Dowry System Paragraph For Class 7 Students

The dowry system in India was established in the Middle Ages when the entire Indian economy was mainly agricultural. During this period, there was an acute shortage of possessions, while inheritance was strictly limited to male heirs. Thus, daughters did not inherit anything and could not claim a share in the family property.

For this reason, parents used to give their daughters up either for adoption or as child brides for the purchase of the real estate. Even today, many people consider the dowry system to be an integral part of Indian tradition.

Dowry Systems, Ten Points

1. The dowry system was established by several Indian religions as a permanent social and religious institution in India during the first millennium and is still widely used today.

2. The dowry system is neither indigenous nor universal in India, but an influence of Judaism and Christianity on Hinduism, which was introduced by Christian missionaries in the 1860s to encourage conversions.

3. The word “dowry” comes from the Old English word “doer,” which means “something like bringing or receiving marriage.”

4. The dowry system is commonly referred to as the payment of cash, gold, and valuable goods that the groom makes to the bride’s family at the time of marriage.

5. The dowry system is practiced in many South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

6. In some Indian states, the dowry is called Jahez, a word derived from Jihad that means holy war to expand Islam.

7. In India, “dowry death” is the murder or suicide of a married woman whose husband or family has failed to provide the required dowry.

8. In India, around 8,391 women are killed annually over dowry disputes.

9. In India, around 25 million women fall victim to the dowry system each year, 38% of whom are minors.

10. The dowry system does not exist in Islam and has no basis in the Quran. The Prophet Mohammad strongly condemned the dowry and the exorbitant expenses associated with marriage.