This collection of 21 essays analyses the relationship between legal and social systems in India, including the functioning of the legal system in tandem with other social subsystems; the legal profession; law and religious identity; law and disadvantaged groups in society; the societal and social roles of the judiciary in India; and the law and aspects of social change. Section I deals with the functioning of the law during British rule and in independent India, which also includes tribal criminal justice. Section II explores the development and social organization of the legal profession. Sections III and IV examine the association of law with religion and disadvantaged groups. Section V analyses the societal role of the judiciary with respect to public interest litigation and social action. Finally, Section VI discusses law and social change through the ages in India. In examining these diverse issues, the reader brings together the writings of eminent sociologists as well as top legal thinkers and jurists.