- In Himachal Pradesh, who usually takes the initiative for a marriage betrothal?
A) The girl’s female relatives
B) The boy’s male relatives
C) The village elders
D) A professional matchmaker
Answer: B - What is the nominal payment called that the boy’s father customarily pays to the girl’s father to help defray marriage expenses in Himachal?
A) Dowry
B) Rika
C) Vhcir
D) Sagun
Answer: C - What ritual gift is exchanged once a marriage match is settled in Himachal Pradesh?
A) Vhcir
B) Sagun
C) Rika
D) Parullu Dana
Answer: C - Which type of betrothal is generally practiced by the upper classes in Himachal Pradesh?
A) Sagai
B) Sotha
C) Barni
D) Batta-Satta
Answer: C - Which forms of betrothal are adopted by middle and lower-class communities in Himachal Pradesh?
A) Barni
B) Batta-Satta
C) Sagai or Sotha
D) Mahalshish
Answer: C - In some areas of Mandi, what are the names for the ritual gift/betrothal?
A) Jhindphook
B) Darosh Dab Dhab
C) Sagun, Parullu Dana, Jannu
D) Hari or Har
Answer: C - Which marriage system involves a father promising his daughter’s hand to a boy whose father, in turn, is obligated to marry his daughter to a third man, with a breach of promise invalidating the entire chain?
A) Polyandry
B) Polygamy
C) Batta-Satta
D) Reet Marriage
Answer: C - In Himachal Pradesh, with whom is the wedding date typically set in consultation?
A) Village headman
B) Astrologer only
C) Priest, and sometimes local deities
D) The bride’s family
Answer: C - What is customarily done with all wedding preparations in Himachal Pradesh?
A) They are publicly announced.
B) They are kept secret from the bride.
C) They are decided by the groom’s family.
D) They are finalized by the matchmaker.
Answer: B - If a betrothal is settled and one party backs out in Himachal Pradesh, what is expected?
A) They must pay all incurred expenses to the other party.
B) The betrothal is simply dissolved without consequence.
C) They must seek permission from local deities.
D) A new matchmaker is hired.
Answer: A - How are marriage rules in the hills of Himachal Pradesh generally considered compared to the plains?
A) More rigid
B) Less rigid
C) Identical
D) Non-existent
Answer: B - What is the practice of high-caste people regarding marriage within their own caste and ‘Gotra’ in Himachal Pradesh?
A) They practice exogamy within their caste.
B) They practice endogamy within their caste but exogamy within their ‘Gotra’.
C) They practice endogamy within their ‘Gotra’.
D) They have no restrictions based on caste or ‘Gotra’.
Answer: B - What are the ascendancy restrictions for marriage through the father’s side and mother’s side in Himachal Pradesh?
A) Up to three degrees on both sides.
B) Up to five degrees on father’s side and seven on mother’s.
C) Up to seven degrees on father’s side and five on mother’s.
D) No restrictions on ascendancy.
Answer: C - What are the names of the exogamous units for Brahmans and Vaishyas, Rajputs, and lower castes, respectively?
A) Nukh, Gotra, Kur
B) Kur, Nukh, Gotra
C) Gotra, Nukh, Kur
D) Gotra, Kur, Nukh
Answer: C - Are inter-caste marriages generally encouraged in Himachal Pradesh today?
A) Yes, strongly encouraged.
B) Yes, but only between high castes.
C) No, not generally encouraged.
D) Only in tribal areas.
Answer: C - Which inter-caste marriage combination is somewhat accepted in Himachal Pradesh?
A) Brahman and Shudra
B) Rajput and Shudra
C) Brahman and Rajput or Vaishya
D) Vaishya and Shudra
Answer: C - Which marriage involving a ‘shudra’ by any of the three high castes (Brahmin, Rajput, or Vaishya) is generally not socially approved?
A) Marriage with a Shudra by a Brahmin.
B) Marriage with a Shudra by a Rajput.
C) Marriage with a Shudra by a Vaishya.
D) All of the above.
Answer: D - Which form of marriage is solemnized in accordance with the ‘Shastras’ and is considered the superior form, widely practiced without any consideration received by the girl’s family?
A) Jhanjhrara
B) Gaddar
C) BIAH (Brahma marriage)
D) Reet Marriage
Answer: C - Which informal marriage forms are solemnized without the ‘Saptpadi’ or other formal religious ceremonies and are popular among low-caste people?
A) BIAH and Brahma marriage
B) Jhindphook and Darosh Dab Dhab
C) Jhanjhrara and Gaddar or Paraina
D) Mahalshish and Hari
Answer: C - In which districts is polyandry most prevalent in Himachal Pradesh?
A) Kangra and Chamba
B) Shimla and Sirmaur
C) Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, and interior parts of Chamba
D) Mandi and Bilaspur
Answer: C - Is polygamy common among the vast majority of the population in Himachal Pradesh?
A) Yes, it is widely practiced.
B) No, it is not common among the vast majority.
C) It is only practiced by high castes.
D) It is only practiced in urban areas.
Answer: B - Which peculiar form of marriage among the tribes of Kangra and Chamba involves setting fire to a bush and walking around it seven times without parental approval?
A) Darosh Dab Dhab
B) Mahalshish
C) Jhindphook or Jarar Phuki (bush burning)
D) Hari or Har
Answer: C - Which tribal system, prevalent in Kinnaur, involves the forcible abduction of a girl from a fairground, followed by the boy’s family apologizing and paying ‘Izzat’?
A) Mahalshish
B) Darosh Dab Dhab
C) Jhindphook
D) Batta-Satta
Answer: B - In which type of marriage do lovers elope, and the boy’s father sends a ‘Mazomi’ with gifts, followed by sad tunes and the son-in-law presenting ‘Masore’ to the bride’s mother?
A) Darosh Dab Dhab
B) Hari or Har
C) Mahalshish
D) Jhanjhrara
Answer: C - Which marriage custom applies when a boy kidnaps a girl, or a girl elopes with her fiancé, or a woman leaves her husband to live with another man, and is popular among ‘Gaddis’ and in the Kinnaur region?
A) Mahalshish
B) Darosh Dab Dhab
C) Hari or Har
D) Jhindphook
Answer: C - How do the Gaddis perform their marriage ceremony?
A) In a single grand event with a veil and dowry.
B) In two stages, starting with ‘Joolh Pami’ for a minor girl, with no veil or dowry.
C) Through forcible abduction from a fair.
D) By setting fire to a bush in the jungle.
Answer: B - In Pangi marriages, what right does the groom’s younger brother gain by presenting a silver rupee to the bride’s mother?
A) The right to divorce the bride.
B) The right of a second husband over the bride, not to be shared by more than two brothers.
C) The right to inherit the bride’s property.
D) The right to choose the next bride.
Answer: B - Are love marriages and widow remarriages permissible in higher castes in Himachal Pradesh?
A) Yes, always.
B) No, they are permissible except in higher castes.
C) Only love marriages are permissible.
D) Only widow remarriages are permissible.
Answer: B - Is widow remarriage common among tribal communities in Himachal Pradesh?
A) No, it is strictly prohibited.
B) Yes, it is a common sight.
C) Only if the new husband pays a large dowry.
D) It depends on the specific tribe.
Answer: B - What is ‘Reet Marriage’?
A) A marriage where the bride’s family pays a large dowry.
B) A marriage where an already married woman leaves her husband and marries another, with compensation paid to the former.
C) A marriage solemnized with Vedic rituals.
D) A marriage arranged by exchange of daughters.
Answer: B - In some tribal communities, what is the divorce law known as ‘Dehri’, ‘Hari’, or ‘Har’ involve?
A) A formal court proceeding.
B) The couple breaking a piece of wood, thread, or leaf in front of witnesses.
C) The wife keeping all ornaments and clothes.
D) The new groom going to the bride’s house.
Answer: B - What are widow remarriages called in Shimla hills, and in Kangra and Chamba regions, respectively?
A) Jhanjhrara and Karewa
B) Gudani and Cholidorr
C) Karewa and Jhanjhrara, Gudani, or Cholidorr
D) Saptpadi and Paraina
Answer: C - What is the general social status of women in Himachal Pradesh?
A) They have a low social status and are dependent.
B) They generally enjoy an independent and high social status.
C) Their status is similar to that in the plains, often with dowry issues.
D) They are primarily confined to household duties.
Answer: B
What trend has the spread of literacy led to regarding divorces and love marriages since independence in Himachal Pradesh?
A) An increase in informal divorces and a decrease in love marriages.
B) A decrease in informal divorces and an increase in love marriages formalized through legal courts.
C) No change in divorce or marriage patterns.
D) An increase in both informal divorces and traditional arranged marriages.
Answer: B