Sources of Law in Medieval India; and Islamic Schools of Jurisprudence
In this topic, we are going to discuss the legal system and Islamic school of jurisprudence of medieval India. To get knowledge related to the law system we will see various sources of medieval India, which is particularly based on the Islamic principle of legal. Let us take a brief knowledge on the same. Let us begin with the sources of the legal system of medieval India.
Sources of Law in Medieval India
QURAN
The Quran refers to the holy book of Islam, which is considered the primary source of Islamic law. In this, book there are direct commands of god that Allah which serves ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice. Quran played a very crucial role in the society of medieval because it shaped legal norms and principles that guided various aspects of life, like family law, commercial transactions, etc.
HADITH
Hadith refers to a prophetic tradition in which it contains actions and recorded saying which was approved by the Islamic prophet Muhammad. This book authorized by various jurists and scholars to derive legal jurisprudence and ruling, interpretation, it is not directly addressedQuranuran.
IJMA
This refers to various agreements and consensus that were reached by scholars based on legal issues. It had played an important role in medieval India, it served various sources of law which was not explicit Quran, and hadith and interpretations were required.
QIYAS
It provides legal reasoning by analogy. This allows jurists to give legal rulings for new circumstances that compare to the existing case of the Quran and hadith or other scholarly consensus. They were used by Islamic jurists to address new legal issues and to adapt new Islamic laws in the society of medieval society.
SCHOOLS OF JURISPRUDENCE
Here we will study various schools of jurisprudence of medieval India. Various schools of jurisprudence are known as madhhab which influence to shape legal interpretation and practices. So, let us see various schools of jurisprudence in medieval India. Let us begin.
HANAFI SCHOOL
This school of jurisprudence was founded by Imam Abu Hanifa, who was most widespread and influential in medieval India. It emphasized the use of analogy and reason in legal reasoning and a flexible approach to interpretation characterized it. Various rulers favored this school of jurisprudence and it became the official legal school.
SHAFI’I SCHOOL
Imam ash-Shfi’i founded this school of jurisprudence and also had a presence, particularly in the southern region of medieval India. It laid emphasized the importance of the Quran, hadith, and other law systems in legal reasoning. This school adherent and influenced legal practices.
MALIKI SCHOOL
It was founded by Imam Malik ibn Anas, who had less influence in medieval India as compared to Hanafi and Shafi’i schools. Although it was followed by some communities which included parts of south India and the Deccan region. This school was based on its reliance on local custom as a source of law.
HANBALI SCHOOL
It was founded by Imam Ahmad ibn Handal, it had limited influence in the society of medieval India. It was well known for its strict adherence to the Quran and hadith. It was reluctant to rely on reasoning and analogy. This school was followed by some particular areas where itinerant scholars used to propagate its teaching.
CONCLUSION
At the end of this topic, we can conclude here that the school of jurisprudence provided the framework and legal interpretation in medieval India. This also contributed to diversity in the practices of law across different regions and communities. Whereas, the sources of the law system helped with legal principles and customary practices that had formed the basis of the legal system in medieval India. It also led to a diverse legal system across different regions of medieval India.
