Administrative System of the Marathas c20.s5.3

c20.s5.3

An informal marriage, though not complete for legal purposes, was declared valid if children were born to the pair. In 1755-56 the carpenter community of Sarkars Junnar, Sangamner, Baglan, and Daulatabad were ordered to acknowledge a *Shastra Vivaha* between Khandoji Banrao, a carpenter of Mauja Redgaon, and a woman after she had borne him a son. Khandoji had to pay a Nazar of Rs. 1,001 to the government on this occasion. "A letter to the Sutar community of Sarkars Junnar, Sangamner, Baglan and Daulatabad: Khandoji Banrao, a Sutar of Mauja Redgaon and Sirbande, of Pargana Chandvad, came to the Huzur, and represented that his first and second wives legally married to him (wives of Lagna marriage) were without any issue. His third wife, a woman of the carpenter caste, was married to him according to the *Shastra Vivaha* rites. Her name was Haibati, and she had borne him a son. He therefore prayed that hi caste men should be ordered to admit her into the caste after the usual assembly of the community. The *got* is ordered to assemble and admit Haibati to their caste."²²