The "laying at rest" of the joint Hindu family is said to have been initiated at least from the point of law and its disappearance in society has frequently been forecast by sociologists and by public opinion. Now that the controversy between protagonists and reformers seems to have been subsided it may be the right time for re-examining without bias and prejudice an institution which has often been misunderstood and misinterpreted. The present study traces the outlines of the evolution of this institution questioning some assumptions regarding its history, nature and function. It advances a plea for and does not preclude a joint effort of various disciplines like history, law, sociology, and psychology etc. to assess an institution which is responsible for much which is characteristically Indian.
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