Laws & legal texts
Dharmashastras, colonial land and social laws, and the Constitution.
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c. 500 BCE – 200 CE🏺 Ancient
Dharmasutras and the Manusmriti
From c. 500 BCE social norms were compiled in the Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras; the most important, the Manusmriti, was compiled between c. 200 BCE and 200 CE. Real social relations were probably more complicated.
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1793🏭 Modern
The Permanent Settlement
The Company fixed the revenue each Bengal zamindar had to pay; the estates of those who failed to pay were auctioned.
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1829🏭 Modern
Sati banned
After Rammohun Roy's campaign, which cited ancient texts against the practice, sati was banned in 1829.
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1835 and 1854🏭 Modern
English Education Act and Wood's Despatch
The 1835 Act made English the medium of higher education; Wood's Despatch of 1854 set out an educational policy stressing European learning.
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1856🏭 Modern
Widow remarriage made legal
Vidyasagar's proposal was adopted, and a law of 1856 permitted widow remarriage.
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1859🏭 Modern
The Limitation Law
Loan bonds between moneylenders and ryots were made valid for only three years, to check the build-up of interest — though moneylenders found ways round it.
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Colonial period🏭 Modern
Reserved Forests
The British declared forests state property; in Reserved Forests people could no longer move freely, practise jhum, gather fruit or hunt.
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Constituent Assembly🏭 Modern
Hindi in the Devanagari script
The Constituent Assembly decided that Hindi in the Devanagari script would be the official language, with English continuing for the first fifteen years.
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Draft Constitution🏭 Modern
Union, State and Concurrent lists
Subjects were divided into three lists — Union, State and Concurrent — with more items under Union control than in other federations.
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26 January 1950🏭 Modern
The Constitution in force
The Constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950.
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