Professional Documents
Culture Documents
nected with the important life events, the language spoken, dress, educational and
economic level.
All of these data are rather short and disconnected which points to the need for
more comprehensive field work on various aspects of the culture of these communities.
The third part, “Social Organization,” includes chapters on the “Elements of Caste
in Muslim Communities,” “Jama’tbandi or Caste Organization,” “Marriage and Family,”
and “Social Change in Recent Years.” I n the first chapter the author lays down the three
basic premises underlying the Hindu caste system and, describing the hierarchical order
in Muslim communities, discusses the similarities and differences between the two sys-
tems; he also stresses the distinction of caste as it exists among the Hindu and the
Muslims.
This point is well supported by other studies in West Pakistan.
In “Marriage and Family,” similarities between the Hindu and Muslim systems are
shown in the role of marriage being an alliance between the families and in the endog-
amous pattern of marrying within one’s own community, or caste. However, there is
an important difference, for, while cousin marriages are allowed and preferred among
Muslims, they do not exist among the Hindus. Besides, with some exceptions, there is
a flexibility among certain Muslim communities regarding marriages outside one’s own
group. Muslim family organization is similar to the Hindu patrilineal and patrilocal
system. Also, some customs connected with marriage and widow re-marriage as ob-
served by the Muslins show Hindu influence.
In “Social Change in Recent Years,’’ the author discusses the trend toward Islamiza-
tion which is manifested in the discontinuance of customs considered as Hindu, in the
simplification of celebrations of family events, in the adoption, to a greater extent, of
a Muslim style of dress. The passage of the Shariat Act of inheritance in 1937, which
clashed with the customary law of succession and presented problems for the land
owning class is discussed with all its implications. This period of change has been
marked by great social mobility and rise of individuals and whole Muslin communities
on the basis of higher education, wealth, and political power. The trend toward west-
ernization is shown in the adoption of values and culture traits considered western.
After having read this book, one cannot help but think: I s Islam as rigid a faith as
it is often thought of? Islam in India as represented by the various Muslim communi-
ties described has shown great flexibility and receptivity to the ideas and practices of
an old traditional system which was so foreign to their faith. The very repudiation by
these communities of the Shariat Law of inheritance which is a part of their religion
and their strong adherence to the customary law of succession which is Hindu proves
how deeply they have absorbed the Hindu practices and how well these customs have
integrated into their whole social system.
This study provides much data which cannot be given proper treatment in a work
of this size. However, one appreciates the importance of the insight which an indige-
nous scholar can and has been able to bring into this study.