Law and Colonial Cultures: Legal Regimes in World History, 1400–1900 (Studies in Comparative World History)

Advances an interesting perspective in world history, arguing that institutions and culture - and not just the global economy - serve as important elements of international order. Focusing on colonial legal politics and the interrelation of local and indigenous cultural contests and institutional change, the book uses case studies to trace a shift in plural legal orders - from the multicentric law of early empires to the state-centered law of the colonial and postcolonial world. In the early modern world, the special legal status of cultural and religious others itself became an element of continuity across culturally diverse empires. In the nineteenth century, the state's assertion of a singular legal authority responded to repetitive legal conflicts - not simply to the imposition of Western models of governance. Indigenous subjects across time and in all settings were active in making, changing, and interpreting the law - and, by extension, in shaping the international order. Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Dedication......Page 9 Contents......Page 11 Acknowledgments......Page 13 ONE Legal Regimes and Colonial Cultures......Page 17 INSTITUTIONAL WORLD HISTORY......Page 20 LEGAL PLURALISM......Page 23 JURISDICTIONAL AND CULTURAL BOUNDARIES......Page 28 CULTURAL AND LEGAL INTERMEDIARIES......Page 31 LAW AND PROPERTY, LAW AS PROPERTY......Page 34 CULTURE/STRUCTURE......Page 40 CONCLUSION......Page 44 TWO Law in Diaspora......Page 47 JURISDICTIONAL COMPLEXITIES IN IBERIAN LAW......Page 49 LAW IN THE PORTUGUESE TRADING-POST EMPIRE......Page 61 LEGAL PLURALISM IN AFRICA......Page 65 MARRONAGE AS A LEGAL STATUS......Page 75 BARBAROUS RAIDS, CIVILIZED RANSOM......Page 82 AN INTERNATIONAL LEGAL REGIME......Page 93 THREE Order out of Trouble......Page 96 NEW JURISDICTIONAL PUZZLES FOR SPANIARDS......Page 97 CHURCH, CROWN, AND INDIANS IN NORTHERN NEW SPAIN......Page 102 ISLAMIC JUSTICE, OTTOMAN STRATEGIES......Page 118 HINDUS AS LEGAL SUBJECTS IN GOA......Page 130 ‘‘CIVILIZATIONS’’ AND CONFLICTS IN COMMON......Page 140 FOUR A Place for the State......Page 143 LEGAL POLICY AND JURISDICTIONAL COMPLEXITY IN BRITISH INDIA......Page 145 QADI JUSTICE......Page 156 STATE HEGEMONY......Page 165 THE LEGAL LIMITS OF ‘‘ASSIMILATION’’......Page 169 CONCLUSION......Page 177 FIVE Subjects and Witnesses......Page 183 EUROPEAN LAW AND THE KHOI AS LEGAL SUBJECTS......Page 186 DEFINING ‘‘CREDIBLE WITNESSES’’......Page 192 ABORIGINES AS LEGAL SUBJECTS IN NEW SOUTH WALES......Page 199 THE ‘‘RIGHT TO STEAL WHAT THEY THOUGHT PROPER’’......Page 211 CONCLUSION......Page 222 SIX Constructing Sovereignty......Page 226 LAW AND SPANISH AMERICAN STATES......Page 228 LAW AND “LAWLESSNESS” IN THE BANDA ORIENTAL......Page 232 LAW CROSSING BORDERS......Page 237 A “COUNTRY CLAIMING TO BE CIVILIZED”......Page 248 LEGAL REFORMS......Page 255 INFORMAL EMPIRE AND EXTRATERRITORIALITY IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT......Page 260 SEVEN Culture and the Rule(s) of Law......Page 269 SECONDARY AND PUBLISHED PRIMARY SOURCES......Page 283 Index......Page 299 Half-title 3 Series-title 5 Title 7 Copyright 8 Dedication 9 Contents 11 Acknowledgments 13 ONE Legal Regimes and Colonial Cultures 17 INSTITUTIONAL WORLD HISTORY 20 LEGAL PLURALISM 23 JURISDICTIONAL AND CULTURAL BOUNDARIES 28 CULTURAL AND LEGAL INTERMEDIARIES 31 LAW AND PROPERTY, LAW AS PROPERTY 34 CULTURE/STRUCTURE 40 CONCLUSION 44 TWO Law in Diaspora 47 JURISDICTIONAL COMPLEXITIES IN IBERIAN LAW 49 LAW IN THE PORTUGUESE TRADING-POST EMPIRE 61 LEGAL PLURALISM IN AFRICA 65 MARRONAGE AS A LEGAL STATUS 75 BARBAROUS RAIDS, CIVILIZED RANSOM 82 AN INTERNATIONAL LEGAL REGIME 93 THREE Order out of Trouble 96 NEW JURISDICTIONAL PUZZLES FOR SPANIARDS 97 CHURCH, CROWN, AND INDIANS IN NORTHERN NEW SPAIN 102 ISLAMIC JUSTICE, OTTOMAN STRATEGIES 118 HINDUS AS LEGAL SUBJECTS IN GOA 130 ‘‘CIVILIZATIONS’’ AND CONFLICTS IN COMMON 140 FOUR A Place for the State 143 LEGAL POLICY AND JURISDICTIONAL COMPLEXITY IN BRITISH INDIA 145 QADI JUSTICE 156 STATE HEGEMONY 165 THE LEGAL LIMITS OF ‘‘ASSIMILATION’’ 169 CONCLUSION 177 FIVE Subjects and Witnesses 183 EUROPEAN LAW AND THE KHOI AS LEGAL SUBJECTS 186 DEFINING ‘‘CREDIBLE WITNESSES’’ 192 ABORIGINES AS LEGAL SUBJECTS IN NEW SOUTH WALES 199 THE ‘‘RIGHT TO STEAL WHAT THEY THOUGHT PROPER’’ 211 CONCLUSION 222 SIX Constructing Sovereignty 226 LAW AND SPANISH AMERICAN STATES 228 LAW AND “LAWLESSNESS” IN THE BANDA ORIENTAL 232 LAW CROSSING BORDERS 237 A “COUNTRY CLAIMING TO BE CIVILIZED” 248 LEGAL REFORMS 255 INFORMAL EMPIRE AND EXTRATERRITORIALITY IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT 260 SEVEN Culture and the Rule(s) of Law 269 Bibliography 283 PRINCIPAL ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS 283 SECONDARY AND PUBLISHED PRIMARY SOURCES 283 Index 299 Law And Colonial Cultures Advances A New Perspective In World History, Arguing That Cultural Practice And Institutions - Not Just The Global Economy - Shaped Colonial Rule And The International Order. The Book Examines The Shift From The Multicentric Law Of Early Modern Empires To The State-centered Law Of High Colonialism. In The Early Modern World, The Special Legal Status Of Cultural And Religious Minorities Provided Institutional Continuity Across Empires. Colonial And Post-colonial States Developed In The Nineteenth Century In Part As A Response To Conflicts Over The Legal Status Of Indigenous Subjects And Cultural Others. The Book Analyzes These Processes By Juxtaposing Discussion Of Broad Institutional Change With Microstudies Of Selected Legal Cases.--jacket. Legal Regimes And Colonial Cultures -- Law In Diaspora: The Legal Regime Of The Atlantic World -- Order Out Of Trouble: Jurisdictional Tensions In Catholic And Islamic Empires -- A Place For The State: Legal Pluralism As As A Colonial Project In Bengal And West Africa -- Subjects And Witnesses: Cultural And Legal Hierarchies I The Cape Colony And New South Wales -- Constructing Sovereignty: Extraterritoriality In The Oriental Republic Of Uruguay -- Culture And The Rule(s) Of Law. Lauren Benton. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 267-282) And Index. "Law and Colonial Cultures advances a new perspective in world history, arguing that cultural practice and institutions - not just the global economy - shaped colonial rule and the international order. The book examines the shift from the multicentric law of early modern empires to the state-centered law of high colonialism. In the early modern world, the special legal status of cultural and religious minorities provided institutional continuity across empires. Colonial and post-colonial states developed in the nineteenth century in part as a response to conflicts over the legal status of indigenous subjects and cultural others. The book analyzes these processes by juxtaposing discussion of broad institutional change with microstudies of selected legal cases."--BOOK JACKET. This book advances a new perspective in world history, arguing that institutions and culture--and not just the global economy--serve as important elements of international order. Focusing on colonial legal politics and the interrelation of local cultural contests and institutional change, it uses case studies to trace a shift in plural legal orders--from the multicentric law of early empires to the state-centered law of the colonial and postcolonial world. Benton shows how Indigenous subjects across time were active in making, changing, and interpreting the law--and, by extension, in shaping the international order. "In the late fifteenth century, as Christians were extending their rule over the remaining pockets of Moorish dominion in the Iberian peninsula, a North African legal scholar named Al-Wansharishi issued a legal finding (fatwa) to address the situation of an"

Argues that institutions and culture serve as important elements of international legal order.