Vijnaneshvara's
voluminous commentary on the Yajnavalkya Smrti, written early in the twelfth
century.
The British colonial administration of India benefited
greatly from this commentary.
The British were happy to have their Indian subjects
governed by their traditional religious laws, but they needed to know what
these laws were in order to do so.
The Mitakshara was given the status of traditional law in
large parts of British India, and it served as a legal code.
Bengal, where the Dayabhaga was the legal authority, was the
only major part of India where the Mitakshara did not hold sway.
Inheritance was one of the most significant differences
between the two.
The Mitakshara emphasizes survival inheritance, in which
only living males can inherit property, whereas the Dayabhaga emphasizes
succession inheritance, in which a deceased man's heirs can inherit in his
name.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.
