Women, Wealth and Law: Anglo-Hindu and Anglo-Islamic Inheritance Law in British India. Issue 1 (2nd January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Singh, Anantdeep
• Is Part Of: South Asia. Volume 40:Issue 1(2017)
• Page Start: 40
• Page End: 53
• Publication Date: 2017-01-02
• Subjects: British India -- gender -- Hanafi -- Hindu inheritance law -- Islamic inheritance law -- Mitakshara -- partition -- South Asia -- stridhan -- wealth accumulation; South Asia -- Periodicals; South Asia -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; 954.005
• DOI: 10.1080/00856401.2017.1258612
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0085-6401

Abstract

ABSTRACT: In the late nineteenth century, Anglo-Hindu and Anglo-Islamic inheritance law in British India treated women very differently. Anglo-Hindu inheritance law precluded women from both inheriting a portion of the estate and disposing of their property. Anglo-Islamic inheritance law allowed women to inherit property and did not restrict how they could use this property. The differing treatment of women by both systems allowed Anglo-Hindu inheritance law to encourage wealth accumulation, whereas Anglo-Islamic inheritance law encouraged estate fragmentation. An overview of both systems of inheritance law and case summaries illustrate how differences in the treatment of women affected the relationship between each system of inheritance law and wealth accumulation.