Introduction

The history of marriage dates back to the history of mankind. Biblically, God
created the first man called Adam and he was without helper. God being
omnipotent and omniscient know his problem and hired him into a great
slumber and removed one of his ribs and created a woman called Eve (Genesis
2:21-22) from this time, marriage was first contracted by Adam and Eve who
was the first parent on earth to highlight this, the holy bible says, so God created
man in his own image in the image of God he created him, male and female and
God blessed them and said to them “be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth ad
subdue it” Gen. 1:27-28.

Throughout the world, marriage is regarded as a moment of celebration and a

milestone in adult life. Sadly, the practice of early marriage gives no such cause
for celebration. All too often, the imposition of a marriage partner upon a child
means that a girl or boy’s childhood is cut short and their fundamental rights are
compromised (UNICEF, 2001). Young girls are robbed of their youth and
required to take on roles for which they are not psychologically or physically
prepared. Many have no choice about the timing of marriage or their partner.
Some are coerced into marriage, while others are too young to make an
informed decision. Premature marriage deprives them of the opportunity for
personal development as well as their rights to full reproductive health and
wellbeing, education, and participation in civic life.

The Bajju (or Kaje as termed by outsiders) of southern Zaria, Nigeria, have
traditional and modern marital patterns similar to those described for Plateau
and related ethnic groups in Nigeria such as the Agorok (Kagoro), Irigwe,
Rukuba, and Berom. Traditional Bajju marriage forms included monogamy,
polygyny, and polyandrous polygynous marriages. Both marriage by capture
and white-stealing Occurred, and exogamous rules were extensive. Marital

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alliances governed primary marriages, while secondary marriages occurred
outside the bounds of those alliances. Due to governmental, Islamic, and
Christian missionary influences the polyandrous polygynous marital pattern has
largely disappeared.

Following imposition of British colonial rule in 1900 Christian missionaries

entered this area, resulting in widespread adoption of Christianity and its
teachings concerning marriage (McKinney 1985). Further, Islamic influences
intensified through imposition or the Native Authority system over the non-
Muslims in Southern Zaria.

Origin of Bajju People

he ajju are an ethnic group found in the iddle elt entral area of
igeria. he word ajju is a short for anyet ju which simply means ju
People" and is used to refer to the speakers of the ju language found in the
ajju, the homeland of the Jju people. hey are found in the outhern part of
aduna tate, chiefly in achia, angon ataf, ama a and in aduna outh
ocal Government reas. ajju people are also commonly known as aje
which is a pejorative name used to refer to both the ju people and ju language
by the larger ausa people who could not pronounce the name ajju meaning
the land of the ajju people well. he ajju people are predominantly farmers,
hunters, blacksmiths and petty traders.

History has it that the Bajju people migrated from Zamfara to Bauchi, then Jos.
They moved and settled in Dibiyi/Kurmin Bi, in the Zonkwa chiefdom of what
is present Zangon Kataf Local Government of Kaduna state. Now they can be
found in other LGAs in Kaduna state such as Jemaa and Kachia.

They speak Jju language and the land occupied by the Bajju is called Kajju.
With an estimated 600, 000 native speakers, the Bajju, commonly referred to as
Kaje (a pejorative term), constitute one of the largest ethnic groups in Southern
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Kaduna. The Bajju are particularly found in Zangon-Kataf, Jemaa and Kachia
Local Government Areas of Kaduna State.

Ruling and governance

We have just one leader just like the emir or Obas, he is called the Agwam
ajju. I’m not sure how he is selected, but he is selected only at the demise of
the previous Agwam Bajju.

Dressing

he men used to dress in bente. It’s just like g-string women wear these days
but it’s made with a certain kind of wool. he women used to wear fur from
animal skin and leaves.

Bajju brides dress in two pieces white, green and yellow materials and beads.
One piece covering the breast and the other piece is worn from the waist to
some inches above the knees. While the beads are worn across the body, on the
waist, head and ankles.

Food

ajju food is basically, detuk which the ausa call tuwo. It’s made from corn
flour. It’s usually eaten with jajju also known as karkashi. Then jok kada which
is basically different types of beans.

Naming

As for naming, there were no special occasions. The father of the child comes
up with a name. Usually names describing his mood, season the child was born
or an honour to a great man in the family.

The Concept of Marriage

Marriage is the approved social pattern whereby two persons establish a family.
It involves tot only the right to conceive and rear children, but also a host of
other obligation, and privileges afflicting a good many people.
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The real meaning of damage is the acceptance of a new status, with a new set of
privileges and obligations, and the recognition of this new status by others. A
legal marriage legitimizes a social status and creates a set of legally recognized
rights and duties.

Marriage is one of the oldest socially recognized institutions, and is essential for
the procreation of children and the satisfaction of our sexual urges. In different
societies, there are different methods of marriage. Some of the societies allow a
male to marry only a single female, whereas in other societies a husband is
allowed to have more than one wife. Similarly, some societies will not allow a
woman to have more than one husband, whereas ocher societies will not mind a
woman having more than one husband. In some case, the parents arrange the
marriage whereas in others boys and girls arrange their marriage themselves

Marriage is a term for social relationships of husband and wife or of plural

mates. Also, it is used for the ceremony of uniting marital partners.

Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally recognized union

between people, called spouses that establish rights and obligations between
them, as well as between them and their children, and between them and their
in-laws. It is considered a cultural universal, but the definition of marriage
varies between cultures and religions, and over time. Typically, it is an
institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually sexual, are
acknowledged or sanctioned. In some cultures, marriage is recommended or
considered to be compulsory before pursuing any sexual activity. A marriage
ceremony is called a wedding.

MATE SELECTION

It refers to the finding of spouse by man and woman. There are two methods
given to us:

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Exogamy: When a person marries outside one's group, caste, religion, class and
race. It is attributed as exogamy. In the modern times this marriage is mostly
being practiced.

Endogamy: When a person marries inside one's group, caste, religion, class and
race. It is known as endogamy. 1his kind of marriage is practiced mostly in the
rural areas of Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc

FORMS OF MARRIAGE

Different societies have different views for the social recognition and approval
of marriage. That is the reason why we find different forms of marriages. The
main types of marriage are given below:

1) Monogamy: One person is allowed to marry one woman at a time.

2) Polygamy: Person (man or woman) is allowed to marry more than one

woman at a time.

3) Polygamy: A husband is permitted to have more than one wife at a time.

4) Polyandry: A woman marries more than one man at a time.

5) Fraternal Polyandry: When a woman is considered and treated as wife

of all the brothers living in the family and the offspring is considered to
be the son /daughter of the eldest brother.

6) Non-fraternal polyandry: In this form, a woman is supposed to have

more than one husband.

7) Group Marriage: The brothers are required to marry with the sisters
living together

8) Experimental Marriage: In such a marriage, the couple should be

allowed to come together and freely mix and meet to understand each
other before marriage.

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 9) Inter Caste Marriage: A man marries a woman within a caste, like in
India.

10) Anuloma: When the men of higher castes are allowed to marry women
of lower castes, it is called Anuloma.

11) Pratiloma: When the women of higher castes marry the men of lower
castes, it is called Pratiloma.

12) Hyper-gamy & hypo-gamy: A man belonging to the nobility is allowed

to marry a woman of lower social status. It is called hyper-gamy. But
when a woman of a higher social status marries a man of lower social
status it is called hypo-gamy

13) Sororate Marriage: If the wife dies, the husband marries the deceased
wife's sister. This type of marriage is permitted in Islam.

14) Levirate Marriage: When the husband is dead. After the death, the wife
marries her deceased husband’s brother.

15) Marriage by Elopement: if a boy and a girl run away and marry against
the choice of their parents. They marry either in court or other place.

16) Compassionate Marriage: This is dissolution of marriage by mutual

consents.

17) Arranged Marriage: The marriage which is arranged by the consents of

both sides of parents.

18) Love Marriage: The system, under which the youngsters themselves
select their life partners, is called love marriage.

19) Swara Marriage: It is a common marriage in Pukhtoon society.

FUNCTIONS OF MARRAGE

1. Social recognition: Marriage gives social recognition to all sexual

relationships which otherwise will have many social problems. Marriage
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 alone makes the society accept the relationship of a boy and a girl, as
husband and wife

2. Procreation of children: Then another function of marriage is to have

legitimate children. The children born as a result of socially recognized
marriages are accepted by the society as legitimate and legal heirs to the
property and other assets of the family.

3. Sense of sympathy: After the marriage alone, the husband and wife and
their children develop a sense of sympathy for each other and they begin
to share each other's joys and sorrows. They sacrifice for the sake of each
other.

4. Basis of family: Another function of marriage is that, it is the basis of

family life. As we all know that after marriage, family comes in to being
and with that the virtues of all the family life emerge in the society.

5. Stability in relationship: After marriage, relationship comes in to being.

e.g the relationship of husband and wife, son and daughter, father in-law
or mother in law or grandfather and grandmother, etc. These
relationships get stabilized with the passage of time but only after
marriage and not before marriage.

6. Perpetuation of lineage: It is after marriage that there is desire to

perpetuate the name of the family. The children perpetuate the name of
their parents and then come grandchildren great grandchildren, etc. After
some time, there is the need to perpetuate lineage of the family and at
any stage in the family if there are no offshoots, then every effort is made
to have them, so that the name of the family continuances In this way,
each family has very important and basic functions to perform, without
these functions our whole social system would fail and would result into

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 many social problems Then, marriage alone has helped in maintaining
high moral standards of which any society can really feel proud.

Marriage in Bajju Community

Marriage, from a Bajju perspective, enables an individual to fulfill his or her

role within society. It is essential that a Bajju marry and have children. If a
person does not marry, it indicates that something is seriously wrong with him
or her or that a man is impotent (Asake 1991:13). Marriage and procreation
provide for the continuity of one's family, lineage, clan, and ethnic group.

Stages of Bajju Marriage

According to Danjuma Habu in his book, The Bajju People: The Bajju marriage
rites are in four stages:

Four stages of traditional marriage rites:

Hwun: The reservation. The father of the male child is allowed to go to a

household that has the prospective bride. The bride may be of any age at the
time of the visit. If the families are close he may even reserve a baby in the
womb for his young son. To seal this, he may leave a ring or other durable item
of value.

Bride gift: Bajju do not believe in exchange of wealth to formalize marriage.

However a gift – often a ceremonial hoe – is presented. The hoe has special
significance because the people are primarily farmers. This is accompanied by a
gift for the mother-in-law – usually a goat or fowls that she may use however
she chooses. At the point of this presentation the marriage is legalized. All
offspring of the marry now belong to the suitor.

Third is the formal announcement at the woman’s house: The traditional

beer must be prepared by the suitor’s family and sent or brought over. he
elders will invite family and neighbours and eat and drink and bless the union.

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After this the girl is expected to go to the house of her in-laws to return the
drink containers. She will spend two days doing household chores and that will
give the family a good chance to assess her before she returns.

The final transfer: on a prearranged day, the girl will be sent on an errand and
members of the boy’s village will lie in wait to ambush and abduct her and take
her away. Often her cries may be heard by her own people and they will fight to
stop the abduction. If the abduction fails, the boys people will lose respect, but
if they succeed they will get some gifts as acknowledgement of their efforts.

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