Today, child marriage is usually only practiced in countries where cultural practices and traditions of child marriage still have a strong influence, or where the living standards and conditions create a strong incentive for child marriage.
The nobility of some cultures tend to use child marriage among different factions or states as a method to secure political ties between them. For example, the son or daughter of the royal family of a weaker power would sometimes be arranged to marry into the royal family of a stronger neighbouring power, thus preventing itself from being assimilated. In the lower classes, if they were fortunate, families could use child marriages as means to gain financial ties with wealthier people, ensuring their successions.
Source: Wikipedia > Child Marriage
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