Jimutavahana's Dayabhaga : The Hindu Law of Inheritance in Bengal

This is a translation of a 12th century Sanskrit legal text, with the original text. The Dayabhaga was one of the most important texts in the history of Indian law. It is important because the British elevated it to such prominence in their new colony in the early 19th century. This text was taken as the authority on inheritance and significant aspects of family law for the eastern Indian region. The case law and scholarship that surround this text have shaped Indian personal law right up to the present day. Until now, there has been only one very inadequate English translation of this text (now 190 years old) - virtually without reference to the Sanskrit. This new translation will make this crucial text genuinely avaliable to those without Sanskrit for the first time.