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- Title
Parsi Legislation and Community Identity in Colonial Punjab.
- Authors
Sumbal, Saadia
- Abstract
This article argues, to legitimize a distinct Parsi identity and to avoid submergence under majoritarianism of Muslims and Hindus, living within the constraints of anglo-legalism, provided a possibility to protect Parsi community interests tied up with patriarchal structure. It explores, instead of maintaining collective autonomy and integrity by avoiding interaction with the colonial state, the Parsi community sagged deep into the colonial legal system. They de-Anglicized the law by incorporating legal amendments and clauses to adjudicate issues related to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and religious trusts, which were in consonance with their own distinctive models of the family and community. The reform minded Parsi middle class used the discourse of legality to build walls between the sexuality of women in the familial and extra familial domains. The terms of discourse on male and female sexuality reflected middle class aspirations to ideological hegemony, underpinned by bureaucracy of colonial Punjab which aligned colonial authorities with the nationalist patriarchy.
- Subjects
PUNJAB (India); PARSEES; GROUP identity; MAJORITARIANISM; COLONIAL law
- Publication
Journal of Sikh & Punjab Studies, 2023, Vol 30, Issue 2, p391
- ISSN
0971-5223
- Publication type
Article