History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.529

v4.c63.529

In the preceding pages we have passed in review the law of judicial procedure, evidence and limitation. A careful perusal will convince any unbiassed reader that the Dharmaśāstras evolved during the course of centuries an indigenous system of judicial procedure of a high order. Nārada, Bṛhaspati and Kātyāyana represent the high water mark of ancient Indian adjective law. These writers flourished before 600 A. D. and the first two of them are probably older by several centuries than that date. They present an orderly system providing for the appointment and duties of judges, proper pleadings, the law of evidence and limitation, decrees and their execution, crimes and punishments. This system compares most favourably with any system of judicial procedure prevalent anywhere in the West up to the 18th century A. D.