Tsakhurs - Marriage and Family

Marriage. Around the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century marriage was by agreement. Preference was given to intratukhum marriages, taking account of the social and material conditions of both sides. Levirate and sororate were preserved. Polygamy was rare, particularly among Daghestanian Tsakhurs. The marital age of young men was 23 to 24, of young women, 18 or 19. Marriages at an earlier age were allowed among the Daghestanian Tsakhurs. Infant betrothal was rarely practiced. The parents had the decisive word in the selection of a marriage partner. Matchmakers were selected from among relatives (aunt, uncle, grandfather) or honored elders. The time interval between courtship and the wedding was one to three years. The wedding lasted from two to five days, and all relatives and fellow villagers participated in it. The climactic moment was the transfer of the bride to the groom's house) (postmarital residence was patrilocal). Contemporary marriage is concluded through the choice of the young people themselves, but the custom of courtship is preserved and weddings follow the traditional scenario.

Domestic Unit. Between the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century the predominant form was the nuclear family of two generations or five to six members. There were some families in which the aging parents lived with a married son. In several settlements (Muslakh, etc.) undivided families of several generations and several married couples were observed until the 1930s, even the 1950s. Relations within the family were characterized by respect toward elders, mutual assistance, love of work, and the observance of moral norms.

Inheritance. Property to be inherited was divided according to Quranic law, taking into account blood ties and age: to begin, part was apportioned to the parents of the deceased, then to the widow, then to the children and the remaining relatives. Men (sons, male relatives) got twice as much as women. In the feudal situation, in accordance with customary law, a woman was barred from the inheritance of immovable property.

Socialization. Women (mother, grandmother) raised children from the earliest age on. Men (father, grandfather, older brothers) gave more attention to the boys, especially after they reached age 7, giving them various jobs involving adult work. Within the family children were instilled with economic skills. They were taught to observe the customs and traditions of the people. The socialization of children also took place via diverse forms of communal and religious life (participation in holidays, funeral ceremonies, prayers, etc.).