dowry

Property or money given by the bride's family to the groom or his family as part of the marriage agreement; the opposite of bridewealth (property or money given by the groom's to the bride's family). In 1961, dowries were made illegal in India; however, in 1992, the Indian government reported more than 15,000 murders or suicides between 1988 and 1991 that were a direct result of insufficient dowries.