Dowry Practice in the Syrian Christian Community

Dowry is a much dreaded word in India because it is as real as a lot of other unpleasant social evils in the country such as female foeticide.  The social norms and pressures in India tilt the marriage scenario in favor of the bridegroom's family. Right from the time a daughter is born, the parents begin planning and saving for marriage.

Most times, parents are forced to do this because they know they have no choice and the society judges the family honor and a girl's worth by scrutinizing what the girl's family 'gives' her. Of course, there are also parents who will not encourage the practice of giving dowry but still plan and save sufficient money for the event and invest in gold, keeping in mind the desire to pamper their daughter despite spiralling prices.

In the Syrian Christian community of Kerala, it is not too different. A daughter for whom dowry was paid at the time of marriage has no further claim on the estate of her parents. This is because the main duty of the parents is to provide for their daughters and marry them off well as per the customs of the community. Therefore, the amount of dowry given to a daughter is very crucial in determining whether the daughter can claim upon the parent’s estate after their death. Once the parents have done their best to provide the daughter with the best dowry they consider possible within their means, there is no injustice in shutting out any further claims of the daughter after her marriage.

Dowry for the Daughter: What Constitutes Dowry in Syrian Christian Community

The dowry is always paid before the marriage. This dowry usually consists of a sum of money, some jewelry and a portion of landed property that is given to a girl at the time of marriage. The dowry is typically handed over to the guardian of the bridegroom. In poor families, the giving of dowry includes metal vessels and tiny pieces of jewelry for the baby that is expected to be born to the couple after marriage.

Without a dowry being given to the bridegroom’s family, no marriage is deemed possible between the parties. The bargaining power of the bridegroom’s family is reflected in the dowry that is finally given by the bride’s family.

Role of the Syrian Christian Church in Upholding the Dowry Custom

Way back in 1599, the decree of the Synod of Diamper refers to a customary practice of paying tithe upon a girl’s dowry. The origin of this fee is still not clear but a fee of five to ten per cent of the dowry amount is usually paid to the parish church to which the bride belongs

The traditional view supporting this custom is that offering this fee to the Church is a girl’s voluntary offering because on marriage, she becomes a member of her husband’s parish and ceases to be a member of her own.  There are radical thinkers and liberals in the Syrian Christian community who do not encourage the traditional practice and such views, if any, are so negligible that there is very little transparency about the role of the Church and the society in such cases.

Customary Laws of Inheritance among Syrian Christians

Here are some interesting customary laws of succession among the Syrian Christians and North Travancore Christians in Kerala:

• When a person dies childless, and there is no spouse succeeding him/her, the property of such a person will revert to the father of the deceased person.
• A brother excludes a sister in terms of succession among Syrian Christians.
• Where a father dies and has only daughters, the practice is to let the daughters divide the property among themselves equally and take their respective shares absolutely.

Remarriage Among  Syrian Christians

Remarriage of widowers or widows is not considered improper or uncommon. However, a widow’s position is usually miserable in the Syrian Christian community because she is dependant on several family members. A woman, who has no means of maintaining herself, becomes an object of greed and exploitation. She is treated according to the whims and fancies of other family members.