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madāwat
ma-
A set of bride-wealth payments, given by a man's family to his prospective bride's family.
Bride wealth is partially calculated on the basis of the value of pond fields, if any, inherited by the bride. If she has already given birth through a previous marriage or as a single mother, and/or if her moral character is questionable, to that extent the bride-wealth value which she represents is decreased. These deficiencies, however, are outweighed by the wealth of a girl with sizeable pond-field holdings. There are four classes of bride-wealth payments based on four levels of bride wealth which prospective brides represent.
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