Why was child marriage prevalent in India?

Child marriage is a practice when young children who have
not reached an age where they are mature enough to choose their partners for life are
forcibly bound into an relation by their parents.

This
practice was widely prevalent in India till a few decades back. Now with new laws and an
increased awareness, the practice has reduced considerably and is the norm in only a few
areas.

There were several reasons behind the prevalence of
child marriage. In India, girls are usually considered a burden due to the social
practices followed. It is in the interest of parents to get their girl child married as
soon as possible and this encourages the marriage of girls at a very young
age.

Another leading cause of child marriage was to ensure
that caste and social hierarchies are maintained. By marrying children at a young age,
in many cases right after they were born, parents ensured that they did not get a chance
to find an unsuitable partner as they matured who may not be of the same caste or hold
the same social status. Child marriage was also used as a way to improve relations
between families and create alliances.

Child marriage in
now illegal in India and the minimum age for marriage is 18 for women and 21 for
men.