/2013/06/06/017539665.shtml?_ga=1.132979661.2132848147.1397680525 \|title=全国聘礼地图 \|date=2013-06-06 \|access-date=2014-04-16 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419014830/http://www.yangtse.com/system/2013/06/06/017539665.shtml?_ga=1.132979661.2132848147.1397680525 \|archive-date=2014-04-19 }}</ref> in China <ref name="nytimes2"/> largely without documentation but a definite verbal and cultural understanding of where bride prices are today. ] has increased competition for ever higher bride prices.<ref name="uk">{{cite news\|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/9780786/Chinas-brides-go-for-gold-as-their-dowries-get-bigger-and-bigger.html\|title=China's brides go for gold as their dowries get bigger and bigger\|first=Malcolm\|last=Moore\|date=January 4, 2013\|access-date=April 16, 2014\|archive-date=April 10, 2014\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410195207/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/9780786/Chinas-brides-go-for-gold-as-their-dowries-get-bigger-and-bigger.html\|url-status=live}}</ref> Financial distress is an unacceptable and ignored justification for not paying the bride price. If the grooms' side cannot agree or pay, they or simply the groom himself must still pay a bride price <ref name="ifeng">{{cite web\|url=http://blog.ifeng.com/article/16963564.html\|title=I have a solution.\|date=2012-03-25\|access-date=2014-04-16\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130132250/http://blog.ifeng.com/article/16963564.html\|archive-date=2016-11-30\|url-status=dead}}</ref> thus borrowing from relatives is a popular if not required option to "]". Inability to pay is cause for preventing a marriage which either side can equally recommend. Privately, families need bride prices due to China's lack of a social security net {{Citation needed\|date=December 2022}} and a ] which leaves parents with neither retirement funding nor caretaking if their only child is taken away<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/map-chinas-bride-price-distribution-shanghai-tops-list-one-million-yuan-chongqing-only-city-where\|title=A Map Of China's Bride Price Distribution: Shanghai Tops The List At One Million Yuan And Chongqing The Only City Where Love Is Free\|author1=Lisa Mahapatra\|author2=Sophie Song\|website=] \|name-list-style=amp\|date=June 6, 2013\|access-date=April 16, 2014\|archive-date=April 19, 2014\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419014520/http://www.ibtimes.com/map-chinas-bride-price-distribution-shanghai-tops-list-one-million-yuan-chongqing-only-city-where\|url-status=live}}</ref> as brides typically move into the groom's residence upon marrying<ref name="mercatornet">{{cite web\|url=http://www.mercatornet.com/demography/view/12322\|title=Chinese "Bride Price"\|first=Marcus\|last=Roberts\|date=June 12, 2013\|access-date=April 16, 2014\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180724032222/https://www.mercatornet.com/demography/view/12322\|archive-date=July 24, 2018\|url-status=dead}}</ref> as well as testing the groom's ability to marry by paying cash <ref name="mercatornet"/> and emotionally giving up his resources to the bride.<ref name="malaysiaweddinghub"/> Publicly, families cite bride price as insurance in case the man abandons or divorces the wife<ref name="malaysiaweddinghub">{{cite web\|url=http://www.malaysiaweddinghub.com/inspirations-ideas/bride-price-%E8%81%98%E9%87%91-how-much-to-give/\|title=Bride Price (聘金): How Much To Give?\|access-date=2014-04-17\|archive-date=2014-04-19\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419012618/http://www.malaysiaweddinghub.com/inspirations-ideas/bride-price-%E8%81%98%E9%87%91-how-much-to-give/\|url-status=usurped}}</ref> and that the bride price creates goodwill between families. The groom's side should pay more than what the bride's side has demanded<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://weddingtweets.com.sg/how_to/customs_religions/chinese-wedding-traditions-bride-price \|title=Chinese Wedding Traditions: The Bride Price \|date=August 26, 2012 \|access-date=April 16, 2014 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419021139/http://weddingtweets.com.sg/how_to/customs_religions/chinese-wedding-traditions-bride-price \|archive-date=April 19, 2014 }}</ref> to "save face".<ref name="uk"/><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.8asians.com/2013/04/24/how-much-are-you-worth-chinese-bride-to-be/\|title=How Much Are You Worth, Chinese Bride-to-Be?\|date=April 24, 2013\|access-date=April 16, 2014\|archive-date=March 26, 2014\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326162104/http://www.8asians.com/2013/04/24/how-much-are-you-worth-chinese-bride-to-be/\|url-status=live}}</ref> Amounts preferably follow the usual ] conventions though the sum is far more important. Attempts to tackle skyrocketing bride prices were also done by the ] by implementing marriage reforms, with involves capping the maximum amount of bride price which was implemented by trial in several regions, notably Chengdu, Guangzhou and Shenyang,<ref>{{Cite web \|title=多地列入全国婚俗改革试验区，婚俗改革改的是什么？ - 青岛新闻网 \|url=https://news.qingdaonews.com/zhongguo/2021-04/11/content_22662053.htm \|access-date=2024-04-23 \|website=news.qingdaonews.com}}</ref> apart from the ruling from the ] dated 17 January, 2024 regarding the prohibition of demanding property under the name of marriage, which includes bride price that allows cases for reimbursement.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=中国发布丨最高法：3种情形不属于彩礼，彩礼返还及返还比例要看共同生活时间长短-中国网 \|url=http://news.china.com.cn/2024-01/18/content_116949339.html \|access-date=2024-04-23 \|website=news.china.com.cn}}</ref>
	In some cases impoverished or selfish parents use the bride price custom to sell their daughters to the highest bidder. The incentive of money can lead to the bride price custom being exploited by some parents. Another problem that has been linked with the bride price custom is marriage by abduction (see the long article on ]). Men who cannot afford to pay the normal bride price may abduct and rape teenage girls in an attempt to force their parents to agree to the marriage and to a reduction in the bride price.<ref>Child Brides: Alameye documentary</ref>

			Changing patterns in the betrothal and marriage process in some rural villages of modern China can be represented as the following stages: <ref>Han, Min, {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090619075530/http://www.minpaku.ac.jp/publication/ses/058.html \|date=2009-06-19 }}, ''Senri Ethnological Studies 58'', Osaka, Japan: National Museum of Ethnology, December 20, 2001.</ref>
	==The tradition in fiction==
			# ''Ti qin'' {{lang\|zh-CN\|提亲}}, "propose a marriage";
	*A famous ] play '']'' (Bride Price) satirised the practice and the ]ical notions that kept it alive. Though the practice no longer exists in India, the play, and the movie based on it, are still extremely popular in ].
			# ''He tian ming'' {{lang\|zh-CN\|和天命}}, "Accord with Heaven's mandate" (i.e. find a ritually auspicious day);
	*A popular ] film, '']'', used the device of a bride price of a shocking amount in one of its most pivotal scenes.
			# ''Jian mian'' {{lang\|zh-CN\|见面}}, "looking in the face", i.e. meeting;
	*The plot of "A Home for the Highland Cattle", a short story by ] hinges on whether a painting of cattle can be accepted in place of actual cattle for "lobola", bride price in a southern African setting.
			# ''Ding hun'' {{lang\|zh-CN\|订婚}}, "being betrothed";
	*] wrote a novel named '']''.
			# ''Yao ri zi'' {{lang\|zh-CN\|要日子}}, "asking the wifegivers the date of the wedding"; and
			# ''Jie xin ren'' {{lang\|zh-CN\|接新人}}, "transferring the bride".

			It is also practised by Muslims known as ] in ] and is called ].{{cn\|date=October 2023}}
	== References ==
	{{reflist}}

			====Indian subcontinent====
	== Further reading ==
			It is still practised by Muslims in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and is called ]. In North East India, notably in Assam (the indigenous Assamese ethnic groups) an amount or token of bride price was and is still given in various forms. In some parts of Indian state of Gujarat, bride price is rather prevalent, resulting from the fact that there are lesser number of girls than boys in the society.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=November 15, 2003 \|first=Radha \|last=Sharma \|title=Gujarati grooms pay for brides \|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/gujarati-grooms-pay-for-brides/articleshow/285676.cms \|access-date=2022-09-25 \|website=The Times of India \|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=July 23, 2001 \|first=Sajid \|last=Shaikh \|title=Bride price skyrockets in Panchmahals \|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/bride-price-skyrockets-in-panchmahals/articleshow/264164754.cms \|access-date=2022-09-25 \|website=The Times of India \|language=en}}</ref>
	* Hirsch, Jennifer S., Wardlow, Holly, , Macmillan, 2006. ISBN 0472099590. Cf. Chapter 1 "Love and Jewelry", on the bride price.

			====Myanmar====
	]
			It is still practised by Muslims, known as ] in Myanmar, especially in ] and is called ].

			==See also==
	]
			* ]
	]
	]		* ]

	]
			==References==
	]
			{{Reflist}}
	]

	]
			==Further reading==
	]
			* Hirsch, Jennifer S., Wardlow, Holly, , Macmillan, 2006. {{ISBN\|0-472-09959-0}}. Cf. Chapter 1 "Love and Jewelry", on the bride price.
	]

	]
			{{Interpersonal relationships footer}}{{Authority control}}
	]
	]		]
	]
	]
	]
	]

Latest revision as of 17:46, 21 December 2024

Money or other form of wealth paid by a groom or his family to the family of the bride

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Bride price, bride-dowry, bride-wealth, bride service or bride token, is money, property, or other form of wealth paid by a groom or his family to the woman or the family of the woman he will be married to or is just about to marry. Bride dowry is equivalent to dowry paid to the groom in some cultures, or used by the bride to help establish the new household, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. Some cultures may practice both simultaneously. Many cultures practiced bride dowry prior to existing records.

The tradition of giving bride dowry is practiced in many East Asian countries, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, parts of Africa and in some Pacific Island societies, notably those in Melanesia. The amount changing hands may range from a token to continue the traditional ritual, to many thousands of US dollars in some marriages in Thailand, and as much as a $100,000 in exceptionally large bride dowry in parts of Papua New Guinea where bride dowry is customary.

Function

Bridewealth is commonly paid in a currency that is not generally used for other types of exchange. According to French anthropologist Philippe Rospabé, its payment does therefore not entail the purchase of a woman, as was thought in the early twentieth century. Instead, it is a purely symbolic gesture acknowledging (but never paying off) the husband's permanent debt to the wife's parents.

Dowries exist in societies where capital is more valuable than manual labor. For instance, in Middle Ages Europe, the family of a bride-to-be was compelled to offer a dowry — land, cattle and money — to the family of the husband-to-be.

Bridewealth exists in societies where manual labor is more important than capital. In Sub-Saharan Africa where land was abundant and there were few or no domesticated animals, manual labor was more valuable than capital, and therefore bridewealth dominated. In Eastern Europe, the bride's family is compensated for their loss of a worker.

An evolutionary psychology explanation for dowry and bride price is that bride price is common in polygynous societies which have a relative scarcity of available women. In monogamous societies where women have little personal wealth, dowry is instead common since there is a relative scarcity of wealthy men who can choose from many potential women when marrying.

Historical usage

Mesopotamia

The Babylonian Code of Hammurabi mentions bride price in various laws as an established custom. It is not the payment of the bride price that is prescribed, but the regulation of various aspects:

a man who paid the bride price but looked for another bride would not get a refund, but he would if the father of the bride refused the match
if a wife died without sons, her father was entitled to the return of her dowry, minus the value of the bride price.

Jewish tradition

Ancient Greece

Some of the marriage settlements mentioned in the Iliad and Odyssey suggest that bride price was a custom of Homeric society. The language used for various marriage transactions, however, may blur distinctions between bride price and dowry, and a third practice called "indirect dowry," whereby the groom hands over property to the bride which is then used to establish the new household. "Homeric society" is a fictional construct involving legendary figures and deities, though drawing on the historical customs of various times and places in the Greek world. At the time when the Homeric epics were composed, "primitive" practices such as bride price and polygamy were no longer part of Greek society. Mentions of them preserve, if they have a historical basis at all, customs dating from the Age of Migrations (c. 1200–1000 BC) and the two centuries following.

In the Iliad, Agamemnon promises Achilles that he can take a bride without paying the bride price (Greek hednon), instead receiving a dowry (pherne). In the Odyssey, the least arguable references to bride price are in the marriage settlements for Ctimene, the sister of Odysseus; Pero, the daughter of Neleus, who demanded cattle for her; and the goddess Aphrodite herself, whose husband Hephaestus threatens to make her father Zeus return the bride price given for her, because she was adulterous. It is possible that the Homeric "bride price" is part of a reciprocal exchange of gifts between the prospective husband and the bride's father, but while gift exchange is a fundamental practice of aristocratic friendship and hospitality, it occurs rarely, if at all, in connection with marriage arrangements.

Islamic law

Islamic law commands a groom to give the bride a gift called a Mahr prior to the consummation of the marriage. A mahr differs from the standard bride-price in that it is paid not to the family of the bride, but to the wife to keep for herself; it is thus more accurately described as a dower. In the Qur'an, it is mentioned in chapter 4, An-Nisa, verse 4 as follows:

And give to the women (whom you marry) their Mahr with a good heart; but if they, of their own good pleasure, remit any part of it to you, take it and enjoy it without fear of any harm (as Allah has made it lawful).

Morning gifts

Main article: Dower

Morning gifts, which might be arranged by the bride's father rather than the bride, are given to the bride herself. The name derives from the Germanic tribal custom of giving them the morning after the wedding night. The woman might have control of this morning gift during the lifetime of her husband, but is entitled to it when widowed. If the amount of her inheritance is settled by law rather than agreement, it may be called dower. Depending on legal systems and the exact arrangement, she may not be entitled to dispose of it after her death, and may lose the property if she remarries. Morning gifts were preserved for many centuries in morganatic marriage, a union where the wife's inferior social status was held to prohibit her children from inheriting a noble's titles or estates. In this case, the morning gift would support the wife and children. Another legal provision for widowhood was jointure, in which property, often land, would be held in joint tenancy, so that it would automatically go to the widow on her husband's death.

Contemporary

Africa

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In parts of Africa, a traditional marriage ceremony depends on payment of a bride price to be valid. In Sub-Saharan Africa, bride price must be paid first in order for the couple to get permission to marry in church or in other civil ceremonies, or the marriage is not considered valid by the bride's family. The amount can vary from a token to a great sum, real estate and other values. Lobolo (or Lobola, sometimes also known as Roora) is the same tradition in most cultures in Southern Africa Xhosa, Shona, Venda, Zulu, Ndebele etc. The amount includes a few to several head of cattle, goats and a sum of money depending on the family. The cattle and goats constitute an integral part of the traditional marriage for ceremonial purposes during and after the original marriage ceremony.

In some societies, marriage is delayed until all payments are made. If the wedding occurs before all payments are made, the status is left ambiguous. The bride price tradition can have destructive effects when young men don't have the means to marry. In strife-torn South Sudan, many young men steal cattle for this reason, often risking their lives.

Asia

Western Asia

Assyrians, who are indigenous people of Western Asia, commonly practice the bride price (niqda) custom. The tradition would involve the bridegroom's family paying to the father of the bride. The amount of money of the niqda is reached by negotiation between groups of people from both families. The social state of the groom's family influences the amount of the bridewealth that ought to be paid. When the matter is settled to the contentment of both menages, the groom's father may kiss the hand of the bride's father to express his chivalrous regard and gratitude. These situations are usually filmed and incorporated within the wedding video. Folk music and dancing is accompanied after the payment is done, which usually happens on the doorstep, before the bride leaves her home with her escort (usually a male family member who would then walk her into the church).

Central Asia

In many parts of Central Asia nowadays, bride price is mostly symbolic. Various names for it in Central Asia include Kazakh: қалыңмал [qaləɴmal], Kyrgyz: калың [qɑlɯ́ŋ], Uzbek: qalin [qalɨn], and Russian: калым [kɐˈɫɨm]. It is also common in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The price may range from a small sum of money or a single piece of livestock to what amounts to a herd of livestock, depending on local traditions and the expectations and agreements of the families involved. The tradition is upheld in Afghanistan. A "dark distortion" of it involved a 6-year-old daughter of an Afghan refugee from Helmand Province in a Kabul refugee camp, who was to be married to the son of the money lender who provided with the girl's father $2500 so the man could pay medical bills. According to anthropologist Deniz Kandiyoti, the practice increased after the fall of the Taliban.

Thailand

In Thailand, bride price—sin sod (Thai: สินสอด, pronounced and often erroneously referred to by the English term "dowry") is common in both Thai-Thai and Thai-foreign marriages. The bride price may range from nothing—if the woman is divorced, has a child fathered by another man, or is widely known to have had premarital relations with men—to tens of millions of Thai baht (US$300,000 or ~9,600,000 THB) for a woman of high social standing, a beauty queen, or a highly educated woman. The bride price in Thailand is paid at the engagement ceremony, and consists of three elements: cash, Thai (96.5 percent pure) gold, and the more recent Western tradition of a diamond ring. The most commonly stated rationale for the bride price in Thailand is that it allows the groom to demonstrate that he has enough financial resources to support the bride (and possibly her family) after the wedding. In many cases, especially when the amount is large, the parents of a Thai bride will return all or part of the bride price to the couple in the form of a wedding gift following the engagement ceremony.

It is also practised by Muslims in Thailand and is called Mahr.

Kachin

In Kachin society they have the system of Mayu and Dama. "Mayu" means a group of people who give woman and "Dama" means a group of people who take woman. The “bride wealth” system is extremely important for kinship system in Kachin society and has been used for centuries. The purpose of giving "bride wealth" is to honor the wife giver "Mayu" and to create a strong relationship. The exact details of the “bride wealth” system vary by time and place. In Kachin society, bride wealth is required to be given by wife taker “Dama” to wife giver “Mayu.” Kachin ancestors thought that if wife takers “Dama” gave a large bride price to wife giver “Mayu”; it meant that they honored the bride and her family, and no one would look down on the groom and bride.

China

This section is missing information about the 彩礼 terminology. Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page. (November 2024)

Indian subcontinent

It is still practised by Muslims in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and is called Mahr. In North East India, notably in Assam (the indigenous Assamese ethnic groups) an amount or token of bride price was and is still given in various forms. In some parts of Indian state of Gujarat, bride price is rather prevalent, resulting from the fact that there are lesser number of girls than boys in the society.

Myanmar

It is still practised by Muslims, known as Rohingyas in Myanmar, especially in Rakhine State and is called Mahr.

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