Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 273

KSHATRIYA MARRIAGES
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married pair are determined. Almost all the other cere-
monies are identical with those of the Brahmins.
At the marriage of Kshatriyas or Rajahs, the ceremonial
A purohita
differs very little from that of the Brahmins.
invariably presides
Brahmins who
and takes the leading part. All the
and in the neighbourhood
live in the place
are invited, but as they cannot eat with people of this
caste, they receive each day portions of rice, melted butter,
curdled milk, peas, vegetables, and fruits, which they cook
for themselves and feast upon apart.
At the termination of the ceremonies they receive more
or less valuable presents of cloths and other things accord-
ing to their rank and in proportion to the means of the
family who give the feast.
At the marriages of Kshatriyas, too, all the different
kinds of weapons used in warfare are brought in with
much solemnity, accompanied by the songs of the women
and by instruments of music. These weapons remain
hung up in the most conspicuous part of the pandal until
the festivities are ended.
The guests offer them sacrifices,
and worship them from time to time, and similar proces-
sions are made round them to those of the Sudras round
the sacred fig-branch.
The work from which I have extracted these details
gives particulars of a remarkable expedient for procuring
a wife sometimes adopted by the noble caste of Kshatriyas.
When a young man of this caste wishes to marry, instead
of going through the usual prescribed forms and humiliating
proceedings with the parents of the girl that he has in view,
he exercises the right of carrying off the noble lady on
whom he has set his affections. To ensure success in his
enterprise he collects a numerous following, unexpectedly
declares hostilities against the king whose son-in-law he
hopes to be, and tries to wrest his daughter from him either
by force or strategy. As soon as she is in his power he
conducts her to his home in triumph, and celebrates the
marriage with all due solemnity. This method of procur-
ing a wife, says the author, is the most approved of all in
the case of a Kshatriya
and, in fact, Hindu books often
mention similar instances of rape, but always amongst the
;
Rajah
caste.
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