A Continuity of Shariʿa: Political Authority and Homicide in the Nineteenth Century, written by Brian Wright

What is it about?

Wright's book can be read at two levels. The first one, at the surface, offers interesting data and draws a relevant comparison, regarding criminal law, between 19th century India, the Ottoman Empire and Egypt. The second one, which touches the deepest dynamic of legal history, proposes a narrative of permanence and change in Islamic law. While the former contributes substantially to our knowledge of the crafting of criminal law and its relation to Islamic jurisprudence in these contexts, the latter, despite insights in the political motivation of some legal historians, requires strong qualification.

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