III - B.A. LL.B.

(H)

Semester – V: COURSE SYLLABUS

HISTORY – III (LEGAL HISTORY OF TAMIL NADU)

Aims of the Course

 To understand the contributions of South Indian Historians towards the History
Tamil Nadu
 To understand the socio-political, cultural and administrative methods of early
and imperial Cholas and other major kingdoms
Course Objectives

 To evaluate the legal, judicial structures & processes and ideas of justice in South
India
Learning Outcomes
● Exploring the contributions of Tamil country towards the legal system in ancient
and medieval period
● Writing research paper on legal contributions of ancient and medieval Tamil
kingdoms

Teaching Methods

● Field visit to remains and monuments of Tamil kingdoms in and around of

Tiruchirappalli
● Lecture cum White Board enabled method
● Debate and I C T method
● Assignments through Google / Turnitine Class Room

MODULE 1
Historiography and Historiographers in South India:

S Krishnaswami Iyengar – K.M. Panikkar – K.A. Nilakanta Shastri – R. SathianathaIyer

– K. Rajayyan – R. Champakalakshmi – Prof. Kesavan Veluthat - MGS Narayanan –
Prof. Rajan Gurukkul – Prof. Noboru Karashima - Burton Stein – Y. Subbarayulu – K.
Rajan - Their ideas and approaches, contribution towards the history of south India.
Importance of Legal History in the study of Law

MODULE 2
Pre-historic and historic sources of South India – The Ages of three Sangam– Tamil
Kingdoms: Chera’s under Muchiri, Cholamandalamunder Uraiyur and Madurai Pandyas.
a. Society, religion, polity and revenue administration
b. Overseas & Internal trade and economy
c. Court structures, criminal justice and nature of judgeship

MODULE 3
Later Sangam Age:

Literary contributions reflecting law and justice – The Sathavahanas – Pallavas of Kanchi
– Western Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas

a. Society and Polity: Cultural contribution, Theory of kingship and

Administration
b. Judicial system and court procedures and its impact on North India

MODULE 4
The emergence of Imperial Cholas: Socio-political system and Administration
a. Land revenue, Urban and rural local self-governments
b. Trade and commerce
c. Crimes and Punishments under Cholas
d. Impact of imperial Cholas’ Judicial system on Delhi Sultanate in North India

Emergence of Later Pandyas in Madurai, the Rise of Bahmini and the Vijayanagar
Kingdoms in Deccan, Emergence of Nayaks and Marathas in South India:

a. Their Polity and Land revenue Administration

b. Civil and Criminal Justice and Court proceedings

Judicial administration during colonial period: MODULE 5

a. Portuguese’ Civil and Criminal codes in Goa and neighbouring areas
b. French’s Judicial administration and Court’s procedures in Pondicherry and allied
areas
c. English East India Company’s settlement and their court system in Madras
Presidency (Mayor’s Court)
Required Reading:
1. Arul K, Criminal justice system in Pondicherry - a comparative critical study of
the past and the present, Cochin University of Science and Technology, 2013, pp.
1-45.
2. Balambal V, Crime and Punishment under the Imperial Cholas,Journal of Tamil
Studies Article, Vol. 26, 1984, pp. 25-35.
3. Calvin Woodard, History, Legal history and Legal Education, Virginia Law
Review, Vol.53, No. 1(Jan., 1967), pp.89-121

4. Chandni Bi S, Brahmanas Crime and Punishment under the Cholas, South Indian
History Congress, 2013.
5. Chandni Bi S, Judicial system under the Cholas, South Indian History Congress,
2012.
6. Colvalkar, Nagesh S, A critical study of Criminal Justice System during Colonial
Era and Post Liberation of Goa, Goa University, 2013, pp. 19-54.

7. DárioMoura Vicente, The Civil Code In Portugal And Goa: Common Heritage
And Future Prospects, Salgaocar College of Law, Panaji, Goa, 2010.
8. Dr.R.Nagaswamy, Restrictions on arrest of Men and Women-a Chola example,
Tamil Star Academy Article.
9. Elizabeth Kolsy, A Note on the study of Indian Legal History, Law and History
Rerview, Vol.23, No.3 (2005), pp. 703-706.
10. Janaki Nair, Women and Law in Colonial India: A Social History (Kali for
Women, Published in Collaboration with the National Law School of India
University, Bangalore, 1996), ISBN 8 18 510782 3, pp. 173-176.
11. Joan C. Williams, Culture and Certainty: Legal History and the Reconstructive
Project, Virginia Law Review, Vol. 76, No.4 (May 1990), pp. 713-746.
12. KrinsnasamiAiyangar S. Some Contribution of South India to Indian Culture,
Calcutta, 1923.
13. MadhoPatil P, Court life under Vijaynagar Rule, B.R. Publishing Corporation,
Delhi, 1999.
14. Mahalingam T. V., South Indian Polity, University of Madras, Madsras, 1967.
15. NilakantaSastri K.A., A History of South India, Oxford University Press, New
Delhi, 1976.
16. RadhikaSingha, A Despotism of Law: Crime and Justice in Early Colonial India,
Oxford University Press, Delhi, 1998.
 17. Rajayyan K, History of Tamil Nadu, Ratna Publications, Madurai, 1995.
18. Ratnaswami, Subramaniam, A Short History of the ancient Tamils and their
literature, ThaiyalnayakiVelieedu, Anamalainagar, 1979.
19. Raymond H. Arnot, The Judicial System of the British Colonies, The Yale Law
Journal, Vol. 16, No. 7 (May, 1907), pp. 504-513
20. Robert Johnson, “True to their salt” Mechanisms for recruiting and managing
militarylabour in the army of the East India Company during the Carnatic Wars in
India, Fighting for a Living, Book Subtitle: A Comparative Study of Military
Labour 1500-2000, Amsterdam University Press. (2013).
21. Ron Harris, The encounters of Economic History and Legal History, Law and
History Review, Vol.21, No.2 (summer 2003), pp. 297-346
22. Sathish Chandra, History of Medieval India, Vol. I& Vol. II. Mac Millan, New
Delhi, 1984.
23. SrinivasIyengar, History of the Tamils: From the earliest times to 600 AD, Asian
Educational Services, New Delhi, 1982.
24. Subramanian N, History of Tamil Nadu to AD 1336, Second Edition, Koodal,
Madurai, 1976.
25. Towards Equality, Reports of the Committee on the Status of Women in India,
Government of India, Ministry of Education and Social Welfare, Department of
Social Welfare, New Delhi, 1974.
26. Velcheru Narayana Rao, David Shulman, Sanjay Subrahmanyam, Symbols of
substances, court and state in Nayak period of Tamil Nadu, Oxford University
Press, Delhi, 1992.
27. Venkatratnam A. V., Local Government in Vijaynagar Empire,Prasaranga
University, Mysore, 1972.
28. Vijayakumar H. Salimani, South Indian Administration during Chola Period,
International Journal of Scientific Research, Vol. 1: Issue -5, 2016, pp. 333-535.

29. W. S. Holdsworth, The Place of English Legal History in the Education of English
Lawyers, Columbia Law Review, Vol. 10, No. 8 (Dec., 1910), Columbia Law
Review Association, Inc., pp. 723-739.
30. Wendie Ellen Schneider, Perjury and Prevarication in British India, Engines of
Truth, Producing Veracity in the Victorian Courtroom, Yale University Press
(2015), pp. 103-142.
Additional Readings:

1. Basham AL, The Wonder that was India, Rupa& Co., New Delhi, 2003.
2. Bharmachari S, English Rule in India and India's Unrest, The Journal of Race
Development, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Oct., 1910), pp. 209-220.
3. Charles Johnston, The English in India, The North American Review, Vol. 189, No.
642 (May, 1909), University of Northern Iowa, pp. 695-707.
4. Derrett J.D.M., Religion, law and state in India, Oxford University Press, New
Delhi, 1999.
5. Edwin Arnold, The Duty and Destiny of England in India, The North American
Review, Vol. 154, No. 423 (Feb., 1892), University of Northern Iowa, pp. 168-188
6. Eustace W. Fisher, India, Journal of the American Geographical Society of New
York, Vol. 19 (1887), American Geographical Society, pp.337-354.
7. Francis H. Skrine, The Awakening of India, The North American Review, Vol. 185,
No. 620 (Aug. 2, 1907), University of Northern Iowa, pp. 711-723.
8. Gandhi B. M., Landmarks of Indian Legal and Constitutional History, 10th Edition,
Eastern Book Company, Eastern Book Company, Lucknow, 2011.
9. HenrietteBuggeRichond: Curzon, Mission and Tamil Society: Social and Religious
Changes in South India (1840 – 1900), 1994.
10. Jain M.P., Outlines of Indian Legal and Constitutional History, Seventh Edition,
Lexis Nexis Publication, Haryana, 2014.
11. K.D. Thirunavukkarasu, Chieftains of the Samgam Age, International Institute of
Tamil Studies (1 st edition), 1994.
12. NilakshiJatar&LaxmiPraranjape, Legal History Evolution of the Indian Legal
System, Eastern Book Company, Lucknow, 2012.
13. Rajalakshmi R, Tamil Polity, c. A.D. 600 – c. A.D 1300, Ernes Publication,
Madurai, 1983.
14. Rajayyan K, Selections from History of Tamil Nadu (1565 – 1965), Madurai
Publishing House, Madurai, 1978.
15. Raychaudhary, Social, Cultural and Economic History of India, Surjeeth
Publication, Delhi, 1978.
16. Robert Sewell, A Forgotten Empire (Vijayanagar): A Contribution to the History of
India, Asian Educational Service, New Delhi, 2000.
17. Sharma R. S., Material culture and Social formation, Mac Million, New Delhi,
2007.
18. Sharma R.S, Shudras in Ancient India, A Social History of the Lower Order Down
toAD 600, New Delhi, 1980.
19. Singh M.P., Outlines of Indian Legal and Constitutional History, Universal Law
Publishing Co., New Delhi, 2006.
20. Somalai (S.M.L. Lakshmanan Lena), European Impact on Modern Tamil Writing
and Literature, Dravidian Linguistic Association, Madras, 1976.
21. Susan S. Wadely (Editor), The Powers of Tamil Women , Syracuse University,
November 1991, ISBN: 0915984423, (Foreign and Comparative Studies/South
Asian Series, No.6)
22. Varataraja Aiyar E.S, Tamil Ilakkiya Varalaru in 1 st Century AD: Samanamum
Thamilum, Bouthamum Thamilum, Vainavamum Thamilum, Annamalai University,
Annamalai Nagar, 1979.