A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment by the groom, or his family, to the bride, or her family, dowry is the wealth transferred from the bride, or her family, to the groom, or his family. Similarly, dower is the property settled on the bride herself, by the groom at the time of marriage, and which remains under her ownership and control.[1]
Dowry is an ancient custom that is mentioned in some of the earliest writings, and its existence may well predate records of it. Dowries continue to be expected and demanded as a condition to accept a marriage proposal in some parts of the world, mainly in parts of Asia.[2][3][4] The custom of dowry is most common in strongly patrilineal cultures that expect women to reside with or near their husband's family (patrilocality).[5] Dowries have long histories in Europe, South Asia, Africa, and other parts of the world.[5]
A dowry is the transfer of parental property to a daughter at her marriage (i.e. "inter vivos") rather than at the owner's death (mortis causa).[6] (This is a completely different definition of dowry to that given at the top of the article, which demonstrates how the term ‘dowry’ causes confusion.) A dowry (or dower) establishes a type of conjugal fund, the nature of which may vary widely. This fund may provide an element of financial security in widowhood or against a negligent husband, and may eventually go to provide for her children.[6] Dowries may also go toward establishing a marital household, and therefore might include furnishings such as linens and furniture.
Locally, dowry or trousseau is called jahez in Urdu, jahizie in Persian and Arabic; dahej in Hindi, dāj in Punjabi, daijo in Nepali,[7] çeyiz in Turkish, joutuk in Bengali, jiazhuang in Mandarin, varadhachanai in Tamil, khatnam in Telugu, streedhanam in Malayalam, miraz in Serbo-Croatian and in various parts of Africa is known as serotwana,[8] idana, saduquat or mugtaf.[9][10][11]
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