By Bhumika Hooda
Abstract
In this article, we explore how the institution of marriage ended up becoming the fic to maintain the caste, social and gender hierarchy in Indian society. Marriage made it easier to control the sexuality and reproductive labour of women, which is seen as the “gateway to a caste”.
Brahmanical Patriarchy, a term coined by Dr. Uma Chakrabarti refers to a system of regulation on caste and gender within Indian society which upholds the social hierarchy of the Brahmanical Patriarchal bent. It is to ensure “patrilineal succession and caste purity”. By regulating women’s sexuality in society, the caste hierarchy and the patriarchy may be maintained, which upholds the supremacy of Brahminical social Order. The easiest way to maintain control over a woman’s sexuality and her anatomy of choice has been through the practice of marriage and therefore, this institution becomes a string that binds and controls the caste order.
Definitions of caste place a heavy significance on marriage. John Nesfield, an academician, has defined caste as “a class of community which disowns any connection with any other class and neither intermarry nor eat nor drink with any but persons of their community”. Similarly, Dr S.V. Ketkar, an eminent sociologist and historian identified the two prime characteristics of caste as membership confined by birth and members forbidden from marrying outside the social group. Analyzing various other definitions, one prominent way of looking at caste can be as a “hierarchically arranged social group based on endogamy”.
Women are considered the “gateway” to caste order and purity. It was important to control female sexuality through marriage because if it went “uncontrolled”, it might have led to marriages outside the caste. Women, throughout the world, have been made to carry the burden of a family’s reputation. They have been made the vessels that store family’s honour. To save their families from humiliation, they are expected to follow a certain code of conduct and responsibilities. Similarly, a man’s honour is measured by how well the women of his family are under his control which is often procured through marriage, sexuality or reproductive labour. Therefore portraying that, a woman is someone who has to be constantly “governed”. The Manusmriti, which extensively lays down conduct for the caste system, even goes on to describe the woman’s sexuality as the root of all evil, implying that men should protect her chastity.
Marriage was seen as a way of transferring a woman’s responsibility from one man to another. These marriages were strictly bound within their caste. Before marriage, the sexuality which was controlled by a girl’s father was then transferred to her husband. There are two types of marriages: Anuloma and Pratiloma. Anuloma is a marriage between an upper-caste man and a lower-caste woman. Pratiloma is a marriage between a lower-caste man and an upper-caste woman. Even though Anuloma was allowed to some extent, by engaging in Pratiloma, it was considered that the woman tainted the purity of her class and caste. The child of the women engaged in Patriloma carried the caste title of its father. This humiliated the upper caste as it snatched away the caste identity of their bloodline. The identity of a child born to an inter-caste couple blurred the lines of strict caste practice. Unmarried women with a child are stigmatised and publicly shamed as the caste of the child is undetermined. Control over the reproductive labour of women is strongly tied to where and how she was married.
Control over women’s bodies and sexuality, throughout history, was meant to protect the honour of a clan or caste. Women’s sexuality has been a tool in the hands of those who uphold this order. Dr Uma Chakravarty also observed how “Endogamy plays the key to the caste system” as it “reinforced the religio-cultural framework of ‘purity’ and ‘pollution’”. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, in his Annihilation of Caste, highlighted endogamy being at the heart of the caste system and how inter-caste marriages could help India get rid of it.
Control of women’s sexuality killed two birds with one stone by securing both patriarchy and the caste system. The control over the reproductive labour of women helped maintain caste purity. This is also why any exogamous relationships have been looked down upon and even “punished” with “honour” killings. Societal expectations and norms have interlinked the concepts of honour and shame with the sexuality of women. The masterstroke was to devise a system which regulated marriage, sexuality and reproduction of women that helped in maintaining both social and gender inequalities. Those who try to escape this framework are punished with public shaming, social seclusion and sometimes even death.
Author’s Bio
Bhumika Hooda is pursuing her five-year B.A.LL.B. law degree at Jindal Global Law. She is inclined towards research and analysis. Her interest lies in public interest law, policy law, and public & private international law.
NICKELED AND DIMED 