Hindu Law and Custom (Recht und Sitte) c7.472

c7.472

The value of the data about law and custom found in the ancient indigenous literature excepting the legal sources, is somewhat attenuated by the fact that it was almost exclusively in the hands of Brahmans and therefore does not represent a true picture of the actual state of things. In the first place there are the inscriptions which contain interesting and axactly datable data about institutions and gifts, administration, and officials, widow-burning, rate of interest and various documents. The Grhyasūtras will be dealt with by Hillebrandt.³ The Kāmasūtra contains a few notices useful for family law. Of the historical literature the Rājataranginī (ed. Stein) comes specially into consideration. The fables, particularly the Jātakas, and the poetical works likewise contain much materials which should of course be used only with caution. The scientific literature too contains many occasional remarks as is proved by Weber's collection of the materials about the history of law from the Mahābhāsya.⁴