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The custom relating to courtship amongst the Lakhers was similar to that of the
Lushais. The boy and the girl after they started courting would share work
in the field and would be together during the day. At night the suitor
would sleep in the girl's house, gradually, with consent of the girl, advancing
further. Anyone accusing young unmarried persons of having intimate
relationship was fined an earthen beer pot, racha, or ten rupees and also a
portion of meat, vopia.
Unlike under the Lushai custom, the fine was payable irrespective of whether the
charge was true or not. The Lakhers generally had their brides selected by
their parents. Marriage was generally outside one's own family.
Marriage amongst very close relatives was rare. Maternal uncle's daughter
was considered a favourable match.
The marriage negotiation started with the boy's father sending an emissary (leuchapa)
to the girl's parents with the proposal and a present of a dao. If the
latter had a lucky dream - dreams of fish, clear water, necklace, gun or dao,
that night the proposal would be accepted. If the dream was unlucky -
dreams of animals shot or killed by tiger, dead snakes, anyone stealing pig or
fowl were considered unlucky and the proposal would be rejected. Once the
proposal was accepted, bride price would be negotiated over rice beer in the
house of the girl's father. With the settlement of the price, the marriage
date would be fixed. On the marriage day, certain number of pigs would be
killed by both the sides. After drinking sahma, the bridegroom's marriage
procession would start from his house. There would be exchange of several
gifts like dao, axe, cotton thread, etc. before the bride and her party would
enter the groom's house. The groom and the bride would sit around a beer
pot where the marriage ceremony would take place. Some ceremonial beer
drinking would take place when the groom and the bride would drink beer
together, a fowl would be sacrificed and songs would be chanted. Then the
bride would return to her parents' house. Next day, the father of the bride
along with friends would go to the groom's house with a pot of beer and would
get the bride price, in full or in part. The day would be spent in feast
and drinks. In the evening, the bride would again return to her parents
place. The third day was the day of gifts. The groom would present
pork, fowl and cash to the relations and friends of the bride. On the
fourth day, the bride would finally move over to her husband's place which would
be thoroughly cleaned for the occasion and a fowl would be sacrificed for
casting out all evils and ensuring good jhum and crops for the couple.
Unlike the Lushais, the Lakhers did not consummate the marriage on the nuptial
night. For some months, the young husband would sleep in some other house
and continue courting his wife. After an interval considered decent
enough by custom, the husband would consummate the marriage and remain
permanently in his house.
The Lakhers had three clans. These in order of precedence were: royal clans
which provided the chiefs (abei), the patricians (phangsang) from amongst whom
the machas (advisers) were selected by the chiefs, and the plebeians (machhi).
Chieftainship was hereditary and the phangsangs were nobles cease to the
chiefs. The rest were the machhis. There was no bar in marrying
within the clans. The chiefs and the rich people preferred to marry
outside their own village thus extending their influence.
The Lakher young man always tried to marry into a clan higher than his
own. This was attributed to his objective of better protection afforded by
the higher clans. The marriage price of each clan differed higher the
clan, higher was the price.
Marriage Price
The marriage price of a Lakher girl consisted of a main price called, 'angkia'
and various subsidiary prices and dues. The rates were fixed in number of
different types of animals or house hold goods or in their cash
equivalents. The rate of angkia varied from ten rupees to seventy
rupees. Angkia is given to the father of the bride and if he was dead, to
the eldest brother. But generally angkia would be shared by the father and
all the brothers. Angkia was composed of many different prices like mithun, brass and earthen pots, etc. payable to father, brothers, father's
brothers, father's friend etc. For getting a major portion of angkia, the
claimant had to kill a certain number of pigs, usually three. The
subsidiary prices and dues were many - these rates were related to the rates of
angkia puma was the price payable to the bride's maternal uncle, pupa.
This amount, equivalent to angkia, was payable at different times from the day
of marriage and when the couple settled down. The pupa must kill a pig
before he claimed puma and after puma was paid he would give the bride an
embroidered skirt and a white cloth or ten rupees. Nongcheu was the
price payable to the bride's mother if she was divorced and if not, to the
mother's sister and in the absence of both to the brother. Here also
pig, was to be claimed by the claimant and in return the groom was to kill a pig
and the cooked or uncooked meat and beer would be sent by one to the other
party. Nongcheu, aunts' price, was payable to the bride's eldest paternal
aunt. Here also formalities of killing pigs and sharing the meat is
followed. Apart from these main dues, there were minor dues, known as ahlas, which would be given to the chief, an elder, the cooks, beer makers and
meat carriers, etc.
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