INDIA: 5 & 10 Nuptials

Child bride & child groom statistics for the nuptial year just closed were released recently by the Court of His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore. His Highness, a frequent visitor to the law-breaking Occident, thought it quite all right to publish child marriage statistics, despite the fact that by law of 1894 females under 8 may not marry in his state of Mysore.

According to the figures, 39 females and eleven males under 5 were married last year in Mysore. Elder child brides & child grooms (aged between 5 & 10) totaled 21,224 brides, 359 grooms.

Reason for the excess of child brides over child grooms: the rich old men of Mysore eagerly snap up brides under 10 (even though they may have no dowry) but Mysore boys marry under 10 only when two wealthy families want to conclude an “alliance” before the groom grows up and becomes choosey.