Changing Landscapes of Tribal Marriages in India – A Review of Literature

Abstract

Tribal marriage has seen a shift in years in its form, meaning and regulation because of legislation, education, migration, religion and markets. This review paper tries to bring together the ethnographic,demographic and legal studies on tribal marriages to trace kinship- regulated unions along with the emergent trends of individual needs, delayed marriage and inter-community alliances. Traditional institutions like bride price or dowry and clan exogamy continue to structure marital practices. This paper underscores the persistent gender inequalities and tension between the preservation of cultural autonomy and rights based reforms such as child marriages, domestic violence and inheritance.