Hinduism and Law: An Introduction

Covering the earliest Sanskrit rulebooks through to the codification of ‘Hindu law' in modern times, this interdisciplinary volume examines the interactions between Hinduism and the law. The authors present the major transformations to India's legal system in both the colonial and post colonial periods and their relation to recent changes in Hinduism. Thematic studies show how law and Hinduism relate and interact in areas such as ritual, logic, politics, and literature, offering a broad coverage of South Asia's contributions to religion and law at the intersection of society, politics and culture. In doing so, the authors build on previous treatments of Hindu law as a purely text-based tradition, and in the process, provide a fascinating account of an often neglected social and political history.

Donald R. Davis is Associate Professor in the Department of Languages and Cultures of Asia at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His previous publications include The Spirit of Hindu Law (Cambridge University Press, 2010) and The Boundaries of Hindu Law: Tradition, Custom and Politics in Medieval Kerala (2004).

Jayanth Krishnan is Professor of Law and the Charles L. Whistler Faculty Fellow at Indiana University, Maurer School of Law. Krishnan's academic interests focus on the legal profession and law-and-globalization, with a special emphasis on how these areas intersect in India. His publications on these subjects have appeared in reputed law reviews and peer-reviewed journals.

Timothy Lubin is Professor in the Department of Religion, and Lecturer in Law and Religion in the School of Law, at Washington and Lee University. His publications concern classical Hindu ritual and doctrine, and their relation to legal precepts and practices in India.