Risley, Herbert H.; Crooke, William [Editor]: The people of India: being an attempt to trace the progress of the national mind in its various aspects, as reflected in the nation’s literature from the earliest times to the present day ; with copious extracts from the best writers (Calcutta [u.a.], 1915)

xxvi

CONTENTS

CHAPTER IV

CASTE AND MARRIAGE

PAGE

Contrasts between India and Europe . . . . . . • • • '54

Endogamy

Exogamy ^l

Hypergamy ID3

Influence of hypergamy . . . . . • ■ • • • '^S

Female infanticide and exogamy . . . • • • • • '71

Female infanticide and hypergamy . . • • • • • • !73

Origin of hypergamy . . . . • • • • • • . 178

Widow and infant marriage 1S2

Prohibition of widow marriage unknown in Vedic times ...... 182

Causes of its revival . . • . • • . . • •• 183

Considerations of property, of spiritual benefit, of sacramental doctrine . . . 183

Influence of hypergamy . . . . :. . ... . • . 184

Practice of lower castes . . . . . . . . • • .184

Feeling of the people as to extension of widow marriage . . . . . . 185

Prevalence of infant marriage . ...... 1S6

Origin of infant marriage . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Mr. Nesfield's theory .............. 18S

Antiquity of the custom : its possible causes 189

The case for infant marriage. 192

The physiological side of the question . . . . ■ • • • '93

Abuses in Bengal 194

TReform in Rajputana . . . . . . . • • . • 195

Rules of the Walterkrit Sabha.......... 196

!As to expenses

/As to betrothal............. 197

jAs to age.............. 198

Legislation : Mr. Ghose's scheme ........... 199

The Mysore Act............ • 200

•The Baroda Act............. 201

Its practical working ............ 202

Sardar Arjun Singh's Scheme .......... 203 ■

Indian views of it ........... 204

Prospects of reform . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

Difficulties of legislation........... 206

The two forms of polyandry . .......... 207

Matriarchal polyandry . . . . . . . . • . . 207

The ceremonial husband ........... 209

The actual husband............ 209

Fraternal polyandry in Tibet and Sikkim ...... ... 210

Origin of polyandry . . . •........ 212

Statistics of marriage............ 212

Among Hindus . . • . • • • • • • • • 213

Among Muhammadans . . . .' •....... 213