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INHERITANCE AXD PARTITIOX.
15
of lart, Even in the earliest text-books a sort of note of Farning against the error is sounded. A crude statement is made in an old book, Lord's Display, 1630. Jaina priests of Surat are considered a part of the Brahman hods, though Sudras by caste. In other words, they are non-Bralımanic Brahmans. What this means is already explained abore (page 9). J. K. Nelson and Dr. Thomas hare been mentioned already. Steele, in his Hindoo Castes, sars : Jainas bare books of their oirn.
In 1781, the British Parliainent, with reference to the Snpreme Court at Calcutta prorided that "inheritance and succession to lands, rents and goods, and all matters of contract and dealing between parties, shall be determined in the case of Malomedans by the laws and usages of Naliomedans, and in the case of Gentus by the laws and
usages of Geotns, and then only one of the parties 'shall be a Mabonedan or Gentu, by the lars and usages of the defendant" (Statute 21, George III, C. 70, section 17).
Sir William Jones, irriting on 19th March, 1788, says:
"Nothing could be more obriously just than to determine prirate contests according to those lats, shich the parties themselves had erer considered as the rules of their conduct and engagements in civil life. Nor could anything be viser than, by a
eine Thementu one the the parties
