A husband is a male partner in a marital relationship.

The rights and obligation

s of the husband regarding his spouse, others, and his status in the community a
nd in law, vary between cultures and have varied over time. A man's spouse is hi
s wife.
In monogamous cultures, a man is expected not to have more than one wife at the
same time, and a woman is expected not to have more than one husband. This is en
forced by legal codes which outlaw bigamy. In polygamous cultures, a man may hav
e more than one wife at the same time.
Traditionally, the husband was regarded as the head of the household, who was ex
pected to be the sole provider or breadwinner, a role which is still maintained
in some cultures, which are sometimes described as paternalistic. The term conti
nues to be applied to a man who has separated from his wife and ceases to be app
lied to such a man only when his marriage has come to an end following a legally
recognised divorce or the death of his wife. On the death of his wife, a husban
d is referred to as a widower and after a divorce the man may be referred to as
"ex-husband" in relation to the "ex-wife".
Contents
1 Origin and etymology
2 Related terms
3 Western culture
3.1 Historical status
3.2 Contemporary status
4 Religion
4.1 Islam
4.2 Hinduism
4.3 Buddhism and Chinese folk religions
5 Other cultures
6 Expectation of fidelity
7 See also
8 References
Origin and etymology
The term husband refers to Middle English huseband, from Old English husbonda, f
rom Old Norse husbondi (hus, "house" + bondi, buandi, present participle of bua,
"to dwell", so, etymologically, "a householder").[1]
Related terms
At the conclusion of a valid wedding, the marrying parties acquire the status of
married person and, while the marriage persists, a man is called a husband, whe
reas a woman is called a wife. In a marriage between two men, both spouses may b
e considered husbands, and in a marriage between two women, both spouses may be
considered wives. Married people are the spouse of the person they married.
Although "husband" is a close term to groom, the latter is a male participant in
a wedding ceremony, while a husband is a married man after the wedding, during
his marriage. The term husband refers to the institutionalized role of the marri
ed male, while the term father refers to the male in context of his offspring, a
state which may or may not indicate that a marriage ceremony has taken place.
Before the marriage, he or his family may have received a dowry, or have had to
pay a bride price, or both were exchanged. The dowry not only supported the esta
blishment of a household, but also served as a condition that if the husband com
mitted grave offences upon his wife, he had to return the dowry to the wife or h
er family. For the time of the marriage, they were made inalienable by the husba
nd.[2] When the husband dies, he might leave his wife (or wives), then widow (or
widows), a dower (often a third or a half of his estate) to support her as dowa
ger.[3]
Husband further refers to the institutionalized form in relation to the spouse a
nd offspring, unlike father, a term that puts a man into the context of his chil
dren. Also compare the similar husbandry, which in the 14th century referred to
the care of the household, but today means the "control or judicious use of reso
urces", conservation, and in agriculture, the cultivation of plants and animals,
and the science about its profession.[4]
As an external symbol of the fact that they are married, husbands and wives comm
only wear a wedding ring on the ring finger; whether this is on the left or righ
t hand depends on the country's tradition.
Western culture
Historical status
In premodern times (ancient Roman, medieval, and early modern history), a husban
d was supposed to protect and support not only his wife and children, but servan
ts and animals of his domain, and the father (as the "patron") was awarded with
much authority, differing from that of his wife (in these cultures, no polygamy
existed).[5]
In the Middle Ages and Early Modern European history, it was unusual to marry ou
t of love, but then doing so became an influential ideal.[6][7] During this peri
od, a husband had more opportunities in society than his wife, who was not recog
nized as legally independent.[8]
Contemporary status
In contemporary secularized Western culture, the rights of the wife and husband
have been made equal. The civil marriage generally forces the wealthier spouse w
hich traditionally has been the husband to provide alimony to their former spous
e, even after separation and also after a divorce (see also Law and divorce arou
nd the world).
The legal status of marriage allows the husband and his spouse to speak on each
other's behalf when one is incapacitated (e.g., in a coma); a husband is also re
sponsible for his wife's child(ren) in states where he is automatically assumed
to be the biological father.[9]
Religion
Islam
In Islamic marital jurisprudence, husbands are considered protectors of the hous
ehold and their wives. As protector, the husband has various rights and obligati
ons that he is expected to fulfill and thus is offered opportunities different f
rom that of his wife or wives, not only in legal and economical affairs of the f
amily but within the family as well. As in most cases in Islam law and culture,
everything is being related to the Qur'an.
Many Muslims may agree on a perfectly equal relationship.[10] Islam is the only
major religion that puts a cap on polygamy, limiting the number of a man's wives
to fourprovided the husband can do justice to all of them. According to the teac
hings of Islam a Muslim man should have a valid reason and have to get permissio
n from his existing wife (without any force) if he requires to marry again. Isla
m vehemently abhors any intimate relationship outside the bond of marriage.
There is no external sign to show his status as a husband, unless he adopted the
tradition of wearing a wedding ring.
Hinduism
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n. (November 2010)
In traditional Hindu marriages, the husband is regarded as the manifestation of
Lord Vishnu and his wife as the goddess Laxmi; his wife not only accepts him for
her life, but also regards him as pati permeshwar (pati is husband and parmeshw
ar is supreme god). In modern times, however, the view of the husband as the sou
l is decreasing. A Hindu husband traditionally took his wife to his home, hardly
ever to return to her family. As a result, he was expected to provide for her a
nd to prove his abilities to do so. The marriage before modernity was a contract
between families, similar to the Western (then: European) marriage.
In modern times, equal rights for women and a modern jurisdiction have offered m
arriage out of love and civil marriage, different from the traditional arranged
marriages.
The Encyclopdia Britannica mentions that "In Hindu law, the male members of a joi
nt family, together with their wives, widows, and children, are entitled to supp
ort out of the joint property."[11]
Buddhism and Chinese folk religions
China's family laws were changed by the Communist revolution; and in 1950, the P
eople's Republic of China enacted a comprehensive marriage law including provisi
ons giving the spouses equal rights with regard to ownership and management of m
arital property.[12]
Other cultures
In Japan, before enactment of the Meiji Civil Code of 1898, all of the woman's p
roperty such as land or money passed to her husband except for personal clothing
and a mirror stand.[13]
Expectation of fidelity