ABSTRACT
Anthropological studies identify arranged marriage as the most common form of marriage in India. Arranged marriage as an institution connotes parental involvement in the choice of a spouse and is constructed as a union between two families. In south Asian anthropology, arranged marriage has been analysed primarily through the lens of the criteria employed in matchmaking, prestations, marital strategies, and social mobility. What happens to the couple after they marry and settle down has been of less consequence to the anthropologist. So while arranged marriage has received more academic scrutiny than other marital forms, there have been few attempts to problematize this alliance from different angles. Moreover, it is often assumed that matches arranged by parents and other relatives are by far the most stable, harmonious, and workable of all alliances. This chapter attempts to significantly broaden the understanding of arranged marriage and to revisit predominant perceptions that continue to be allied with this hegemonic institution. By ‘looking inside marriages’, and by examining their ideals and actual practices, my data will present a very different understanding about the nature of arranged marriage.
