History of the Parsis : including their manners, customs, religion and present position : with coloured and other illustrations : in two volumes

CHAP. V.] FEMALE RIGHTS. 259

originals of several letters from eminent “dasturs” in reply to certain queries relating to the subject circulated by the managing committee of that body, it came to the conclusion that, although only a few passages could be produced to show that the right of Parsi females to inherit on the death of their intestate husbands and fathers was explicitly laid down in Parsi works of authority, yet there was some evidence that such was the ancient rule. While, on the other hand, the practice of excluding from the inheritance the widows and daughters of male intestate Parsis was not authorised by either any tradition of ancient Persian usage or any text of their ancient books. It was clear, therefore, that a law affirming the night of Parsi females to inherit the property of their intestate male relatives could not reasonably or with truth be objected to as having a tendency to offend the religious feelings of any class of the Parsi community.

The third question was :—

Supposing the heritable right of Parsi females in cases of male intestacy to be established, what, with reference to the requirements and wishes of a majority of the entire Parsi community, ought to be the respective amounts of the widow’s and of the daughters’ shares ?

The amount fixed in the draft code was one-half of a share for the widow, and one-fourth of a share for each daughter. This the Mofussil Parsis con-

sidered too high. They said that such an allocation