This book is primarily designed to meet the demands of the students of Law and to provide them with an appropriate historical background, political, socio-economic, law and legal institutions, judicial organisation for the study of Hindu and Muslim Law in a better or truer perspective.

The major topics discussed are history and its territory, polity, state & government, social organisation, status & position of women, economic structure, legal system and administration of justice in ancient India, medieval India and Indian society and law and legal institutions & judicial organisations.

A useful book for the students of law. The lucid treatment of the subject will create interest for the students. The book contains a subject index and chapter-wise bibliography for ready reference.

The book under review is seen to be specially prepared for the first year students of the LL.B. Degree (Five year course). It is a project of the National Law School of India University in assocation with Bar Council of India Trust to meet the requirements of students for whom `History of India' is a prescribed subject for study. The students of law should be equipped with the awareness that present is the result of the past and the future has to be shaped based on the present. It could be seen that books on history follow the traditional method of presentation and cannot meet the needs of students of of law. In the book under review the author has adopted a particular method of treatment of the subject to meet the needs of law students.

On the whole the book is useful to students of law. The way of treatment of the subject in a lucid form should create interest for the student. The price fixed for the book is moderate. The book contains a subject index and chapterwise bibliography for ready reference.

                   PREFACE III
                   INTRODUCTION IV-VI

                   The Subject-matter of History 1
                   The Knowability of the Past 3
                   History and Antiquarianism 5
                   History as a Living Subject 6
                   Purpose of History 7
                   History and its Neighbours 10
                   History and Geography 11
                   History and Politics 13
                   History and Economics 14
                   History and Sociology 16
                   Other Disciplines 18
                   History and Law 19
                   Survey of Indian Historiography 22
                   Ancient Period 22
                   Forms of Historical Tradition 22
                   Medieval Period 26
                   Modern Period 29
                   Recent Trends 31

                   State Formation in Ancient India 35
                   Early Experiments 35
                   The Tribal Polity in the Rig Veda 35
                   Tribal Assemblies 36
                   Vidatha 36
                   Sabha 37
                   Samiti 38
                   Later Vedic Development 40
                   Kingship 40
                   The Royal Function 44
                   Councillors and Officials 46
                   Oligarchies and Republics 47

                   The Mauryan Polity 52
                   Polity in the post-Maurya period 61
                   The Satavahana Polity 62
                   The Kushana Polity 66
                   The Gupta Polity 70
                   Structure of Polity between 700-1200 A.D. 76
                   Quasi-Feudalism and Feudalism 78
                   Feudalism 79
                   Local Administration 81
                   Working of the Mahasabha 85

                   The Varna System 88
                   Gotra and Pravara 94
                   Varna and Jati 97
                   The Untouchables (Panchamas) 100
                   The Family 102
                   The Asramas (the four stages of Life) 104
                   The System of Slavery 107

                   The Status of Women 112
                   Education 117
                   Marriage 121
                   Forms of marriage 121
                   Age of Marriage 122
                   Right of Property 124
                   Divorce 126
                   Prostitution 128
                   Widows 130

                   Pastoralism 135
                   Peasant Phase 137
                   The Village 139
                   Agriculture and Stockbreeding 142
                   Origin and Types of Property 146
                   Urban Centres 147
                   Guilds 150
                   Trade and Finance 155
                   Maritime Trade 157

                   Legal Literature 162
                   Role of the Smritikaras 166
                   Manu 167
                   Brihaspati 168
                   Yajnavalkya 173
                   Narada 176
                   Katyayana 179
                   The Sources of Law 183
                   The Concept of Dharma 185
                   Law-making and Law-interpreting Process 187
                   Law and Custom 189
                   Human Law and Divine Law 190

                   Judicial Institutions 193
                   Types of Courts 195
                   Courts of the Guilds 198
                   Role of the Village Panchayats 199
                   Initiation of the Procedures 200
                   The Trial 202
                   Witnesses 205
                   Pleaders 206
                   Secret Agents 207
                   Concluding stage of the Judicial Procedure 209
                   Punishments 210
                   The Role of the Judges 212

                   The Rule of the Turko-Afghans and Mughals 216
                   The Government Set-up 218
                   Muslim Political Ideas 219
                   Administrative Apparatus 222
                   The Law of Succession 222
                   The Administrative Officers 223
                   Administrative Divisions 224
                   Reforms of Ala-ud-din Khilji 224
                   Market Regulations 226
                   Reforms of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq 227
                   Departmental Administration under the Mughals 228
                   Administrative Divisions 230
                   The Mansabdari System 232
                   Akbar's Revenue Reforms 234

                   Social Transformation 239
                   The Bhakti Movement 243
                   Social Reforms of Akbar 248
                   Status and Position of Women 250
                   Hindu 250
                   Muslim 251

                   Sources and Character of Muslim Law 256
                   Muslim Law and Non-Muslims 259
                   Changes under Akbar 260
                   Criminal Law and Punishment 262
                   Salient features of Islamic Criminal Law 262
                   Judicial Organisation 266
                   The Royal Court 268
                   The Chief Quazi 270
                   Secular Courts 271
                   Panchayats 272
                   Defects in the Judicial Administration 272
                   Punishments 273
                   Investigation Process 274
                   APPENDIX 276
                   BIBLIOGRAPHY 279
                   SUBJECT INDEX 291