History
Bridewealth Politics and Matrilineal Inheritance in Lakshadweep Island Communities
Quick fact
In Lakshadweep, traditional bridewealth (often called 'kuri' or 'mahr') was paid by the groom's family, but unusually for a matrilineal society, it helped maintain the groom's status in a household where the wife's family held property rights, leading to complex negotiations over resources and political alliances.
Why this is interesting
Imagine an island where a bride's family pays the groom's family, not the other way around—and where property passes through mothers. What does that do to power?