The Position of Women in Hindu Civilisation, from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day c7.2

c7.2

Marriage is a very important event in the life of a woman. Matrimony in course of time is followed by maternity, and its recurrence makes the woman periodically helpless and absolutely dependent on her husband for some time. Marriage, therefore, determines the fate of a woman to a much greater extent than it does the destiny of a man. A good marriage is a welcome protection for the woman, a bad one is worse than a painful chain. Marriage and the problems connected with it form an important topic in the history of woman. We shall see in this chapter how the institution of marriage was evolved in ancient India, what forms it assumed in course of time, what was the marriageable age, how the marriage was settled and celebrated, and how far it was irrevocable.