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