Dowry Murder: The Imperial Origins of a Cultural Crime
"Oldenburg has a unique and compelling voice as a historian. She has left no stone, or document, unturned in her search for the answers."--Geraldine Forbes, Professor of History, SUNY, Oswego"Oldenburg's arguments are persuasive and [are] written in such clear and jargon-free English that even nonacademic readers should be able to follow [them].... Her accounts of contemporary marital clashes are wrenching, insightful, and sadly familiar.Dowry Murdershould be read by all persons seeking to understand gender relations in today's India."--The Journal of Asian Studies"With this study, Oldenburg has turned the standard interpretation of both sati and dowry deaths on its head. Her methodology combines the historian's careful combing of the archives with the anthropologist's use of life histories and interviews. This is a provocative and original work of scholarship. Many will disagree with it, but few will be able to ignore it."--Gail Minault, Professor of History, University of Texas, Austin"A strong, contentious book on an intellectually and socially hot topic,Dowry Murderoffers a rich complex answer to the question: What are the causes of voilence against women in India, of female infanticide, 'dowry' deaths, and battering?"--Susanne Hoeber Rudolph, Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago"One ofDowry Murder'smany original contributions is to link the discourses on female infanticide/dowry in the high period with the current discourse on dowry . Oldenburg provides a complex picture of causality."--Barbara Metcalf, Professor of History, University of California, Davis