This book is a strong contribution targeted at a much needed re-consideration of democracy as a concept and a practice in a world of porous boundaries, which exposes people in societies to the often hegemonic imposition of extra-territorial actors

All contributions derive from longterm ethnographic studies and place their observations in social, historical and political context. Their focus on the ground allows us to understand what heritage means to different stakeholders and how different agendas come into conflict…The contributions answer the main question of the book, providing interesting and detailed case studies. Nevertheless, the book does not suggest avenues for the resolution of issues.” • Social Anthropology/Anthropologie sociale

Drawing connections between local contests over marriage and resources, Nafisa Shah unearths deep historical processes and power relations. In particular, she explores how the state justice system and informal mediations inform each other in state responses to karo kari, and how modern law is implicated in this seemingly ancient cultural practice.