hindu law basic & sources ppt.ppt and the history

Hindu law

1. HINDU LAW
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Family law I ( Hindu law)

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3. Basics of Hinduism
OriginatedinIndia
Manyconsiderittheoldestreligionintheworld
Thirdlargestreligion
Practicedby80%ofIndia’sinhabitants
DerivativeofwordHinduisthegeographicalterm
(SindhuRiverorIndusValley)
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4. Origin of Hinduism
IndusValley
Builthousesforworship
Stonesculpturesandcharmstowardoffevil
Firealtars&animalsacrifices
Aryans
PoemsandritualtextscalledVEDAS(early
sacredwritings)
RigVeda–theoldestoftheSacredTexts
Agni-worshippedforcesofnatureasgods
Atman-humansoul
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5. Vedas, Epics & Codes
VEDAS
Composed Vedas in Sanskrit
Vedas literally means “knowledge“
Vedas called “Shruti”by the Hindus
RIG VEDA
Upanishads –mystical texts on human existence
EPICS
Ramayana –Hindu Epic of about 24000 verses
including hero story of Rama
Mahabharata and BhagavadGita
Legal Codes
Laws of Manu
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6. Hindu Belifes
Categorizing the religion of Hinduism is somewhat confusing:
POLYTHEISTIC worships multiple deities: gods and goddesses
MONOTHEISTIC it recognizes only one supreme God: the
panentheistic principle of Brahman, that all reality is a unity. The entire
universe is seen as one divine entity who is simultaneously at one with the
universe and who transcends it as well
TRINITARIAN Brahman is simultaneously visualized as a triad --
one God with three persons:
Brahma(the Creator)
Vishnu (the Preserver,
Shiva (the Destroyer)
HENOTHEISTI recognize a single deity, and recognizes other gods and
goddesses as facets, forms, manifestations, or aspects of that supreme God
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7. Beliefs and Goals
TheultimateaimofallHinduthoughtsistoattain
theuniversalsoulordivinewisdomcalledBrahman
Hindu’sbelieveinthefreedomtoindividuallyworshipand
guide own spiritual experience.
ThegoalsofHinduismconsistofpersonalconductand
righteouslivingwhich equalstodharma
Goaltoachievemoksha,(liberation)fromendless
cycleofrebirthscalledSamsaraandreuniteatman
withBrahman
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8. MAYAallformsofexistencearetemporaryand
illusionary
SAMSARA endlesscycleofreincarnation
KARMA Basicbeliefofcauseandeffect(all
actionshaveaconsequence)
DHARMA personalconductandrighteous
living
MOKSHA theliberationfromsamsaraandthe
unitingofATMAN(humansoul)withBrahman
(ultimatesoul)
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10. TheHinduMarriageAct,1955isapplicabletofollowingtypesof
persons:
(i)Byreligionandbirth:ThosewhoareHindus,Sikhs,Jainsor
Buddhistbyreligionorbybirth;
(ii)Bynotbelongingtoanon-Hindureligion:Thosewhoarenot
Muslims,Christians,ParsisorJewsbyreligionorbybirth;
(iii)Domicileinterritory:Toanyotherpersondomiciledinthe
territoriestowhichthisActextendswhoisnotaMuslim,Christian,
Parsibyreligion,unlessitisprovedthatanysuchpersonwouldnot
havebeengovernedbytheHindulaworbyanycustomorusageas
partofthatlawinrespectofanyofthemattersdealtwithhereinif
thisActhadnotbeenpassed.
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11. Hindus
Those who are Hindus by Birth and religion
Jains and Sikhs
Illegitimate Children whose both parents are
Hindus
Any child whose father or mother is Hindu
and who is brought up as Hindu
Those of certain Hindu Sampradayas (Arya
Samaj, Swaminarayan, Brahma Samaj)
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12. Not considered as Hindus
Muslims, Parsis and Christians
Those who have converted from Hinduism
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13. Who can become Hindu?
Any person by expressing intention to live as Hindu,
if the community accepts him/her
On conversion from other faith as per Hindu custom
Child of Hindu and non-Hindu parent –status
Marriage between Hindu and non-Hindu
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17. shruti
Shrutimeans"thatwhichisheard"andreferstothebodyof
mostauthoritative,ancientreligioustextscomprisingthe
centralcanonofHinduism.
The“Samhita”or4Vedasalongwiththeir“Brahmanas”,
108UpanishadsandtheAranyakasareShrutiLiterature.
BrahmanasarecommentariesonthefourVedasanddeal
with proper performance of rituals.
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18. The shruti literature include the four Vedas
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19. Each of these Vedas include the
following texts, and these belong to
the shruti canon
Samhitas
Brahmanas
Aranyakas
Upanishads
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21. smriti
SmrtiisaSanskritword,fromtherootSmara,which
means"remembrance,reminiscence,thinkingofor
upon,callingtomind",orsimply"memory".Theword
isfoundinancientVedicliterature,suchas
theChandogya Upanishad.Inlaterandmodern
scholarlyusage,thetermreferstotradition,memory,
aswellasavastpost-Vediccanonof"traditionthatis
remembered"
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22. smriti
smritis,asystematicstudyandteachingofVedasstarted.Many
sages,fromtimetotime,havewrittendowntheconcepts
giveninVedas.SoitcanbesaidthatSmritisareawritten
memoryoftheknowledgeofthesages.Immediatelyafter
theVedicperiod,aneedfortheregulationofthesociety
arose.Thus,thestudyofvedasandtheincorporationof
localcultureandcustomsbecameimportant.Itisbelieved
thatmanysmritiswerecomposedinthisperiodandsome
werereducedintowriting,however,notallareknown.The
smritiscanbedividedintotwo-Earlysmritis
(Dharmasutras)andLatersmritis(Dharmashastras).
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24. Manusmriti
Thisistheearliestandmostimportantofall.Itisnotonlydefinedthewayoflife
inIndiabutisalsowellknowinJava,Bali,andSumatra.Thenameofthereal
authorisnotknownbecausetheauthorhaswrittenitunderthemythicalname
ofManu,whoisconsideredtothefirsthuman.Thiswasprobablydoneto
increaseitsimportanceduetodivineorigin.Manusmriticompilesallthe
lawsthatwerescatteredinpre-smritisutrasandgathas
Hewasabrahmanprotagonistandwasparticularlyharshonwomenand
sudras.Heholdslocalcustomstobemostimportant.Hedirectsthekingto
obeythecustomsbuttriestocloakthekingwithdivinity.Hegives
importancetotheprincipleof'dand'whichforceseverybodytofollowthe
law.
Therehavebeenseveralcommentariesonthissmruti.Themainones
are:Kalluka'sManavarthmuktavali,Meghthithi'sManubhashya,and
Govindraja'sManutika.
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26. Yajnavalkya Smriti
ThoughwrittenafterManusmruti,thisisaveryimportantsmruti.
Itslanguageisverydirectandclear.Itisalsoalotmore
logical.Healsogivesalotofimportancetocustomsbuthold
thekingtobebelowthelaw.Heconsiderslawtobethe
kingofkingsandthekingtobeonlyanenforcerofthelaw.
Hedidnotdealmuchwithreligionandmoralitybutmostly
withcivillaw.Itincludesmostofthepointsgivenin
Manusmrutibutalsodiffersonmanypointssuchaspositionof
womenandsudras.HewasmoreliberalthanManu.
Vijnaneshwar'scommentary'Mitakshara'onthissmruti,is
themostimportantlegaltreatisefollowedalmosteverywhere
inIndiaexceptinWestBengalandOrissa.
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28. Narada Smriti
NaradawasfromNepalandthissmritiiswell
preservedanditscompletetextisavailable.Thisis
theonlysmritithatdoesnotdealwithreligionand
moralityatallbutconcentratesonlyoncivillaw.This
isverylogicalandprecise.Ingeneral,itisbasedon
ManusmritiandYajnavalkyasmritibutdifferonmany
pointsduetochangesinsocialstructure.Healsogives
a lotof importanceto customs.
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29. Difference between Shruti &
Smriti
Shrutiis“thatwhichhasbeenheard”andiscanonical,
consistingofrevelationandunquestionabletruth,andis
consideredeternal.ItrefersmainlytotheVedasthemselves.
Smritiis“thatwhichhasbeenremembered”supplementary
andmaychangeovertime.Itisauthoritativeonlytotheextent
thatitconformstothebedrockofShruti.It’sworthnotethat,
thereisnotadistinctdividebetweenShrutiandSmriti.Both
ShrutiandSmriticanberepresentedasacontinuum,with
sometextsmorecanonicalthanothers.
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30. Commentaries and Digest
TheworkdonetoexplainaparticularSmritisis
calledacommentary.Digestsweremainlywritten
afterthatandincorporatedandexplainedmaterial
fromalltheSmritis.Asnotedearlier,someofthe
commentarieswere,Manubhashya,Manutika,and
Mitakshara.Whilethemostimportantdigestis
Jimutvahan'sDayabhagthatisapplicableinthe
BengalandOrissaarea.
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32. Customs
MostoftheHindulawisbasedoncustomsand
practicesfollowedbythepeopleallacrossthe
country.EvenSmrutishavegivenimportanceto
customs.Theyhaveheldcustomsastranscendent
lawandhaveadvisedtheKingstogivedecisions
basedoncustomsafterduereligiousconsideration
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33. Customs are of four types
customs
Family
Caste
and
commu
nity
Guild
Local
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34. Essentials of Customs
Ancient.
Invariable and continuous.
It should be certain.
Reasonable.
It should not be immoral.
Must not be opposed to public policy.
It must not be forbidden by any express enactment of
the legislature.
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35. Judicial Decisions
DuringBritishregimeinthiscountryHindulawwas
administeredbyBritishJudgeswiththehelpofHinduPandits
becausetheyinterpretedtheSanskrittextsforthemtoapplyit
tothedisputeandtoarriveatadecision.Sothedecisionofthe
highercourtsbecomealawforthelowercourts.Todaythe
doctrineofStaredecisisispartofIndianLaw.SupremeCourt’s
decisionsarebindingonallcourts,thoughSupremeCourtis
notboundbyitsowndecisions.ThedecisionsofStateHigh
Courtsarebindingsonallsubordinatecourtsoftheirrespective
statesthoughdecisionsoftheoneHighCourtisnotbindingon
otherHighCourts.
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36. Legislation
IthasbeenanimportantfactorinthedevelopmentofHinduLaw.Mostofthemareinthedirectionof
reformingHinduLawandsomeofthemsupersedesHinduLaw.PriortotheBritishruleitwas
difficulttofindfixedprinciplesoflawonseveralareassoBritishGovernmentpassedcertainActs
whichhaveeffectofchangingthereligiousnatureofHindulawatseveralinstances.Someimportant
legislationsare–
i)TheIndianMajorityAct,1875.
ii)TheTransferofPropertyAct,1882.
iii)TheGuardiansandWardsAct,1890.
iv)TheIndianSuccessionAct,1925.
v)TheChildMarriageRestraintAct,1929.
vi)TheSpecialMarriageAct,1954.
vii)TheHinduMarriageAct,1955.
viii)TheHinduMinorityandGuardianshipAct,1956.
ix)TheHinduSuccessionAct,1956.
x)TheHinduAdoptionsandMaintenanceAct,1956.xi)HinduSuccession(Amendment)Act,2005.
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37. Equity, Justice and Good
Conscience
IntheabsenceofanyspecificlawintheSmriti,orin
theeventofaconflictbetweentheSmritis,the
principlesofjustice,equityandgoodconscience
wouldbeapplied.Inotherwords,whatwouldbe
mostfairandequitableintheopinionoftheJudge
wouldbedoneinaparticularcase.TheSupreme
CourthasobservedinGurunathv.Kamlabai1inthe
absenceofanyclearShastrictext,thecourtshavethe
authoritytodecidecasesonprinciplesofequity,
justiceandgoodconscience.
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