Asya Studies

Öz

Many traditional practices related to marriage and wedding ceremonies in Turkish society, which vary from region to region, such as giving headdresses, preparing a dowry, organizing a wedding procession, giving and receiving gifts, hosting a banquet and having instruments played, have continued until today. Such payments of bridewealth and different names, seen at weddings, generally resulted in financial abuse of one of the parties in traditional rural societies. Although some legal regulations were made in the Ottoman Empire regarding such practices that made marriage difficult and threatened the population, these traditions could not be completely eliminated and continued to be implemented. II. When it came to the Constitutional Monarchy Period, excessive demands and expenses regarding bridewealths, dowries and weddings became controversial in the press, and even efforts were made to encourage, promote and popularize marriage during this period. The harsh economic conditions of World War I deeply shook the Turkish family structure, it became difficult to get married and hold weddings, and on the other hand, alcohol use and prostitution became widespread. While the struggle continued on the fronts during the War of Independence, the current economic conditions, excessive demand and waste at weddings, and infectious diseases such as syphilis, malaria and tuberculosis continued to threaten the population, marriage and family life. Although Kastamonu was not occupied during the War of Independence, it was closely affected by the military, economic and psycho-social conditions of the period, and marriage and family life were also damaged in this context. In this study, it was intended to make determinations on the factors that closely affect marriage and family life in Kastamonu and its surroundings.