Everyday Islamic Law and the Making of Modern South Asia

“[An] erudite debut. . . . The meticulous regard for quotidian processes and overlooked cases makes for an intimate study of the sometimes befuddling world of Islamic law in British India. Scholars will find this a detailed and nuanced chronicle.”—Publishers Weekly

“A remarkable piece of research. . . . Lhost has enabled us to understand much better the relations between Muslim judges and the state in British India. She has also enabled us to understand how ordinary human beings, in particular women, might use the law to better their positions. This is a major work in the history of Muslim South Asia.”—Journal of Islamic Studies

“This innovative and unusual study does yeoman work in capturing the habitual experiences of Muslim jurists, judges, and claimants as they navigated vying—and occasionally overlapping—legal systems.”—Journal of Church and State

“A thoroughly researched, well-written, and important examination of how qazis, muftis and ordinary individuals shaped everyday Islamic law in 19th century South Asia, and how their concerted efforts helped maintain a robust presence of Islamic law in various legal fields. . . . [A] valuable resource to anyone hoping to learn more about the history of Islamic law under colonial rule.”—Journal of Islamic and Near Eastern Law

“Evocative. . . . In refusing to bury . . . experiences deviating from common expectations, [Lhost] makes clear that the day-to-day life of Islamic legal practice defies top-down scripting and must be studied from the bottom up.”—Law & Social Inquiry

“Everyday Islamic Law and the Making of Modern South Asia is an impressive accomplishment for its breadth and specificity. It would be a mandatory addition to graduate courses on South Asia, Islam, and religion. . . . By foregrounding the small questions that have big impacts in people’s lives—and that fascinated the British imperial powers—Lhost is able to capture how a system of authority both changed and remains.”—American Historical Review

“A unique contribution that demonstrates the author’s dexterity in Islamic and South Asian studies.”—Reading Religion

“Opening a window on a virtually unexplored domain, Elizabeth Lhost foregrounds lawmaking in South Asian Islam as a process, providing a diachronic view of how the relationship between Muslim judges and the British state developed throughout the colonial period. Lhost also gives readers an unprecedented glimpse into the everyday lives of litigants, especially women, who attempted to use the law to better their lives. A landmark study of Islamic law in any time or period.”—Brannon Ingram, Northwestern University

“Elizabeth Lhost draws on a remarkable and largely unexplored collection of archives, many of which require rare skill sets to interpret. The result is a lively, bottom-up perspective on everyday legal encounters. For historians and legal scholars alike, this book enriches our understanding of the ongoing importance of non-state legal forums and their complex interfaces with state courts and legislation.”—Julia Stephens, Rutgers University