Editing Fula people (section)

== Rites of passage in the Fulani kingdom ==
=== Marriage ===
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In the Fulani society, marriage is considered endogamy rather than exogamy. Marriage is permitted amongst people of the same lineage. Marriage is generally between cross-cousins and parallel cousins. Even before their birth, the children were betrothed. The caste system and political stratification have a role in their conventional marriage. Marriage exists to maintain wealth and the royal dynasty. They practice early marriage, which is typically arranged by relatives. The men marry in their twenties, while the women marry in their teens. A man is permitted to marry more than one woman so long as he can meet his wives' requirements equally.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=administrator |date=2015-05-20 |title=Traditional Marriage in Fulani Kingdom |url=https://informationparlour.com/article-culture-tradition-traditional-marriage-fulani-kingdom |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=Information Parlour |language=en-US}}</ref>

The traditional Fulani marriage system consists of three phases: the Kabbal, Koowgal, and Sharo stages.

In the Sharo stage of the marriage process, the man is publicly flogged by other men to assess his strength, discipline, and bravery. If the prospective groom cries, the bride's family may reject him and view him as a coward. Not every ethnic group adheres to this tradition. The groom's people support him during the painful flogging process.<ref name=":3" />