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Polygamy in Islamic Law: Difference between revisions
added two pairs of maps (polygamy + dowries) (polygamy + child marriage)
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Polygamy causes Chastity Assurance practices such as [[Female Genital Mutilation in Islamic Law|Female Genital Mutilation]] (FGM), Veiling, harems and footbinding. | Polygamy causes Chastity Assurance practices such as [[Female Genital Mutilation in Islamic Law|Female Genital Mutilation]] (FGM), Veiling, harems and footbinding. | ||
In polygamous societies it is only the richest and most powerful men who are able to afford to keep multiple wives. However, these high-status polygamous men face a problem guaranteeing the fidelity of their many wives - and the more wives they have the greater the problem becomes. In a monogamous marriage a husband and wife can spend much of their time with one another, and become close to one another, and their sexual and emotional needs are more-or-less proportional. A polygamous man may have two, four, hundred or even a thousand wives | In polygamous societies it is only the richest and most powerful men who are able to afford to keep multiple wives. However, these high-status polygamous men face a problem guaranteeing the fidelity of their many wives - and the more wives they have the greater the problem becomes. In a monogamous marriage a husband and wife can spend much of their time with one another, and become close to one another, and their sexual and emotional needs are more-or-less proportional. A polygamous man may have two, four, hundred or even a thousand wives, whom he must satisfy emotionally and sexually, and whose desire for motherhood he must also satisfy. If one of his wive's needs are not satisfied, she may be tempted be unfaithful, and this may result in the high-status man rearing a child that is not his own. Which, evolutionary speaking, is a disaster. | ||
In order to assure themselves of the chastity and fidelity of their many wives, polygamous men have developed a variety of Chastity Assurance practices: | In order to assure themselves of the chastity and fidelity of their many wives, polygamous men have developed a variety of Chastity Assurance practices: | ||
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===Bride-Price (mahr)=== | ===Bride-Price (mahr)=== | ||
[[File:Polygamyandbrideprice.jpg|alt=Maps comparing the global distributions of polygamy and of dowry systems|thumb|Maps comparing the global distributions of polygamy and of dowry systems]] | |||
In polygamous kinship systems marriages require that some form of dowry or bride-price be paid ([[Mahr (Marital Price)|mahr]]). This is because the scarcity of marriageable women which polygamy causes makes them into a valuable asset that can be realised when she is 'sold' in marriage. The scarcer marriageable women are the more the value of dowries rises. This makes marriage unaffordable to low-ranking young men, even if they do manage to find a bride. It is a notable feature of Arabic folk tales (such as ''<nowiki/>'One Thousand and One Nights'''), and similar tales from other polygamous societies, that their heroes are often poor young men (such as Aladdin) who love a girl, but who can not afford the bride-price required to marry her. The story is resolved when he becomes rich and powerful enough to marry her. | In polygamous kinship systems marriages require that some form of dowry or bride-price be paid ([[Mahr (Marital Price)|mahr]]). This is because the scarcity of marriageable women which polygamy causes makes them into a valuable asset that can be realised when she is 'sold' in marriage. The scarcer marriageable women are the more the value of dowries rises. This makes marriage unaffordable to low-ranking young men, even if they do manage to find a bride. It is a notable feature of Arabic folk tales (such as ''<nowiki/>'One Thousand and One Nights'''), and similar tales from other polygamous societies, that their heroes are often poor young men (such as Aladdin) who love a girl, but who can not afford the bride-price required to marry her. The story is resolved when he becomes rich and powerful enough to marry her. | ||
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===Child Marriage=== | ===Child Marriage=== | ||
[[File:Polygamy-and-child-marriage.jpg|alt=Maps comparing the global distributions of polygamy and of child marriage|thumb|Maps comparing the global distributions of polygamy and of child marriage]] | |||
Child Marriage is endemic to polygynous societies. One way of alleviating the 'bride famine' that polygyny creates amongst men in the lower strata of society is to bring prepubescent girls into the marriage market. Dowry further incentives parents to sell-off their daughters before adolescence, when there is a greater risk of her reputation being spoiled and her losing her economic value. And if the bride is still a child, the dowry goes to her father, not to the bride. The bride-price for a child is generally less than for an adolescent or adult woman. This makes children a more affordable option for poor and low status men. | Child Marriage is endemic to polygynous societies. One way of alleviating the 'bride famine' that polygyny creates amongst men in the lower strata of society is to bring prepubescent girls into the marriage market. Dowry further incentives parents to sell-off their daughters before adolescence, when there is a greater risk of her reputation being spoiled and her losing her economic value. And if the bride is still a child, the dowry goes to her father, not to the bride. The bride-price for a child is generally less than for an adolescent or adult woman. This makes children a more affordable option for poor and low status men. | ||