Bride price, dowry and giftsEast Asia
Bride buying
The exchange of money or goods for a woman to become a wife.
Bride buying is the practice of paying a family or broker to secure a wife. It appears in parts of Asia and Africa as well as in historical contexts like colonial America. The payment often goes to the bride's relatives or an intermediary agent.
When is Bride buying kept?
Bride buying is kept during the matchmaking phase before marriage.
Bride buying involves transferring wealth to acquire a wife. This custom exists across various cultures and historical periods. It stands in contrast to dowry systems where wealth moves with the bride. The practice raises serious ethical and legal concerns worldwide.
Historical roots
Ancient records describe auctions of women in Babylon and Illyria. Herodotus noted that proceeds funded dowries for less desirable brides. The Babylonians ended this due to mistreatment. In North America, Jamestown settlers used tobacco payments for wives from England. The Virginia Company facilitated these arrangements for European men seeking partners.
Modern trafficking
Mail-order agencies list thousands of women online. Most clients are American men seeking partners from Russia or the Philippines. These services claim success rates but operate in legal grey areas. Traffickers also move women across borders for forced marriages. Victims face exploitation and lack of citizenship rights.
Asian practices
China faces rural bride shortages due to gender imbalance policies. Families sometimes pay brokers to bring women from neighboring countries. India sees purchases in states like Haryana and Jharkhand. Poverty drives some families to sell daughters. Vietnam experiences commercialized matchmaking targeting young women for foreign husbands.
African customs
East African communities use terms like lobolo or bogadi for bride wealth transfers. These exchanges involve property given to the bride's family. Critics argue these practices reinforce gender inequality. Women often bear the brunt of these economic transactions without gaining equal status.
How Bride buying is kept
Families or brokers negotiate a price for a woman. Payment is made to her relatives or an agency. The woman is then married to the buyer. This process bypasses mutual consent in many cases. It relies on economic desperation or social pressure.
When and where
It occurs during the betrothal stage. Dates depend on availability of buyers and sellers. No fixed calendar applies globally.
Common in rural China and parts of India. Also seen in Vietnam and North Korea. Historical instances existed in ancient Europe and colonial America.
What Bride buying means
Money represents ownership or compensation for raising the bride. It treats women as commodities. Families see it as securing their son's future. Buyers view it as acquiring a partner.
Who takes part
- The groom's family: Pays the agreed price to secure the bride
- The bride's family: Receives payment or gifts for the marriage
- Brokers: Facilitates the transaction between parties
Then and now
Illegal in many nations. Governments crack down on trafficking. Social changes reduce acceptance. Education improves awareness of rights.
On the wedding table
Symbols: Money and envelopes
Questions people ask about Bride buying
When is Bride buying kept?
Bride buying is kept during the matchmaking phase before marriage.
What is bride buying?
It is the practice of paying money or goods to acquire a wife. The payment usually goes to the bride's family or a broker. It happens before the wedding ceremony.
Is it legal?
No. It is illegal in most countries. Authorities classify it as human trafficking. Punishments include imprisonment for those involved.
Where does it happen?
It occurs in parts of Asia, Africa, and historically elsewhere. Rural areas with gender imbalances see more cases. Modern agencies operate online globally.
See also
SvayamvaraThe ancient Hindu ceremony where a princess picks her husband from assembled suitors
Las arrasThirteen coins exchanged by the couple to symbolize provision and trust in a Christian marriage.
Arranged marriage in the Indian subcontinentThe family-led matchmaking process that shapes most marriages across South Asia.Naked marriageA wedding without a house, car, or ring, chosen by couples in China for love and financial necessity.Good reading and sources
- SKorean subsidies encourage foreign ‘bride buying’The Daily Star, Article
- 'I hope you’re ready to get married': in search of Vietnam's kidnapped brides | Global developmentThe Guardian, Article
- The Pakistani brides being trafficked to ChinaBBC, Article
- SKorean subsidies encourage foreign ‘bride buying’The Daily Star, Article
- 'I hope you’re ready to get married': in search of Vietnam's kidnapped brides | Global developmentThe Guardian, Article
- The Pakistani brides being trafficked to ChinaBBC, Article
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Bride buying", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryShaadi rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Wedding customs differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.
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