ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the construction of Hindu women's claim to independent land ownership within law in India. It addresses the issue of Hindu peasant women's ability to translate their statutory rights to succession into practice and assert ownership of their share in family land. The book develops the bargaining approach from a legal perspective to engage in a critical evaluation of the social and economic context of law. It explores the impact of gender relations upon legal guarantees and entitlements. The book discusses the provisions of the Hindu Succession Act as part of the historical development of Hindu women's legal right to property ownership. It discusses the regulation of women's property rights within classical or traditional Hindu law and the changes gradually sought to be introduced by legislation.
