2017 · Q5
Statement IThe British legal scholars relied on Indian Pandits and Maulavis for understanding of canons of authoritative texts.
Statement IIBritish codified the Hindu Laws in 1783 and the Muslim Laws in 1785.
history-of-indiaeuropeans-british-expansion
- ABoth the statements are individually true and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I
- BBoth the statements are individually true but Statement II is NOT the correct explanation of Statement I
- CStatement I is true but Statement II is false
- DStatement I is false but Statement II is true
Explanation
Statement I is true: early British scholar-administrators such as Warren Hastings’ circle and William Jones depended on Indian pandits and maulavis to interpret the Dharmashastras and Islamic legal texts (e.g., Halhed’s 1776 Code of Gentoo Laws was compiled from pandits). Statement II is false: there was no codification of Hindu law in 1783 or of Muslim law in 1785; systematic codification in India came much later, e.g., the Indian Penal Code of 1860. Hence Statement I is true and Statement II is false, giving (C).