The result is that it is
by no means uncommon to find a son paying off the last instalment of
his old widowed mother’s marriage-price. Should a woman die without
children her husband makes a final payment varying from two rupees to
five rupees, called etchhiman (“price of death”). Once they have
received etchhiman the girl’s parents can claim no further instalments
of otyai-etsoman. If the woman dies leaving children a payment of one
or two rupees, called mingishi, is made to her parents or their heirs,
who can in this case claim any of the otyai-etsoman which may be
outstanding.
Divorce.
There is no ceremony connected with divorce as there is among the Aos,
and the proceedings are not protracted, the wife generally settling the
matter by running away to the house either of her parents or some
admirer. In that case all that remains to be done is to discuss the
return of the marriage-price. Sometimes the girl’s parents return the
full amount of the marriage-price which they have received up to date,
plus a fine of ten rupees, and sometimes, in cases where the
marriage-price has already been divided up and spent, it is arranged
that the aggrieved husband shall recover the marriage-price from
whoever marries his runaway wife. In cases where the woman runs off
with another man the co-respondent has to pay the husband the full
amount of the marriage-price, plus compensation amounting to fifty or a
hundred rupees. It is very rarely that a man simply turns his wife out.
If he does so he cannot recover his marriage-price and has to pay her
parents or their heirs a fine of ten rupees. He naturally, therefore,
puts up with a good deal from his wife, sooner than lose his
marriage-price. Among the Aos the divorced wife can claim a share of
the household store of grain. Among the Lhotas she can only claim the
thread and chickens she brought with her at her marriage or their
equivalent, together with the clothes she wears and all the thread
there may be in the house. Any ornaments given her by her husband must
be returned to him.
Death Ceremonies.