Why didn't Tywin marry Jaime to Elia of Dorne

[Djinn]

Because Jaime marrying a Tully is better match. Riverlands are the second most productive(agricultural) region after the Reach, and reflects on military and monetary power. There's no available Tyrell or Arryn to rival one of Hoster's daughters. In case of need, there little that Dorne can offer to CR.

What i find really odd is Tywin offering Tyrion as a match to Elia while he still has a unmarried brother, Gerion.

[Garett Hornwood]

This particular topic is one that really fascinates me, not only because Tywin is so unlike what we've been told and seen of him. It actually shows a really human side of Twyin that Joanna's death affected him so much that he really didn't act like the "great Tywin Lannister" would have when talking to the Princess of Dorne. The whole passage is a great bit of writing, not only some history but seeing a more human side of Tywin.

Now before ADwD, I always thought that Tywin bungled the entire meeting with the Princess. Frankly he could have said that while Oberyn was a fine young man and had a great future, he unfortunately was in advanced negotiations for Cersei's marriage and didn't have to mention Rhaegar. And given he wanted to raise his family standing an Jaime-Elia match would have been perfect to go along with a Rhaegar-Cersei match. Even though Elia was considered frail, she still was second-in-line behind Doran. There was a chance that Tywin could be the grandfather to the King, the Lord of Casterly Rock, and Prince(ss) of Dorne HOW is that for a legacy!

Now after ADwD, the grand alliance of Baratheon-Stark-Tully-Arryn has become the topic of conversation and when or if Tywin was in on it. Frankly the Jaime-Elia makes even more sense. Think about it, you have aforementioned grand alliance that wants to put Rhaegar in charge as Regent, basically King in all but name, for his mentally ailing father. The Rhaegar-Cersei match means that the Lannister's join the alliance by default because it would place Tywin's son-in-law on the throne, I don't think he would mine if it happened sooner. The Jaime-Elia match now brings Dorne into the alliance mix as Tywin need only convince Elia's mother, or Doran depending on when he succeeds her, when the alliance makes it move that it would be good for the realm and that by joining the other five great houses to support Rhaegar becoming Regent that Dorne would be protecting their interests. With the marriage between Jaime & Elia that conversation becomes easy.

Finally I'm going to end on this. Tywin wanted Cersei to marry Rhaegar and would do anything to make it happen, why would he not want to take a potential rival to Cersei out of the conversation by having Elia marry Jaime? Aerys wouldn't have been interested in the Tully girls, the Baratheon's hadn't had any daughters since Aery's aunt married Robert's grandfather, and there were no matches in the Free Cities. Elia Martell was the only high born woman who could have been a rival to Cersei if Aerys was choosing Rhaegar's bride because of her Targ ancestress, even if she was considered frail (though she did pretty well traveling from Sunspear to Old Town then to Lannisport by ship).

The only answer I have at this time is that Joanna's death caused Tywin so much heart ache that he blundered. If the Martells had arrived before Tyrion's birth, Tywin would have accepted Jaime-Elia and politely refused Oberyn-Cersei thus changing history. However we'll never know and frankly we wouldn't have a story if that had happened.

[Yakman]

1 - Elia is sickly

2 - Jaime is like 10 - 11 when Elia's betrothal to Rhaegar occurs (he's 10 when Tyrwin's proposal for a R + C match is rejected.. There's plenty of time to find a suitable match.

3 - An alliance with Dorne does little for Tywin or the Lannisters in general. If one thinks about Tywin's father's idiocy, I can easily imagine Tywin choosing a more local bride to shore up support in the West.

[Pikachu101]

I think the main reason was because Elia was too old. She's 9 years older than Jaime so by the time Jaime turns 15 she would be 24; and for Westeros that's too old.

[Kuther2000]

I think the main reason was because Elia was too old. She's 9 years older than Jaime so by the time Jaime turns 15 she would be 24; and for Westeros that's too old.

Yea. The sad thing about it is that if the ages we were switched; we wouldn't be saying that. Jaime could be 20 years older and alot of people would think it is okay.

[Djinn]

Yea. The sad thing about it is that if the ages we were switched; we wouldn't be saying that. Jaime could be 20 years older and alot of people would think it is okay.

Well, it's all about sireing the next generation, and men and women are diferent in that regard.

Still, when it comes to marriages, only Cersei-Robert and Joffrey/Tommen-Margaery were sucesses for Tywin. Jaime-Lysa, Tyrion-Elia/Sansa, Genna-Eamon, Myrcella-Trystane, Kevan-Dorna, Tygett-Darlessa, Lancel-Amerei didn't really add nothing to House Lannister. And shouldn't Gerion be a Blacklion?

[diremitar]

Well, it's all about sireing the next generation, and men and women are diferent in that regard.

Still, when it comes to marriages, only Cersei-Robert and Joffrey/Tommen-Margaery were sucesses for Tywin. Jaime-Lysa, Tyrion-Elia/Sansa, Genna-Eamon, Myrcella-Trystane, Kevan-Dorna, Tygett-Darlessa, Lancel-Amerei didn't really add nothing to House Lannister. And shouldn't Gerion be a Blacklion?

Lancel-Amerei marriage gave them Darry. One more castle in Lannister control

Genna-Eammon isn't Tywin's work. Tytos is guilty for that marriage (and probably Kevan's too)

And Tyrion managed Myrcella's betrothal

Tyrion marriage with Sansa was tactical move against Tyrells and he hoped that Tyrion will have WF.

His only failure was Jaime/Lysa. He made Tyrion/Elia proposal to mock Martells

[Kanali]

Because there probably wasn't much to be gained from marrying into the Martells. It seems that Joanna and Mrs. Martell wanted their kids to be married because they were childhood friends. Tywin had more to gain from marrying Jaime to Lysa, thereby solidifying relations with his neighbours to the east.

[ADB]

Yea. The sad thing about it is that if the ages we were switched; we wouldn't be saying that. Jaime could be 20 years older and alot of people would think it is okay.

True. But in Westeros it's mostly the female's age that matters. If Jaime was 24 and her 15, she might have 25 years of productive child-bearing time. If its the other way around, she has maybe 15. Sad, but truth in television as the saying goes.

As far as the difference between Cersei apparently being definitely engaged to Rhaegar, and it suddenly being a non-entity, I think we have to remember that sometime around or after the Defiance of Duskendale Tywin and Aerys had a falling out. It seems likely that the change from "You're going to marry the prince" to "Screw you, my daughter doesn't marry a servant" is probably around the beginning of Aerys losing it and beginning to lash out. Remember that by the time Jaime was 15, and appointed to the Kingsguard, they were on such bad terms that Tywin wouldn't show up to the King's invitation, and Aerys would appoint Jaime to the KG for the spitefulness of denying Tywin his heir.

[Ruby Chevrolet]

No real idea, but she was known to be sickly (so not a good match) and the lords paramount didn't intermarry much before the creation of the STAB alliance business (which was related to the king's madness). He didn't need an alliance with Dorne either.

Is that right? I thought the way Eddard Stark discovered the affair between Cersei Lannister and her brother was by looking at the hair color of the babies born to Lannister/Barratheon marriages for hundreds of years and always finding black hair.

[Rhaegarsjoy]

Dorne is isolated from the rest of the 7kingdoms and I think since he planned on having Rhaegar marry cercei he wanted to strengthen his families connection with the surrounding regions his own southern ambition if you will and dorne only has any influence thru their marriages to the throne.

[ser naes yennet]

Is that right? I thought the way Eddard Stark discovered the affair between Cersei Lannister and her brother was by looking at the hair color of the babies born to Lannister/Barratheon marriages for hundreds of years and always finding black hair.

Ned figured the same thing that Stannis and Jon Arryn did, just that all Baratheon offspring had dark hair, not just when on a Lannister.

[belladeuil]

When Tywin told Elia's mother his daughter, Cercei was going to be the queen, and refused to make his daughter marry with Oberyn it turned out to become a race. Finally Martells won that.

Considering Lord Tywin had Princess Elia murdered for being the widow to Prince Rhaegar and his daughter Cersei became Queen, the Princess of Dorne's victory turned to ashes. I daresay if she had the choice between winning or losing 'the race', she would choose to lose.

This particular topic is one that really fascinates me, not only because Tywin is so unlike what we've been told and seen of him. It actually shows a really human side of Twyin that Joanna's death affected him so much that he really didn't act like the "great Tywin Lannister" would have when talking to the Princess of Dorne. The whole passage is a great bit of writing, not only some history but seeing a more human side of Tywin.

Now before ADwD, I always thought that Tywin bungled the entire meeting with the Princess. Frankly he could have said that while Oberyn was a fine young man and had a great future, he unfortunately was in advanced negotiations for Cersei's marriage and didn't have to mention Rhaegar. And given he wanted to raise his family standing an Jaime-Elia match would have been perfect to go along with a Rhaegar-Cersei match. Even though Elia was considered frail, she still was second-in-line behind Doran. There was a chance that Tywin could be the grandfather to the King, the Lord of Casterly Rock, and Prince(ss) of Dorne HOW is that for a legacy!

Now after ADwD, the grand alliance of Baratheon-Stark-Tully-Arryn has become the topic of conversation and when or if Tywin was in on it. Frankly the Jaime-Elia makes even more sense. Think about it, you have aforementioned grand alliance that wants to put Rhaegar in charge as Regent, basically King in all but name, for his mentally ailing father. The Rhaegar-Cersei match means that the Lannister's join the alliance by default because it would place Tywin's son-in-law on the throne, I don't think he would mine if it happened sooner. The Jaime-Elia match now brings Dorne into the alliance mix as Tywin need only convince Elia's mother, or Doran depending on when he succeeds her, when the alliance makes it move that it would be good for the realm and that by joining the other five great houses to support Rhaegar becoming Regent that Dorne would be protecting their interests. With the marriage between Jaime & Elia that conversation becomes easy.

Finally I'm going to end on this. Tywin wanted Cersei to marry Rhaegar and would do anything to make it happen, why would he not want to take a potential rival to Cersei out of the conversation by having Elia marry Jaime? Aerys wouldn't have been interested in the Tully girls, the Baratheon's hadn't had any daughters since Aery's aunt married Robert's grandfather, and there were no matches in the Free Cities. Elia Martell was the only high born woman who could have been a rival to Cersei if Aerys was choosing Rhaegar's bride because of her Targ ancestress, even if she was considered frail (though she did pretty well traveling from Sunspear to Old Town then to Lannisport by ship).

The only answer I have at this time is that Joanna's death caused Tywin so much heart ache that he blundered. If the Martells had arrived before Tyrion's birth, Tywin would have accepted Jaime-Elia and politely refused Oberyn-Cersei thus changing history. However we'll never know and frankly we wouldn't have a story if that had happened.

Princess Elia was not the only other 'competition' Queen Cersei had for Prince Rhaegar's hand. Lord Jon Arryn had eight nieces, Lord Rickard Stark had a daughter, Lord Hoster had two daughters and Lord Mace Tyrell had two sisters. Prince Rhaegar could have married anyone of them. If Princess Elia was chosen because she has Targaryen ancestry, then even Queen Cersei could not rival her since Queen Cersei did not have, as far we know, Targaryen ancestry.

Princess Elia was frail which meant that the likelihood of her giving birth to healthy sons is lower than would be expected of a healthier girl. She was also nine years older than Jaime Lannister which meant that her childbearing years would also be shorter than if she were much closer to his age. Princess Elia did bear Prince Rhaegar a daughter and a son but giving birth to the former left her bedridden for six months and giving birth to the latter left her barren. One son is not enough. Ideally, there will be an heir and a spare. Furthermore, Dorne shares no borders with the Westerlands and has its own unique cultural identity. Lady Lysa is healthy, near in age to Jaime Lannister and was very fertile (she conceived the second time she had sex with a young man/boy). Her father was the Lord Paramount of the Trident, a region which shares a border with the Westerlands. Her sister is furthermore betrothed to the heir to Winterfell.

[oba]

Ned figured the same thing that Stannis and Jon Arryn did, just that all Baratheon offspring had dark hair, not just when on a Lannister.

What you're referencing is in the show.

As far as the books, Garrett Hornwood is correct in that Ned specifically looks at the results of Baratheon-Lannister pairings which show "the gold yielding before the coal".