Female infanticide and child neglect as possible reasons for low sex ratio in the Punjab, 1881-1931

"The social and cultural practices prevalent in various parts of India] resulted in the neglect of the female child...in general, and] probably more so in the Punjab. Moreover, female mortality significantly exceeded male mortality in years of epidemics and famines. This paper tries to examine the socio-cultural and economic factors, namely, the system of land holdings and inheritance strategies, structured customs in different parts of the province, and notions of honour and status which probably have been at the back of neglect of the girl child. Among certain caste groups even female infanticide might not have been uncommon."