Yajñavalkya
Hindu Law and Judicature from the Dharma-Sástra of Yájnavalkya
"Hindu Law and Judicature from the Dharma-Sástra of Yájnavalkya" by Yajñavalkya is a Sanskrit legal text composed between the 3rd and 5th century CE. Organized into three books covering customs, judicial process, and punishment, this systematic treatise presents theories on evidence, court structure, and legal procedure. Notable for its concise style and progressive views, it elevated documentary evidence above oral testimony and established hierarchical courts with clear appeal processes, profoundly influencing medieval India's judiciary practice more than earlier dharma texts.