AP Kalyanavedika

Types of Marriages

Forms of Marriage:
Marriage may be of different forms. When a husband is allowed to have only one wife it is called monogamy. This is very old and popular form of marriage. When one woman marries more than one husband it is Polyandry. When a wife belongs to all brothers it is called fraternal Polyandry. But when a woman can have more than one husband who are not brothers the marriage is called non fraternal Polyandry. When both male and female can marry more than one female or male as husband or wife it is called Polygamy. When a husband is permitted to have one wife at one and the same time it is called monogamy Polygamy. When brothers of a family marry sisters of another family, it is called Group Marriage.

Arranged Marriage: Both in the past and even today it is agreed, that marriage is a serious affair. It is very difficult for the young boys and girls to dispassionately decide about their life partner. It is therefore; felt that the parents of the boy as well as those of the girl should arrange for the marriage of their children. Such a marriage which is arranged by the parents is called arranged marriage

Love Marriage: More advanced people however, feel that the system of arranged marriages is quite outdated. The parents care more for the money, family prestige and what not while taking a decision about matrimonial alliance. Quite frequently there are unwanted arranged marriages which make the life of the couple miserable throughout life. They therefore, feel that the boys and girls should find suitable mates for them selves and marry the partner to whom they love. Such marriages are called ‘love marriages’.

Probationary Marriage: Under this system, the boy and the girl are allowed to socially mix with each other before actual marriage takes place. They are also allowed to have an opportunity to understand each-other’s view point. In case both the boy and the girl approve of each other such a marriage takes places and not otherwise. This type of marriage is called ‘probationary marriage’.

Marriage by Trial: In primitive societies before marriage, the boy was put to certain tests to establish his physical soundness. The marriage took place only when he successfully, came out of those trails. Such a marriage is known as marriage by trial.

Marriage by Capture: In some cases the powerful feudal lords and the kings, used capture girls of the defeated kings and nobles and forcibly married them. Such a marriage is known as marriage by capture.

Forced Marriage: In a system in which a situation is created in which the parents of a girl are forced to marry their daughter to a powerful person, that is called forced marriage. Such type of marriage was quite common in feudal society or in such societies where zamindari or similar such system even now exists.

Marriage by Compensation: Some people think that a woman is always a helping hand to a boy after her marriage. The parents of the girl as such should be properly compensated for giving their girl in marriage. ‘The system is known as marriage by compensation’. It practically amounts to purchasing the girl.

Marriage by Exchange: In some societies there is system of marriage by exchange. Under this system a boy is offered girl of a family provided the boy is prepared to offer some near female relative to the family of the girl to whom he is proposing to marry. This system is known as marriage by exchange.

Marriage by Elopement: It is not a socially approved system of marriage. In this system a boy forcibly runs always with girl without the approval or consent of the parents of the girl. Subsequently they marry each other. Such a type of marriage usually brings dispute to both the families and is socially condemned.

Marriage in the past was considered a religious bond in India. Once married the chances of dissolution of marriage contract were very remote. A widow used to burn her-self alive with the dead body of her husband. Similarly every couple some-how pulled on whether such a marriage was harmonious or unharmonious. But today the situation has very much changed. Marriage is now being considered only as a friendship in the urban areas in few cases only. Woman has now been given a right to divorce her husband under certain circumstances. Even otherwise divorce ratio is increasing gradually in all societies, particularly in the western societies.