Prelims 2021 · Ancient History · Question 40
With reference to the history of ancient India, which of the following statements is/are correct?<br/>1. Mitakshara was the civil law for upper castes and Dayabhaga was the civil law for lower castes.<br/>2. In the Mitakshara system, the sons can claim right to the property during the lifetime of the father, whereas in the Dayabhaga system, it is only after the death of the father that the sons can claim right to the property.<br/>3. The Mitakshara system deals with the matters related to the property held by male members only of a family, whereas the Dayabhaga system deals with the matters related to the property held by both male and female members of a family.<br/><br/>Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer
2 only
1. Incorrect. Mitakshara and Dayabhaga are two schools of Hindu law based mainly on regional differences, not on upper-caste vs lower-caste distinction.
2. Correct. Under Mitakshara, a son acquires a right in ancestral property by birth; under Dayabhaga, the right generally arises after the father's death.
3. Incorrect. This distinction is wrong. Mitakshara vs Dayabhaga mainly differ on inheritance/coparcenary rules, not as male-only property versus both male and female property systems.
Therefore, only statement 2 is correct.