|
Woman's Property
A woman would invariably have some property of her own. She
would also get dowry from her parents (thuam) during the marriage. In case the
bride got a good thuam, the bride price would be increased by one measure of
such price, tlai, consisting of a mithun or twenty rupees. The thuam generally
consists of necklaces, earrings and good clothes. Thuam consisted of a
package which would be in the minimum one string of old amber beads worth at
least twenty rupees or the same amount in cash, some more strings of beads and
ornaments. The thuam was entirely at the disposal of the woman and if the
husband utilised it for any purpose he would have to replenish it.
There were other properties belonging exclusively to women.
Women invariably possessed a puanpui, a thick cotton blanket and a thual, a
basket for keeping clothes. The bride would take these two things with her
to her husbands house. If she did not carry these to the husbands' house and the
husband had to purchase the items or if she made them in the husband's house,
her bride price would be reduced by a tlai. Other exclusive possessions of a
woman, known as hmei chhe bangura consisted of puans (ordinary cloth), thembes
(weaving machine) hmui (spindle), phurkhlan (various kinds of baskets used for a
woman's everyday work), tingduang (blue threads) and thi-nghawng-thlun (bead
necklaces).
There were occasions when one would go over to a woman's
place and live with her as husband and wife without going through the usual
marriage ceremonies. He would be called fan. This was regarded as disgraceful
for the man. In case of subsequent marriage to compensate for her disgrace the
bride price would be reduced by a tlai. The opposite also would happen when a
woman would go over to a man's place and live together, which was known as
luhkhung.
There were cases of marriage by elopement when a young man
and a girl in love would secretly go to some other village and get married
without going through the usual formalities. This was called tlanduan. This was
regarded as disgraceful for the girl and her bride price would be increased by a
tlai if the marriage was subsequently regularised.
Sazumeidawh was a form of marriage without any bride price.
In such case a man would be free to divorce her without incurring any
penalty. Hence such marriage was disadvantageous to the girl. Mostly, orphan
girls or daughters of widows would agree to such a marriage. The wife also would
be free to leave the husband and he could not claim any compensation.
There was system of payment of a sort of earnest money,
called sebomawh, when the bonafide of the man marrying would be in doubt. A
payment of forty rupees as sebomawh could be claimed when, for example, a man
wanting to marry a girl could be suspected of deserting her after marriage, by
paying only a part of the bride price. Hence to ensure long duration of marriage
parents of girl could demand sebomawh, before allowing the marriage. This was in
addition to bride price and could not be claimed back by the husband, excepting
in case of adultery by the wife.
Under the custom called makpa hnamhrual chat in case of death
of the wife, the husband could marry a second time and pay for the first
installment of the second wife's bride price, but before he could pay any
further amount, he was obliged to pay the balance of the bride price to the
relations of the deceased wife. In default, his property could be seized
by such entitled persons for payment of the due amount.
A woman was called thisenpal when she had children by the
husband. She was thisenpallo, if she did not have any child. If a
thisenpallo died, her relations could not demand the unpaid bride price.
A man was allowed to keep a concubine (hmei). But generally,
only a chief or a rich person could afford to keep a hmei. The conditions of
bride price, divorce, etc. were exactly the same for a hmet as in case of a
married wife. But generally, a chief would pay less price for a hmei, as some
fathers would be eager to have their daughters as hmeis to the chiefs, for the
advantage of being a friend to the chief and having an easy time in the village.
In some cases instead of paying bride price, the man would
agree to provide life long support to some close relation like mother or sister
of the bride. This custom was called manaia inchawm. In case he refused
to support after agreement, he would have to pay the price, reduced by
corresponding amount for the support already provided.
By the custom of mupui pawikhauich, the compensation payable
by a woman for an offence committed by her would be paid by her husband or
parents or brothers, depending in the type of offence. If it was a theft
of thingthul, woman's property, her parents or brothers would pay the fine. If
the husband paid it, he could reduce the bride price to the extend of the fine
paid by him. Similarly in some cases of offences against women, the fine
realised would go to the brothers and in some other cases like beating of the
woman or defaming her, the fine would go to the husband.
|
