The People

Customs of Lakher Society

Lakher Customs Regarding Marriage

The custom relating to courtship amongst the Lakhers was similar to that of the Lushais.

Unlike under the Lushai custom, the fine was payable irrespective of whether the charge was true or not. The Lakhers generally had their brides selected by their parents. Marriage was generally outside one's own family. Marriage amongst very close relatives was rare. Maternal uncle's daughter was considered a favourable match.

The marriage negotiation started with the boy's father sending an emissary (leuchapa) to the girl's parents with the proposal and a present of a dao.  If the latter had a lucky dream - dreams of fish, clear water, necklace, gun or dao, that night the proposal would be accepted.  If the dream was unlucky - dreams of animals shot or killed by tiger, dead snakes, anyone stealing pig or fowl were considered unlucky and the proposal would be rejected. Once the proposal was accepted, bride price would be negotiated over rice beer in the house of the girl's father.  With the settlement of the price, the marriage date would be fixed.  On the marriage day, certain number of pigs would be killed by both the sides. After drinking sahma, the bridegroom's marriage procession would start from his house.  There would be exchange of several gifts like dao, axe, cotton thread, etc. before the bride and her party would enter the groom's house. The groom and the bride would sit around a beer pot where the marriage ceremony would take place.  Some ceremonial beer drinking would take place when the groom and the bride would drink beer together, a fowl would be sacrificed and songs would be chanted.  Then the bride would return to her parents' house.  Next day, the father of the bride along with friends would go to the groom's house with a pot of beer and would get the bride price, in full or in part.  The day would be spent in feast and drinks.  In the evening, the bride would again return to her parents place. The third day was the day of gifts.  The groom would present pork, fowl and cash to the relations and friends of the bride.  On the fourth day, the bride would finally move over to her husband's place which would be thoroughly cleaned for the occasion and a fowl would be sacrificed for casting out all evils and ensuring good jhum and crops for the couple.

Unlike the Lushais, the Lakhers did not consummate the marriage on the nuptial night.  For some months, the young husband would sleep in some other house and continue courting his wife. After an interval considered decent enough by custom, the husband would consummate the marriage and remain permanently in his house.

The Lakhers had three clans.  These in order of precedence were: royal clans which provided the chiefs (abei), the patricians (phangsang) from amongst whom the machas (advisers) were selected by the chiefs, and the plebeians (machhi). Chieftainship was hereditary and the phangsangs were nobles cease to the chiefs. The rest were the machhis.  There was no bar in marrying within the clans.  The chiefs and the rich people preferred to marry outside their own village thus extending their influence.

The Lakher young man always tried to marry into a clan higher than his own. This was attributed to his objective of better protection afforded by the higher clans.  The marriage price of each clan differed higher the clan, higher was the price.

Marriage Price

The marriage price of a Lakher girl consisted of a main price called, 'angkia' and various subsidiary prices and dues.  The rates were fixed in number of different types of animals or house hold goods or in their cash equivalents. The rate of angkia varied from ten rupees to seventy rupees. Angkia is given to the father of the bride and if he was dead, to the eldest brother. But generally angkia would be shared by the father and all the brothers. Angkia was composed of many different prices like mithun, brass and earthen pots, etc. payable to father, brothers, father's brothers, father's friend etc.  For getting a major portion of angkia, the claimant had to kill a certain number of pigs, usually three.  The subsidiary prices and dues were many - these rates were related to the rates of angkia puma was the price payable to the bride's maternal uncle, pupa.  This amount, equivalent to angkia, was payable at different times from the day of marriage and when the couple settled down.  The pupa must kill a pig before he claimed puma and after puma was paid he would give the bride an embroidered skirt and a white cloth or ten rupees. Nongcheu was the price payable to the bride's mother if she was divorced and if not, to the mother's sister and in the absence of both to the brother. Here also pig, was to be claimed by the claimant and in return the groom was to kill a pig and the cooked or uncooked meat and beer would be sent by one to the other party. Nongcheu, aunts' price, was payable to the bride's eldest paternal aunt.  Here also formalities of killing pigs and sharing the meat is followed. Apart from these main dues, there were minor dues, known as ahlas, which would be given to the chief, an elder, the cooks, beer makers and meat carriers, etc.

NEXT  »