Extended Essay: What does arranged marriage mean and why is it still widespread in Indian society?

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INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE
EXTENDED ESSAY
Research Question:
What does Arranged Marriage mean and why is it still widespread in Indian society?
Candidate: Serra Koz
IB Candidate Number:
Supervisor:
Word Count: 3933
May 2014

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ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to investigate what the arranged marriage, which is one of the most
known mating types around the world, means from the Indian perspective and to find the
reasons making the arranged marriage system still widespread in Indian society. In order to
answer these questions, arranged marriage system is first explored and defined universally
giving historical overview and indicating cultures in which this system finds way to exist.
Then subject is investigated in terms of its meaning in Indian society and lastly reasons
supporting the sustenance of arranged marriage in India are tried to be clarified.
When the arranged marriage is investigated, it was found that this term (actually institution) is
one of the most critical concepts in Indian society and it is tightly embedded in first Indian
extended family structure and in family oriented and well preserved social structure. Thus, it
can be said that arranged marriage is the result of unique family based Indian social structure,
and this rigid and traditional social structure is in turn the main supporting factor of continuity
of arranged marriage system with its closed and caste system, well-preserved extended family
structure, restricting forces of individualistic improvements, norms giving low status to
women and changing demographic situation.
Word Count: 208

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Contents
Page 1: Title Page
Page 2: Abstract
Page 3: Contents Page
Page 4: Introduction
Page 5: What is arranged marriage?
Page 6: Historical overview of arranged marriage
Page 8: Arranged marriage in India
Page 11: Why is it still widespread?
Page 17: Conclusion
Page 18: Bibliography

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Introduction
Marriage is one of the oldest institutions in the world and it is an inevitable process for almost
all people. There are many types of marriage in different regions of the world. One of the
most heard is “arranged marriage” which is mainly associated with Asian culture and
specifically with Indian culture. Arranged marriage system is still widespread in India and one
of the basic characteristics of Indian culture. Arranged marriage system has a specific
meaning and importance for Indians and there are some factors giving way it to be still wide
spread in the society. Thus, it is worth to investigate the topic from the Indian perspective and
understand the supporting factors sustaining the existence of this institution.

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What is arranged marriage?
Across the cultures and societies exist various models and approaches to the institution of
marriage and it is a fundamental and important institution across the large majority of cultures
and societies around the world (Bowman and Dollahite 207). Ethnographic researches reveal
that number of different mating systems exist around the world. However, the most
commonly found mating arrangement is the monogamous marriage, or a long-term,
committed, socially sanctioned relationship between two (usually heterosexual) partners
Although monogamous marriage appears to be a cross-cultural universal, the meaning and
purpose of marriage, and the manner in which marital partners are selected, varies across
cultures. For example, in cultures with a collectivist orientation (including societies in south
and East Asia, the Middle East, and South America), marriage is viewed as a means for
maintaining social order and binding two families together in order to further their joint
growth and success. Many of these cultures have a tradition of arranged marriage, in which
partners are selected by family members or professional matchmakers. Conversely, in cultures
with an individualist orientation (such as the United States and northern and western Europe),
marriage is viewed as an opportunity for the fulfilment of personal goals and emphasis is
placed on feelings of mutual compatibility and attraction between the partners. The norm in
those societies is love-based marriage (also called free-choice marriage) in which individuals
select their own partners (Regan, Lakhanpal and Anguıano 915-916). Thus it is seen that there
are mainly two kinds of marriages; one of them is love marriages and the other one is
arranged marriages. As the core of this study; “Arranged marriage is defined as the
arrangement of a marriage exclusively by a third party (someone other than the couple getting
married) or by a "joint venture" of the third party and the child/person getting married”
(Bowman and Dollahite 207).

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Historical overview of arranged marriage
Arranged marriages were common as far back as Biblical times and beyond. The traditional
purposes of these types of unions were political, military, and social. They were
commonplace among the royalty and nobility around the world. In ancient Egypt, for
example, one of the chief goals of arranged marriage was to keep royal bloodlines pure. The
Romans also practiced arranged marriages. Daughters were a useful form of currency which
could be used to help form strategic alliances and strengthen the military position of the
family. The royal princesses of Europe were used in much the same way well into the
19th
century. Young girls were often promised to the sons of neighboring countries as a way
of forming international partnerships. In many cases, the marriages were arranged when the
girls were babies, and in some instances, the marriage actually took place when the princesses
were very young girls. They remained home with their families until they reached a suitable
age and then were shipped off to their husbands (Seabastian).
Arranged marriages were hard on young noblewomen in times when travel was difficult.
They were frequently married off to older men who lived far from their home countries. At a
time which was deemed appropriate, the young bride was sent away to live in a foreign land
with a man whom she had never met. The important political advantages to royal arranged
marriages made refusing to marry the appointed person an impossibility. And if the first
husband died, the royal widow was often re-married to another useful man by her family. The
involuntary nature of historical arranged marriages is what gave the practice a bad name
(Seabastian).
Arranged marriage system was generally associated with the social and family structures in
different cultures in eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Desai and Andrist state that Marriage
systems in many parts of the world, including southern Europe in the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries, have been dominated by the influence of the corporate family. In

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societies where individuals are closely linked to extended families, marriage decisions also
retain the imprimatur of the family. Extended family residence and joint property-holding
often keep the economic fortunes of individuals tied to their families. However, purse strings
are not the only ties that bind; individuals’ social nexus are often determined by the ties of
kinship, caste, and clan, whose social status is enhanced or diminished by the selection of a
marriage partner, age at marriage, and the manner in which marriage takes place (668).
Although arranged marriages are no longer common in Europe, they are still a frequently used
method of matchmaking in other areas today. Opposed to the Western notion that individuals
freely decide on marriage issues, studies have suggested that in most societies and historical
periods, marriage has been at least partly arranged and has been based on a series of familial
considerations. An exhaustive review of the ethnographic record indicates that parents in
different societies have always played a central role in selecting the long-term spouses of their
offspring. Arranged marriages are seen as an integral part of family practices in many
countries. Parental involvement in their children's marriages is said to be a key family strategy
in Islamic societies. Studies show that in China, Southeast Asia, and the West, Muslims are
more likely than non-Muslims to have their marriages arranged by their parents. In Palestine
(West Bank and Gaza) most of the marriages are arranged marriages. (Strier and Zidan 204).
So, from the historical point of view, it is seen that arranged marriage system has found way
to exist in many different cultures and in different times and it is still alive in many societies
around the world.

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Arranged Marriage in India
Although the practice of arranged marriage has roots in many cultures the actual term
arranged marriage is popularly associated with South Asians, and more specifically Indian
matrimonial customs (Shilpa 168). Indian culture is one of the oldest cultures in the world and
it has many distinctive traditions like marriage system. Based on Hindu Scriptures, marriage
system in India was well established in Vedic period (4000-100 B.C), and has been closely
adhered to by a vast majority of the population ever since. The Hindu scriptures written
during 200 B.C. to 900 A.D. mention eight modes of acquiring a wife known as Brahma,
Daiva, Arsha, Parajapatya, Asura, Gandharva, Rakshasa and Paisacha. Only first four are
known as dharmya, i.e. according to religion. An exchange of gifts between the subject’s
families mark the wedding ceremony, but no dowry is paid. In the Asura form payment of the
bride price is the main element, while Rakshasa and Paisacha, respectively, pertain to the
abduction and seduction of a girl when she is unconscious. The Gandharva marriage refers to
a marriage by mutual choice. The Hindu Law givers differ in their opinions and
interpretations of this kind of marriage; some called it the best mode of marriage, while others
viewed it stigmatic on religious and moral grounds. However, there is no reliable data to
support or justify the popularity of anyone of these modes of marriage. The first four kinds
pertain to arranged marriages in which the parental couple ritually gives away the daughter to
a suitable person and this ideal, continues to be maintained in Hindu society. Opposed to these
are four others, three of which were objected to by the scriptwriters in the past and viewed as
illegal today, though nevertheless, they happen. The Gandharva mode, though opposed to the
accepted norm, is nearest to what may be variously termed as “free-choice”, “romantic”, or
“love” marriage. Yet through the ages Hindu revivalism and other socio-religious and
economic factors discredited the importance of Gandharva marriage (Gupta 76-77). From
ancient times, marriage is considered as ritual and sacramental union. Marriage is an

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indispensable event of Hindu life and the person who is unmarried is considered unholy. From
the religious point of view, unmarried remains incomplete and is not eligible for participation
in some social and religious activities. (Prakasa and Nandini 433).
Most Indian marriages are arranged, although sometimes opinions of the partners are
consulted, and in cases of adults, their opinions are seriously considered. Another aspect of
this pattern is that individuals come to believe that their life mate is predestined, their fate is
preordained and therefore must succumb to the celestial forces of the universe. That the
entire syndrome, typical for the society, represents a complex set of forces working around
and upon the individual to get married to a person whom one is destined to love. It is also
believed to be good and desirable that critical issues like the choosing of a life partner should
be handled by responsible persons of family and kin groups (Gupta 77). Gupta also states that
“Generally, love is considered a weak basis for marriage because its presence may
overshadow suitable qualities in spouses. Therefore, arranged marriages result from more or
less intense care given to the selection of suitable partners so that the family ideals,
companionship, and co-parenthood can grow, leading to love (77). Prasaka and Nandini
support the Gupta’s idea about love and state that in India “love was not necessary as a basis
for marriage selection, nor was courtship a necessary prelude for testing the relationship.”
Love was regarded as an uncontrollable and explosive emotion which makes a young person
blind to reality, reason and logic. The family’s stability may even be jeopardized since the
emotions might lead one to marry an unsuitable person not only to this temperament but to the
entire joint family (434). So it can be understood that in Indian society love is not considered
as a prerequisite for people to marry, on the contrary it is thought as a deteriorating factor for
family and society before the marriage. Love is actually believed to emerge after the marriage
is constructed.

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Although the basic mechanism of the arranged marriage has not been changed much over
years, it can be said that its strict structure and rules has become less rigid. In the past
“Marriage was treated as an alliance between two families rather than a merge union of two
individuals and traditional normative pattern did not provide any opportunity to the
prospective spouses to participate in the decision-making process of their own marriage”
(Prakasa and Nandini 433). But as the world continuous to change, almost all societies are
affected in a way. Prakasa and Nandini state that India exhibits a number of chances in family
relations and even in mate selection choices, the winds of change may be felt, and there is a
movement in the direction of giving greater freedom to young. This change is especially
important because the Hindu arranged marriage was keystone to all the other family patterns
that characterized Indian society for so long. And he concludes that although arranged
marriages are still a way of life, modifications in arranged marriages are observed in recent
times in large urban areas and among the educated youth. It does not mean that the young
people have assumed the full responsibility of self-selection of their mates. But boys and girls
are given an opportunity to participate in decision-making process of mate selection and to
meet their future spouse if both families of potential bride and bridegroom are satisfied about
the wisdom of going ahead with the proposal. (435)
Arranged marriage system has a deep root in Indian society and it is co-related with the
family based social structure of the Indian culture which has many strict social rules and
traditions. For this reason, although there are some changes in arranged marriage structure, it
is still a keystone affecting every person in Indian society.

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Why is it still widespread?
When the arranged marriage system in India is investigated, it is seen that although there are
critical differences between traditional arranged marriages and its contemporary, this system
still widespread in Indian society. Basic difference in arranged marriage system from the past
appears in right to consent from spouses. This fact is illustrated by India Human Development
Survey (2005) and summarized in Graph-1. Graph-1, below, shows percentage of female
spouses first meeting husband on wedding day, but at the same time it illustrates the extend of
arranged marriage and the marriage types in terms of consent from spouses.
Graph 1: Proportion of women who met their husbands at their wedding
Source: http://ihds.umd.edu/partnerchoice.html
According to graph which is constructed by the research results carried on 21.614 ever-
married women aged 25-49 and entering first marriage ages 15-24, weight of marriage types
in India are: parent-arranged with no consent from the respondents (35 percent), parent-
arranged with some consent in the choice of the partner (23 percent), jointly-determined
marriages (36 percent) and self-arranged marriages (5 percent) (Banerji, Martin and Desai 9).

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This suggests that only a small proportion of marriages (5 percent) are binary choice and
remaining are arranged in a way with or without consent. And this result reveals that arranged
marriage system is still widespread in Indian society.
At this point it is significant to examine the reasons which keep prolonged surviving arranged
marriage system still alive and widespread in Indian community. The main factor giving way
to arranged marriage system to be such widespread in India is its family based social
structure. Since Indian social structure and family structure tightly embedded in each other it
is more meaningful to take them into consideration as one factor.
India is complex and her people are so different in terms of language, castle, customs, and
beliefs that is difficult to make generalizations about the family life. However, arranged
marriage system seems to cross all castle lines, regional boundaries and language barriers
(Prakasa and Nandini 433). Castle system in India is the main factor shaping almost all social
relations. The caste system in India is the foundation upon which all of Hindu society is built.
It has been in place for hundreds of years and dictates, based on heredity, the social status of
families in India. It defines what jobs or professions one may pursue as well as whom one
may marry (Bowman and Dollahite 217).
From ancient times, marriage is considered as ritual and sacramental union. Marriage is an
indispensable event of Hindu life and the person who is unmarried is considered unholy. From
the religious point of view, unmarried remains incomplete and is not eligible for participation
in some social and religious activities. Marriage is indissoluble and except in a very few
exceptional cases the importance of marriage transcends not only the entire family but also
the past ancestral line as well as the future generations (Prakasa and Nandini 433).
It’s not the institution of marriage itself, but the institutionalization of mating patterns which
determine the nature of family relationships in the society. Primitive societies present a wide
array of practices ranging from marriage by capture to mutual love and elopement. Yet, the

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people who marry through customary practice are those who are eligibles, who consciously
followed the established norms, and who did the kind of things they were supposed to do. The
main purpose of marriage is to establish a family, to produce children, and to further the
family’s economic and social position. (Gupta 75).
Indian society dictates many social norms and social expectations that shape marriage as an
institution, including class, caste, and gender (Bowman and Dollahite 217). There are certain
traditional norms which prescribe to the parents of girls as well as boys their responsibilities
in getting their children married. The Hindu view of life has always greatly emphasized
progeny, whereby the fathers and their ancestors were assured of a happy after-life and the
ancestral line was continued to the future members who are yet to come into being. Since the
family system in India is largely regulated by patrilineal descent, the customs and traditions
demand parents of male children to see that their sons are married and have male children to
continue and preserve their ancestral line for generations to come. On the other hand, with
respect to the norms governing the parents of girls, as the family’s honor and status in the
community demands to a large extent on the fulfilment of responsibility by the parents, they
would like their daughters happily married before they pass their prime marriageable age
(Prakasa and Nandini 434).
According to Shilpa “Marriage is seen as a relationship between families that takes into
account individual preferences but ultimately the duty to family outweighs individual desires”
(168). Thus, marriage has been always considered as an important and a familial issue.
Proponents of arranged marriages have always maintained that the presence of informational
asymmetries and the proclivity of young people to seek physical pleasure together mean that
young people generally cannot be relied upon to find a suitable spouse for themselves.
Consequently, parents and relatives, that is family, take upon themselves the task of looking
for an appropriate bride or groom (Batabyal 472). And it is asserted by proponents that

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arranged marriage system has following effects: (1) it helps maintain the social stratification
system in the society (2) it gives parents control over the family members (3) it enhances the
chances to preserve and continue the ancestral line (4) it provides opportunity to strengthen
the kinship group (5) it allows the consolidation and extension of family property and (6) in
enables the elders to preserve the principle of endogamy. (Prakasa and Nandini 435). That is,
arranged marriage system is considered as a regulatory factor for both family and social
structure of the society. As a result of social factors, arranged marriage system in Indian
society is deeply embedded in family structure and the role of the family on all stages of the
marriage process is inevitable.
Indian society has its own distinct social characters based on and embedded in family
structure. This unique and rigid social structure contributes the sustenance of Indian culture
and at the same time arranged marriage system. Gupta investigated the Indian social structure
in his article and listed the contributing factors to the sustenance of arranged marriage system.
These factors are:
1. Arranged marriages are closely associated with “closed systems” wherein the
hierarchies are very intricate and more than one factor such as historical origins, ritual
positions, occupational affiliations, and social distance determinants play significant roles in
defining the in-group and the out-group, particularly in marital alliances. In such systems,
group, identity is marked by strong senses of esoteric values and such values preserved
reinforced by attributes which distinguish a group in rank and its interaction with others. That
is, most proximate ties of the individuals ought to be within their own group.
2. Continuity and unity of the extended family is well-preserved since all the
significant members of the family share the mate-selection decision make-up which involves
several persons who are supposedly known to have experience and qualifications to find a

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better choice as against the free choice of the subject. Obviously, this leads to lower age at
marriage and, in turn, strengthens the predominance of the family over the individual choice.
3. Any possible problems emerging from a couple’s functioning in marital life become
problems for the whole family. Advice and counseling from the members of the extended
family to improve the couple’s relationship, weathering life’s storms, or even sharing in crises
are reinforced by the shared responsibilities. This is also partly responsible for denouncing the
idea of divorce and forces working against it. This is not to say that this, in fact, resolves all
the conflicts in marriage.
4. As long as the social system is unable to develop a value system to promote
individualism, economic security outside the family system, and a value system which
advances the ideals of nuclear family, the individuals in such a system continue to demand
support from the family which, in turn, would lead to re-emphasizing the importance of
arranged marriage.
5. It is difficult to assume that arranged marriage is related to the low status of woman
since man is also a party to it. If the concept of “free choice” is applicable to either sex,
perhaps it will not support the ideal of arranged marriage. Apparently, an individual opts for
free choice or a “love marriage” is likely to dissociate from her/his family, kin group, caste
and possibly community which he/she cannot afford unless he/she has been ensured
tremendous support from sources other than these conventional institutions.
6. Arranged marriages, in general, irrespective of caste or class categories, help in
maintaining closer ties with several generations. Families in such a system are insurance for
the old and the orthodox, a recluse for the devout and the defiant, a haven for the invalid and
the insipid.
7. The demographic situation in India, as in most developing societies, is also a
contributing factor. After independence, India has made much advancement in science,

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technology and medicine. The life expectancy which was 29 years in 1947, is now 54 years.
However, the vicious circle of early child marriage, early pregnancy, high mortality rate, and
replacement of the population are closely interwoven to ensure society from extinction. While
the value system notoriously maintains this chain work, the declining mortality rate further
accentuates early marriages to shelve off the economic burden of the family by spacing
weddings. The family protects and insulates from ruining itself by arranging marriages as
early as possible and for using its resources for status aggrandizement (82-83)
As it is seen, the findings of Gupta related with the sustenance of arranged marriages in India
support idea that the family based unique social structure (not individual based) is the main
contributing factor. He also gives details about the effect of this structure on the arranged
marriages.
In addition to family based social structure of India, some researches carried about marital
satisfaction offer that actually there is not a significant difference between arranged marriages
and love based marriages (marriages of choice) in terms of marital satisfaction (Myers et al,
p:183; Bowman, Dollahite p:207; Epstein, Pandit and Thakar p:341; Regan, Lakhanpal and
Anguiano p:915). Thus, marital satisfaction arising in arranged marriage can be considered as
another contributing factor.

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Conclusion
Aim of this study was to investigate the term “arranged marriage” in terms of the
Indian perspective and to identify the factors which make it still so important and widespread
in Indian culture. For this purpose, the meaning of arranged marriage is first investigated
universally and then its meaning and situation in India is considered. After researching the
topic it was determined that marriage is considered as an institution in Indian society, and
maybe the main determining factor of any individual’s life. It is accepted as a familial issue,
and it is thought as a very important task and process which should be carried by elder family
members not by inexperienced youths. This situation giving such an importance to marriage
institution results with the arranged marriage system. Moreover, Indian society has rigid
social and religious rules directing people according to social and familial values, that is
Indian society is not individual oriented reversely it is group, class, cast, kinship and family
oriented. So it keeps the social and familial values over the individual and gives the main
emphasises to them. As a result, this rigid and well preserved family oriented social structure
(with its closed and caste system, well-preserved extended family structure, restricting forces
of individualistic improvements, norms giving low status to women and changing
demographic situation) of the Indian society is the main factor sustaining the existence of
arranged marriage and making it still widespread in Indian society.

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